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May 03, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
May 03, 2025
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been a staunch advocate for constitutional reform.
JAPAN / Politics
Despite shifts in Japan's political landscape, constitutional revision still far off
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Weak political leadership, traditional sensitivity around the issue, and new policy priorities have forestalled a larger debate over the Constitution.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been a staunch advocate for constitutional reform.
Travelers in front of a flight information panel in a departure hall at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on April 26
BUSINESS
Inflation and high hotel prices curtail Golden Week travels
By Tomohiro Osaki
This year consumers in the world's fourth-largest economy are feeling the pain of rising prices for everything from cabbage and rice to electricity bills.
Myaku-Myaku, the mascot of the 2025 Osaka Expo. Some people in the Japanese government are hoping that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Japan to see the expo.
JAPAN
Trump visit to Osaka Expo likely to depend on tariff talks
A visit could provide a tailwind to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition ahead of this summer's Upper House election, observers said.
Japan climbed four positions from last year, with Reporters Without Borders noting that "the principles of media freedom and pluralism are generally respected" in the country.
JAPAN
Japan ranks 66th in press freedom, lowest among G7
Reporters Without Borders noted that "the principles of media freedom and pluralism are generally respected" in the country.
Coming in handy: The "temaki-zushi" (hand-rolled sushi) was first created by Tama Sushi to solve the problem of eating sushi on the go.
LIFE / Food & Drink
The sushi cone that changed everything
By Cassandra Lord
Inspired by ice cream cones, Tokyo’s “temaki-zushi” made sushi handheld, affordable — and a quietly radical moment in Japanese dining.
Coming in handy: The "temaki-zushi" (hand-rolled sushi) was first created by Tama Sushi to solve the problem of eating sushi on the go.

JAPAN

Chief Justice Yukihiko Imasaki
Supreme Court chief vows to handle retrial requests swiftly
"There have not been many requests for retrial, so it is not easy to share and accumulate experiences," Supreme Court Chief Justice Yukihiko Imasaki said.
A medical evacuation helicopter. The control rod is in the tail rotor section of a helicopter.
Control device found broken in April chopper crash in Japan
An investigation of an ambulance helicopter that crashed last month has found that a key component controlling the aircraft's body had been broken.
'War must never happen again': Former Japanese soldier recalls battle of Imphal
Japan Times 1975: Junko Tabei becomes first woman to summit Mount Everest
Woman says archbishop of Tokyo ignored her pleas after priest allegedly raped her
By Karin Kaneko
Man dies after wind turbine blade falls in an Akita park

BUSINESS

Google has been pushing back on the remedies proposed by the U.S. to address its search dominance — one of which is sharing search data with rivals.
U.S. presses for Google to share data by citing Yahoo Japan deal
By Davey Alba
Google has long had a relationship with Yahoo Japan to provide it with search results and some backend work related to search advertising.
"It does exist as a card,” said Kato, speaking on a TV Tokyo program Friday, when asked if Japan’s stance of not selling U.S. Treasury holdings could be a negotiation tool.
Japan’s Kato says U.S. Treasury holdings could be negotiation card
By Takashi Umekawa, Yoshiaki Nohara and Ruth Carson
The comments come amid negotiations between Japan and the U.S. after President Donald Trump ramped up his global tariff campaign.
MUFG joint venture stops selling structured loans after scrutiny
By Takashi Nakamichi
Four Japan automakers see higher U.S. sales on last-minute demand
Why investors are souring on this once red-hot climate tech
By Coco Liu
Second round of U.S.-Japan tariff talks ends inconclusively in Washington
By Francis Tang

WORLD

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in which Trump announced nuclear talks with Iran, in Washington on April 7.
How Trump blindsided Netanyahu with his Iran nuclear gamble
By Samia Nakhoul, Humeyra Pamuk and Parisa Hafezi
In just three weeks, the U.S. and Iran have held three rounds of talks aimed at preventing Tehran from building a nuclear weapon in return for sanctions relief.
Former labor minister Kim Moon-soo arrives at the People Power Party's national convention in Goyang, South Korea, on Saturday.
South Korea's conservatives pick hard-liner Kim Moon-soo as presidential candidate
Kim, 73, was a labor activist in his university days but later became a hard-line conservative.
Germany's AfD dealt blow with right-wing extremist label
By Sam Reeves
Trump team has prepped options to pressure Russia to end war
By Alberto Nardelli and Natalia Drozdiak
On both sides of the line of control, Kashmiris watch, wait and prepare for war
By Fayaz Bukhari, Asif Shahzad and Tariq Maqbool
Now a trusted ally, 'Little Marco' gets Trump's big jobs
By Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis and Steve Holland

Sports

Kawasaki coach Shigetoshi Hasebe during his club's Asian Champions League semifinal win over Al-Nassr on Wednesday.
Kawasaki Frontale coach eyes another big upset in Asian final
By Michael Church
Kawasaki faces an Al-Ahli squad worth an estimated $200 million and boasting UEFA Champions League winners Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino.
NBA icon Popovich stepping down as Spurs coach after 29 seasons
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts lift Dodgers over Braves
Rockets down Warriors to stay alive in NBA playoffs
'The Monster' Naoya Inoue returns to U.S. to defend undisputed title
By Adam Davidson

Opinion

The Bank of Japan signals rate-hike uncertainty and slashes growth forecasts amid rising trade and inflation concerns, as the central bank's earlier optimism is upended by U.S. President Trump's tariff moves.
Bank of Japan will struggle to justify hikes after this
Gearoid Reidy
Few anticipated how dovish the BOJ would sound on the future direction of rates or how gloomy it would be on the near-term prospects for achieving the inflation goal.
Why is Trump unilaterally dismantling U.S. defenses?
By Jill Kastner and William C. Wohlforth
Japan Inc. cautiously optimistic despite rising uncertainty
By Hitoshi Suzuki
Kashmir terror attack pushes India and Pakistan to the brink of war
Trump’s trade war shakes dollar’s haven status, opens door for Asian financial hubs
By Andy Mukherjee

ENVIRONMENT

The aftermath of a wildfire in Yeongyang, South Korea, on March 28.
South Korea's deadly fires made twice as likely by climate change, researchers say
By David Stanway
Fires blazed for nearly a week, killing 32 people and destroying around 5,000 buildings before they were brought under control in late March.
'Not sustainable': Europe's firefighters want more funds and staff
By Beatrice Tridimas
Trump administration targets scientists behind key climate assessment
By Valerie Volcovici
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin
Pope Francis saw defending the climate as an urgent priority for the world
By Eric Roston

CULTURE

The Adachi Institute has been working on creating brand new ukiyo-e prints in collaboration with contemporary artists such as Yayoi Kusama, whose “Mt. Fuji in Seven Colours: When life boundlessly flares up to the universe” (2014) can be seen on display at “Ukiyo-e in Play.”
'Ukiyo-e in Play' showcases traditional art carved anew
By Marigold Warner
The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints keeps age-old methods alive by creating ukiyo-e prints in collaboration with artisans and contemporary artists.
‘Blank Canvas’: 'Tough love' of the past isn't so funny anymore
By Mark Schilling
‘The Killer Goldfish’: The future of cinema, or just indie cosplay?
By James Hadfield
China’s first K-pop concert in years signals efforts to mend ties
By Hyonhee Shin and Shinhye Kang
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

“‘Future of life,’ by Ishiguro,” the World Expo pavilion by roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro, displays humanlike androids.
Want to see the future at Expo Osaka? Get in line.
By Thu-Huong Ha
Androids and lab-grown heart cells: A dispatch from the world fair.
Why the month of May feels tough and how language can help
By Yaeko Kabe
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
By Patrick St. Michel
How to bring up bad news in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura
Savoy, Tokyo’s top pizzeria, fires up in Sapporo
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
A Hokkaido cross that’s more sweet than spicy
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa
How to spend the perfect day in Hiroo, Tokyo’s expat enclave
By Eric Margolis
Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’
By Miikka J. Lehtonen

Editors' Picks

LIFE
Want to see the future at Expo Osaka? Get in line.
By Thu-Huong Ha
“‘Future of life,’ by Ishiguro,” the World Expo pavilion by roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro, displays humanlike androids.
JAPAN
Ishiba hears advice from across the aisle on how Japan should handle Trump
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Shigaru Ishiba and CDP head Yoshihiko Noda at a parliamentary session in Tokyo on April 23.
BUSINESS
Don't send in the clones: AI event nixed as Alt accounts get reality check
By Himari Semans
A screenshot from the website for Alt's AI conference, which was canceled after the company disclosed an investigation into its sales figures.
JAPAN
CDP submits bill proposal on separate surnames, but challenges remain
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers speak to reporters in parliament on Wednesday after submitting a bill in the Lower House to allow married couples to retain different surnames.
SUMO
Puzzling decisions and opaque rankings are all part of sumo's charm
By John Gunning
Chiyoshoma (right) battles Churanoumi during the New Year Basho in Tokyo in January. The Mongolian's drop down the sumo rankings ahead of the May tournament was one of the biggest surprises of the latest banzuke.

Podcast

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

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Israel protests after Kyoto inn seeks war crime declaration from tourist
By Karin Kaneko
A street in Kyoto in March 2023. An Israeli tourist was asked to sign a document stating that he had not committed war crimes when he checked in at a Kyoto guesthouse in April, prompting a response from Israel's ambassador.
JAPAN
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
By Yukana Inoue
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
JAPAN
Signs of change emerge in constitutional interpretation of same-sex marriage
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Plaintiffs celebrate the Tokyo High Court's ruling in a same-sex marriage lawsuit in Tokyo on Oct. 30.
JAPAN
Britain responds after Expo 2025 afternoon tea brews outrage
The café space at the Osaka Expo's British pavilion
JAPAN
Truck driver's body recovered from huge Japan sinkhole after three months
Workers stand around a vehicle carrying the body of a person recovered from a sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Friday.