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October 15, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
October 15, 2025
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Osaka Expo 2025
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The lawmaker that secures a majority of votes in the Lower House will become prime minister. If no one gets a majority, the two top contenders will enter a runoff in which the person with the highest number of votes gets elected.
JAPAN / Politics
Could an opposition candidate become Japan's next prime minister?
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
With the CDP, DPP and Nippon Ishin no Kai still far apart when it comes to their key policies and political objectives, it's unclear if they can field a unified candidate.

More coverage

A frustrated LDP weighs its options now that Komeito is out
The lawmaker that secures a majority of votes in the Lower House will become prime minister. If no one gets a majority, the two top contenders will enter a runoff in which the person with the highest number of votes gets elected.
The Saitama Prefectural Police headquarters in the city of Saitama. Police have apprehended a former employee of a care facility in Saitama Prefecture following the deaths of two residents who were discovered bleeding and unconscious on their beds early Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Former employee of Saitama care home held after deaths of two residents
A staffer at the facility in Tsurugashima called the police after a nurse found the two women in their 80s and 90s bleeding and unconscious on their beds.
Gantry cranes stand near shipping containers as an Evergreen Marine Corp. container ship is docked at Yangshan Port outside of Shanghai on June 17. China has started to collect special port fees on U.S.-owned, operated, built or flagged vessels.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. and China roll out tit-for-tat port fees, threatening more turmoil at sea
By Lisa Baertlein, Liz Lee and Joe Cash
Shippers are quietly trying to improvise workarounds, with varying degrees of success.
A convoy transporting the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, arrives at Abu Kabir forensic center, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Hamas launches Gaza crackdown as Trump vows to disarm group
Hamas tightened its grip on Gaza's ruined cities Tuesday, launching a crackdown and executing alleged collaborators, even as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to disarm the group.
Japan's national team poses for a group photo after beating Brazil at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Japan beats Brazil for first time in chaotic comeback win
By Sam Byford
In a match marked by defensive breakdowns on both sides, Samurai Blue was able to overturn a two-goal deficit and extend its home unbeaten streak to 21 games.
Japan's national team poses for a group photo after beating Brazil at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday.

JAPAN

Takuya Matsui, head of a library run by the town of Shari in Hokkaido, stands in July in front of the library's bulletin board filled with answers to students' questions, holding a book made by compiling the answers.
Book offering life tips from Hokkaido library's bulletin board becomes nationwide hit
The library's director said a question box was set up in 2023 to expose teens to diverse ways of thinking "in today’s social media-centric world."
Work to dismantle and remove exhibits begins at several pavilions of the Osaka Expo on Tuesday, a day after the event ended.
Osaka Expo drew 25.57 million visitors over 184 days
A total of 207,889 people visited the site on Monday, the last day of the event.
Contactless payments to become option for Okinawa water buffalo cart rides
Kansai Electric to conduct surveys for new nuclear reactors
Local governments bank on Osaka Expo's success to draw in tourists
ANA flight returns to Haneda Airport after hitting runway lights

BUSINESS

The Asahi Group Holdings headquarters complex in Tokyo
Personal information possibly leaked in cyberattack on Asahi group
The company was hit by a ransomware attack last week in which more than 9,300 data files were stolen by a hacker group calling itself Qilin.
A barrel of annealed neodymium iron boron magnets prior to being crushed into powder in Tianjin, China, on June 11, 2010.
China flexes superpower status using rare earths in global supply chain grab
The true impact is yet unknown but the move already has companies and policymakers considering countermeasures and alternative suppliers.
Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to ban flying over Russia on U.S. routes
By David Shepardson
EU considers forced tech transfers for Chinese investments
By John Ainger and Jorge Valero
Daito Trust to upgrade construction site toilets in gender diversity bid
Instagram accounts for teens to be in tune with U.S. PG-13 rating standard

WORLD

People flee, cough, and cover their faces as the neighborhood fills with tear gas deployed by federal agents on the southeast side of Chicago on Tuesday.
Military tactics by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Chicago fuel backlash
By Alicia A. Caldwell and Myles Miller
Agents trained to spot illegal border crossings, who normally police the frontier, are being sent into densely populated neighborhoods deep inside the country.
A drone view of the mass grave site in the desert near the eastern Syrian town of Dhumair on Feb. 27
Assad government secretly moved bodies from mass grave to cover up killings
By Maggie Michael, Feras Dalatey, Ryan McNeill and Khalil Ashawi
The bodies were moved to cover up the Assad government’s crimes and help restore its image, witnesses with direct knowledge of the two-year effort said.
Unexploded bombs pose 'enormous' risks in Gaza, mine-clearing organization warns
U.S. seizes $15B in bitcoin and charges Cambodian mogul with cyberfraud
By Patricia Hurtado
U.K. and Canada to join EU plan to tap Russian assets for Ukraine
By Ellen Milligan and Alberto Nardelli
Madagascar's military takes power; fleeing president impeached
By Tim Cocks, Giulia Paravicini and Lovasoa Rabary

Sports

Dodgers players celebrate after defeating the Brewers during Game 1 of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday.
Dodgers barely preserve Blake Snell's win in NLCS opener
Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and Los Angeles increased the lead to 2-0 in the top of the ninth when Mookie Betts drew a bases-loaded walk.
Yamamoto pitches Dodgers to MLB playoff win over Brewers
Asian Games organizers work to boost appeal of esports
England clinches 2026 World Cup spot as Portugal forced to wait
By Andy Scott
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to finish career in native Greece

Opinion

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, holds a news conference at the Diet on Oct. 7. The collapse of the LDP-Komeito coalition highlights the risks of an opposition more focused on obstruction than solutions. 
Japan’s opposition coalition is a recipe for paralysis, not progress
Stephen R. Nagy
The collapse of the LDP-Komeito coalition highlights the risks of an opposition more focused on obstruction than solutions.
Is the global economy as resilient as it seems?
By Eswar Prasad and Caroline Smiltneks
The NBA’s return to China is no slam dunk
By Juliana Liu
Singapore thrived in a U.S.-led world. Now what?
By Hal Brands
Hypothermia in the land of the rising Sanae
By John Authers

ENVIRONMENT

Family members of Yuichi Hirotsu harvest kerner grapes at their vineyard producing pinot noir, kerner and other grapes in Yoichi, Hokkaido, on Oct. 6.
A Japanese pinot noir town blessed by climate change now worries about the weather
By Mariko Katsumura
Yoichi had its hottest summer since record-keeping began, with average temperatures of 22.1 degrees Celsius between June and August.
Europe's bees and butterflies at risk, conservation body says
U.K. spearheads polar climate change research as U.S. draws back
By Joe JACKSON
Indonesia says no to scrap metal after shrimp radiation scare
By Chandra Asmara
Trump calls climate change a con; science braces for more
By David Sherfinski

CULTURE

In his book, correspondent Chris Horton examines Taiwan's history but also brings the story into the present by tracing its strategic alignments today.
'Ghost Nation' puts Taiwan’s history in present context
By Athena Tong
Horton, a veteran correspondent who has lived in Taiwan for more than a decade, devotes substantial space in the book to the transformative years of Japanese rule over Taiwan.
D'Angelo, trailblazing neo-soul singer, dies at 51
By Jasper Ward and Danielle Broadway
Taylor Swift Eras Tour six-part docuseries coming to Disney+
By Molly Schuetz
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dead at 79
Autumn Meteorite stages a month of inventive theater in Tokyo
By Jessica Kozuka

LIFE

This year’s World's 50 Best Bars list features bars from 29 cities worldwide, including debuts from Eastern Europe.
Tokyo earns three spots on World’s 50 Best Bars list
By Weiwen Lin
Bar Benfiddich climbs ranks, but Hong Kong steals the show with Bar Leone making history as the first bar in Asia to be named No. 1 in the listing.
A bitter pale ale from Yokohama finds a sweet win at World Beer Awards
By Jeremy Wilgus
Nara inn offers room, board and an ancient burial mound
By Kimberly Hughes
From straight to curly: Getting your hair done in Japanese
By Mishu Callan
Roasted green tea gets a milky makeover
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

<i>Sashiko</I> dates to the Edo Period (1603-1868) and began as a technique that allowed working-class people to prolong the lifespan of their clothing.
Beauty in slowness: Life lessons from Japanese embroidery
By Cassie Xu
After taking up the practice of sashiko stitching six years ago, a Chinese Canadian woman found an anchor in the traditional craft amidst major life transitions.
Shrunali Ranade: ‘Stepping back isn’t failure but another form of strength’
By Megha Wadhwa
Student groups nurture Japan-South Korea dialogue and cultural ties
By Moe Shimizu
Linda Joyce: ‘We hope people recognize the benefits of exploring rural areas’
By Louise George Kittaka
Stirred, not shaken: Kyoto business platform blends local and global
By Samantha Seghers

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
By Eric Johnston
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
BUSINESS
Pace eyes great strides for Japan’s art market
By Elizabeth Beattie
Pace Japan Vice President Kyoko Hattori, the de facto head of the nation’s business, believes a larger, more lucrative art market will allow Japan to be more attractive for collectors.
JAPAN
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
By Jesse Johnson
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
LIFE
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
By Owen Ziegler
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
ENVIRONMENT
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
By Joel Tansey
The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.

Podcast

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

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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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

COMMENTARY
Hypothermia in the land of the rising Sanae
By John Authers
Amid the election of Sanae Takaichi as Liberal Democratic Party president, and possibly the next prime minister, Japan's economy shows signs of recovery, but weak wages, a conservative corporate culture and currency issues raise doubts about a true economic thaw.
JAPAN
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
By Eric Johnston
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
JAPAN
After plenty of ups and downs, Osaka Expo concludes with message of unity
By Joel Tansey
The sun sets on the Grand Ring on the final day of the Osaka Expo on Monday.
JAPAN
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
By Jesse Johnson
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
LIFE
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
By Owen Ziegler
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.