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November 24, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 24, 2025
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (second from left) stands for a group photo with leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang (second from right) at the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan-China divide widens as fears of long-lasting chill in ties grow
By Jesse Johnson
The cavernous gap was on full display over the weekend as any contact between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang failed to materialize at a G20 summit.

More coverage

Top Chinese diplomat weighs in on Takaichi’s ‘shocking’ Taiwan remarks
Japan blasts China’s ‘entirely baseless’ claims after U.N. letter
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (second from left) stands for a group photo with leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang (second from right) at the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday.
A car that hit several pedestrians in Tokyo's Adachi Ward on Monday. A pedestrian in his 80s has died while 10 others are injured following several collisions near the Adachi Ward office that took place around midday on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Pedestrian dies after apparent Tokyo hit-and-run that injured 10 others
The driver attempted to flee the scene on foot after the collisions, which took place about 500 meters north of the Adachi Ward office around midday on Monday.
Labor unions in Japan have already made clear they will again demand bumper pay hikes, as real wage growth has remained negative despite hefty increases in recent years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Early signs for 2026 wages bolster case for near-term BOJ rate hike
By Makiko Yamazaki and Leika Kihara
Sustained wage growth would underpin private consumption, giving Japan's central bank confidence to raise rates without derailing Japan's economic recovery.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (R), EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen (C) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) wait for a family photo with other leaders at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
South Africa judges G20 summit a triumph of multilateralism despite U.S. no-show
By Nellie Peyton, Anathi Madubela and Sfundo Parakozov
Ramaphosa pushed through the declaration addressing challenges such as climate change despite objections from the U.S., which boycotted the event.
“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.
CULTURE / Books
TV icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's memoir paints a life of both war and glamour
By Ayako Nakano
“Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, The Sequel,” TV personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s second memoir, comes out more than 40 years after the first.
“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.

JAPAN

Visitors at the Hong Kong Holiday & Travel Expo 2025 Autumn’s Japan pavilion on Sept. 27
Hong Kongers’ interest in visiting Japan remains high
Despite recent travel warnings from Chinese authorities, there have been no noticeable cancellations of trips from Hong Kong to Japan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Johannesburg on Sunday
Takaichi and Modi agree to deepen Japan-India cooperation
The agreement came at a time when the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region is increasingly severe.
The Fukushima startup bringing a welfare perspective to animal testing
Hong Kong leader backs China’s policy on Japan in first remarks on dispute
Water outages expected in 17 Okinawa municipalities
Tokyo Deaflympics sign interpreter wants more to learn International Sign

BUSINESS

Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26. On Sunday at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Li laid out China’s rationale for its sweeping curbs of rare earths, then unveiled details of a global mining initiative with friendly nations.
China’s Li launches charm offensive on rare earths at G20
Critical minerals became a defining theme of Africa’s first G20 summit, with sessions dedicated to the topic as European leaders grappled with supply chain issues.
The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will intervene more actively in the foreign exchange market, according to Takuji Aida, chief economist at Credit Agricole and a member of a new government panel in charge of discussing Japan's growth strategy.
Takaichi to be proactive with yen intervention, panelist says
By Nicholas Takahashi
The threshold of 160 to the dollar is seen as a line in the sand.
U.S. companies hold the line at climate talks despite Trump
By Simon Jessop
China’s grip on copper sets scene for make-or-break supply talks
EU and Africa leaders to talk trade and minerals, as Ukraine looms large
By Umberto Bacchi
How the Nexperia chip crisis upended auto supply chains — again

WORLD

Billionaire Elon Musk, who initially led the Department of Government Efficiency, looks on during the day of a meeting with House Republicans to discuss the department on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 5.
With eight months left on its charter, DOGE no longer exists
By Courtney Rozen
Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor has confirmed that the Department of Government Efficiency is no longer a “centralized entity.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) and Ukrainian Presidential Office Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak hold a news conference following their closed-door talks on a U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine at the U.S. Mission in Geneva on Sunday.
U.S. and Ukraine continue work on 'refined' peace plan to end war with Russia
The "updated and refined peace framework" to end the war with Russia apparently modified an earlier plan seen as too sympathetic to Moscow.
Toxic mines put Southeast Asia's rivers and people at risk, study says
Malaysia says it plans to ban social media for users under 16 from 2026
An anti-Meloni coalition is coming together in Italy
By Donato Paolo Mancini
Israel says it killed Hezbollah chief of staff in Beirut strike
By Robin Millard and Nader Durgham

Sports

Aonishiki celebrates after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
Aonishiki still in disbelief after winning first title at Kyushu Basho
The 21-year-old, who fled the war in Ukraine three years ago, is set to be promoted to sumo's second-highest rank this week.
McCullum tells England fans to 'keep the faith' after Perth capitulation
Italy beats Spain without Sinner to complete Davis Cup three-peat
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta heaps praise on Eberechi Eze after rout
War refugee Aonishiki becomes first Ukrainian to win sumo tournament

Opinion

If China can punish Japan — economically powerful, diplomatically influential and protected by a U.S. defense treaty — then no other country should imagine itself beyond Beijing's reach.
If China can bully Japan, it can bully anyone
Brahma Chellaney
Its willingness to target Japan — a historic great power and today the world’s third-largest economy — telegraphs how Beijing intends to deal with the rest of Asia.
Is America next after Canada to lose its measles elimination status?
By Lisa Jarvis
Bangladesh’s Hasina sentence: Justice or vengeance?
By Anand Kumar
China’s pressure campaign against Japan is a mistake
Seeking good relations with Xi’s CCP is a fool’s errand
By Edo Naito

ENVIRONMENT

COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago (center) hugs Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva after her speech at the COP30 U.N. climate change conference in Belem, Brazil, on Saturday.
COP30 climate deal a 'win' for global unity but fossil fuels untouched
Nearly 200 countries approved the deal by consensus after two weeks of exhaustive negotiations, with the notable absence of the U.S.
Pakistan says rooftop solar output to exceed grid demand in some hubs next year
By Sudarshan Varadhan
New tech could help COP30's Amazon rainforest protection goals
By Clar NiChonghaile and Rosalind Thacker
Preparing for a riskier world is becoming a bigger part of climate talks
By Olivia Rudgard
As COP30 discusses end of fossil fuels, are renewables ready?
By Clar NiChonghaile

CULTURE

“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.
TV icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's memoir paints a life of both war and glamour
By Ayako Nakano
“Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, The Sequel,” TV personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s second memoir, comes out more than 40 years after the first.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40
By Weiwen Lin
'Rental Family' brings real-world insight to modern loneliness
By Adam Davidson
Theater beyond borders: Eriko Ogawa's tenure at the NNTT has a global vision
By Kris Kosaka
Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Scarlet’ takes on ‘Hamlet’ with bold visual departure
By Matt Schley

LIFE

The miso ramen topped with salmon is a nod to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto's hometown of Otaru, which is known for Ishikari "nabe," a salmon-based hot pot dish.
From Otaru with love, a recipe for salmon-topped miso ramen
By Simon Daly
Pay homage to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto by putting together this simple, healthy bowl.
Tokyo’s western edge is a ramen wonderland
By Brian MacDuckston
‘Be bear aware’: Japan’s outdoor pros sound off on ursine risks
By Drew Damron
Old-man puns are getting a Gen Z glow-up as 'neo-dajare'
By Alyssa I. Smith
A dictionary revision illustrates how Japanese keeps on evolving
By Yaeko Kabe

COMMUNITY

Tokyo Maso is a Taiwanese Buddhist temple in the area that welcomes all visitors.
A perfect day in Shin-Okubo, more than just Tokyo’s Koreatown
By Eric Margolis
Long known as Tokyo’s Korean enclave, Shin-Okubo has grown even more multicultural over the years in everything from its restaurant options to its spiritual sites.
Bilal Karakus: ‘Coming to Japan has broadened my palate’
By Patrick Parr
Happy-go-lucky Omochi loves to make friends
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan celebrates 80 years at the forefront of press freedom
By Gendel Gento
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
TV icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's memoir paints a life of both war and glamour
By Ayako Nakano
“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.
CULTURE
The secret to 'Last Samurai Standing'? Treating live action like anime.
By Patrick St. Michel
“Last Samurai Standing” centers on a mysterious fighting event in which participants must hack and slash their opponents apart to collect enough wooden tags to win a big-money prize.
LIFE
‘Tampopo’ lives on in bowls of ramen around the world
By Mike Fu
Juzo Itami's 1985 movie "Tampopo" has inspired many restaurateurs around the world to open their own ramen shop with the same name, such as this establishment in Auckland, New Zealand.
MORE SPORTS
All systems Go for upstart Machida Zelvia after landmark Emperor’s Cup triumph
By Sean Carroll
Machida manager Go Kuroda lifts the trophy as the club celebrates its victory over Vissel Kobe in the Emperor’s Cup final at National Stadium on Saturday.
JAPAN
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
By Himari Semans
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.

Podcast

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

Longform

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” was released Nov. 23, 1985, and though it wasn’t a hit at the time, it has gained a cult following in the years since.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40
By Weiwen Lin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality
Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality

COMFACTS

New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Two men suspected of smuggling 1 ton of gold into Japan from South Korea
U.K. gold bullion bars and coins are displayed at Baird & Co. in Hatton Garden in London.
BUSINESS
Americans with four-year degrees now comprise a record 25% of unemployed workers
By Matthew Boesler
A job fair in Fletcher, North Carolina. The unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree-holders in the U.S. rose to 2.8% in September, up a half-percentage point from a year earlier.
SUMO
War refugee Aonishiki becomes first Ukrainian to win sumo tournament
Ukrainian sumo wrestler Aonishiki receives the Prime Minister's Cup from Takahiro Inoue, an adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on Sunday in Fukuoka after becoming the first from his nation to win a tournament in the traditional Japanese sport.
JAPAN
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
By Himari Semans
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.
JAPAN
Top Chinese diplomat weighs in on Takaichi’s ‘shocking’ Taiwan remarks
By Jesse Johnson
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum in Beijing on Oct. 27.