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July 29, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 29, 2025
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Ichiro Hall of Fame
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Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba, flanked by LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama (left) and LDP Vice President Yoshihide Suga, speaks at a meeting of party lawmakers and executives at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
At LDP’s post-election meeting, calls intensify for Ishiba’s resignation
By Gabriele Ninivaggi and Eric Johnston
The prime minister apologized to his fellow party members over the loss of its majority in the Upper House, but remains determined to stay on.
Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba, flanked by LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama (left) and LDP Vice President Yoshihide Suga, speaks at a meeting of party lawmakers and executives at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks as he takes part in mediation talks on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Thai and Cambodian leaders agree to ceasefire after five days of battle
During a meeting hosted by Malaysia, the two sides agreed to halt hostilities and resume direct communications.
Ichiro Suzuki speaks during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, on Sunday.
BASEBALL
Ichiro leads latest class into Baseball Hall of Fame with humor and grace
Ichiro mixed a sharp sense of humor with a serious tone in discussing what made him a Hall of Famer.
Students hoping to work in Japan attend a Japanese class at a job placement company in Hanoi in October 2022.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Japan to start new residency system for foreign workers
The aim is to systematically develop foreign human resources and ensure they stay in Japanese workplaces for the long term.
The dashboard screen of a Toyota RAV4 compact crossover vehicle at an event in May
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Toyota’s internal inertia stifles digital transformation effort
By Nicholas Takahashi
Inside Toyota, a group of employees are worried about the company’s future in an era when a car’s software matters just as much as its sheet metal.
The dashboard screen of a Toyota RAV4 compact crossover vehicle at an event in May

JAPAN

Saga Prefectural Police officials speak during a news conference held in the city of Imari, Saga Prefecture, early Monday following the arrest of a Vietnamese man a day earlier on suspicion of murder.
Vietnamese technical intern arrested over Saga murder
The 24-year-old man is suspected to have broken into a Japanese language teacher's house, where he allegedly robbed and killed her.
The Genkai nuclear power plant in Genkai, Saga Prefecture, in April 2024
Suspected drone flights over Genkai nuclear plant not yet confirmed
The corrected announcement stated that three lights that appeared to be drones were spotted at the time.
Why authorities in Okinawa are trying to capture feral goats
Woman with disabilities from atomic bombing recalls mother's dedication
Central government workers to get a pay bump of at least 3%, sources say
Mitsui Chemicals apologizes for Fukuoka gas leak

BUSINESS

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) shakes hands with economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, at the Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on July 19.
Japan expects only 1% to 2% of $550 billion U.S. fund to be investment
By Yoshiaki Nohara
The bulk of the fund, agreed as part of Japan's trade deal with the U.S., will consist of loans, says chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to the press following their meeting in Turnberry, Scotland, on Sunday.
Out-gunned Europe accepts least-worst U.S. trade deal
The agreement on a blanket 15% tariff is a reality check on the aspirations of the bloc to become an economic power able to stand up to the likes of the U.S. or China.
U.S. alcohol sector prepares to fight back against buzzy cannabis drinks
By Jessica DiNapoli and Emma Rumney
World’s rich ignore Middle East strife to bet on Dubai and Abu Dhabi
By Laura Gardner Cuesta, Alexander Sazonov, Chanyaporn Chanjaroen, Nicolas Parasie and Ben Bartenstein
South Korea pitches Trump on shipyards for last-minute trade deal
CK Hutchison to invite China investor to join port deal
By Shirley Zhao

WORLD

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, attends wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi in March 2019.
North Korea rejects South’s olive branch, saying it has ‘no interest’ in rapprochement
By Jesse Johnson
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s leader, said that “no matter what policy ... is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it.”
Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity distribution point in Gaza City on Friday.
Israel eases Gaza aid curbs, hoping to defuse hunger outcry
By Dan Williams and Fares Akram
As the aid curbs were rolled back, Israel said it had not abandoned its goals of destroying Hamas.
Smuggled mercury shows extent of illegal Amazon gold mining
By Dan Collyns
Epstein furor undermines public trust and Republican election hopes: lawmakers
By David Morgan
Thousands rally in Malaysia demanding Anwar’s resignation
By Kok Leong Chan, Netty Ismail and Ram Anand
Iran forcing out Afghans en masse after Israel spying claims
By Eltaf Najafizada and Golnar Motevalli

Sports

The numbers and accolades are only part of what made Ichiro Suzuki great. His devotion to his craft, idiosyncratic methods and dry sense of humor made him a transformational figure.
Four lessons to learn from Ichiro's greatness
By Rustin Dodd
The numbers and accolades are only part of what made Ichiro great. His devotion to his craft, idiosyncratic methods and dry sense of humor made him a transformational figure.
Ichiro's Hall of Fame induction becomes family affair for some fans
By Joshua Mellin
Oscar Piastri uses earlier disappointment as fuel to win Belgian Grand Prix
Summer McIntosh makes golden start to ambitious program at world championships
Resilient Chloe Kelly takes center stage as England wins Euro 2025

Opinion

Sanseito supporters celebrate at a rally in Tokyo on July 21, a day after the party’s strong showing in the Upper House election.
Japan’s neighbors anxiously assess Upper House election results
Elizabeth Wishnick and Carita Reid
Most notably, the far-right, anti-immigrant Sanseito won 14 seats, increasing its total seats from one to 15.
Trump is trying to build a far-right international alliance
By Jan-Werner Mueller
Iran is more prepared for democracy than many realize
By Kian Tajbakhsh
Freezing rent is easy. Making NYC housing affordable isn’t.
By Justin Fox
The Fed needs to tread carefully with this strange dollar
By Jonathan Levin

ENVIRONMENT

A technician works on the assembly line at a solar panel manufacturing hub on the outskirts of New Delhi last October.
Amid fossil fuel shift in U.S., hope emerges for India and Japan tie-up on solar
By Nithin Coca
As the Trump administration shifts back to gas and coal, solar power stakeholders in Japan and India are seeking new ways to collaborate.
New Zealand farmers battle pine forests to 'save our sheep'
By Ben Strang
Germans are finally embracing air conditioning, even renters
By Nick Heubeck and Carolynn Look
World court climate ruling: nonbinding but game changing
By Kelly Macnamara
‘Unprecedented’ ocean heat waves in 2023 suggest climate tipping point
By Danielle Bochove

CULTURE

Fuji Rock still excites Hitsujibungaku — (from left) bassist Yurika Kasai, lead singer and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka and drummer Hiroa Fukuda — even as its flock grows abroad.
Hitsujibungaku’s pop-fueled rise to stardom
By Patrick St. Michel
Rock trio Hitsujibungaku is set to make its fourth appearance at Fuji Rock this weekend on its most primetime stage yet — the White Stage right before headliner Haim.
‘Demon Slayer’ movie slashes its own box office records
By Matt Schley
National Ballet of Japan stages first overseas performance in London
‘Rainy Blue’: Behind-the-scenes drama tarnishes an intriguing debut
By James Hadfield
Marunouchi Toei closes as Japan’s cinema landscape evolves
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Located in Patina Osaka, P72 doesn't have a fixed menu, opting instead to rely on whatever is available from local suppliers and its on-site garden to create its innovative plant-based cuisine.
P72 sows the seeds for a dynamic plant-based cuisine
By Jessica Kozuka
With an ever-changing menu dictated by what's available from its garden and suppliers, the Osaka-based restaurant injects creativity and spontaneity into its green cuisine.
Communal knead: A Turkish baker in Kamakura draws queues
By Alex Michael Dwyer
As summer soars, the tomato offers a lesson in staying bright and cool
By Makiko Itoh
Traditional Japanese swordsmanship — with modern matches
By Johan Brooks
How a single current keeps Shiga’s ‘village of water’ in concert
By Joanna Kawecki

COMMUNITY

Wakana, a Japanese fan of Thai BL, visits a temple in Thon Buri, Bangkok featured in the Thai adaptation of the Japanese series “Cherry Magic.” Her media consumption kindled an interest in Thai culture and language, and ultimately led her to relocate to Thailand. “I fell in love with the whole country,” she says.
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Thailand has become a top producer of BL (boys’ love) dramas — and audiences in Japan are among the most ardent consumers.
A big, beautiful Bengal cat named Pupu
Ayaka Ohira: ‘Being outside of the traditional path gave me more freedom’
By Zoria Petkoska
The mothers holding up Japan's Vietnamese community
By Nguyen Bao Anh
Lilimi settles into a new life

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Amid fossil fuel shift in U.S., hope emerges for India and Japan tie-up on solar
By Nithin Coca
A technician works on the assembly line at a solar panel manufacturing hub on the outskirts of New Delhi last October.
BASEBALL
Three decades and a pile of notebooks: The beat writer who chronicled Ichiro’s career
By Mai Yoshikawa
Reporters and photographers, including long-time baseball beat writer Keizo Konishi, swarm around Ichiro Suzuki during the World Baseball Classic in San Diego in 2009.
CULTURE
Behind the scenes: Inside Fuji Rock’s strategy for staying on top
By Philip Brasor
In recent years, Fuji Rock has had fewer blockbuster performers and showcased more top-selling Japanese acts and international musicians' first-time performances in Japan.
JAPAN
Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
By Elizabeth Beattie
The University of Tokyo. International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric.
BUSINESS
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
By Elizabeth Beattie
McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear
By Jason Coskrey

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan to start new residency system for foreign workers
Students hoping to work in Japan attend a Japanese class at a job placement company in Hanoi in October 2022.
JAPAN
Japan to regularly accept assistant language teachers from India
Indian assistant language teachers pose for a photo with Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Ono (center) at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi on Friday.
BASEBALL
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear
By Jason Coskrey
Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
CULTURE
‘Demon Slayer’ movie slashes its own box office records
By Matt Schley
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” is the first installment in a trilogy that's set to wrap the anime adaptation of Koyoharu Gotoke's manga about sword-wielding heroes fighting man-eating demons.
JAPAN
Kyoto University researchers find mechanism behind malignant pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer, the third-leading cause of cancer death in Japan, has the lowest five-year survival rate of any cancer at just 8.5%.