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September 19, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 19, 2025
LDP Race
Japanese stocks
World Athletics Championships
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Signage atop the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo. Japan’s ruling party faces a tough decision over its future as it searches for a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, reverse its waning popularity and reassure investors
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
After seven decades, is it finally time for the LDP to split up?
By Eric Johnston
With the LDP fraying at the seams, some wonder if the patchwork party will split along ideological lines instead of stitching itself back together.

More coverage

Hayashi pledges to carry on Ishiba and Kishida’s work if elected LDP president
Agriculture minister Koizumi most favored for LDP chief, poll finds
Signage atop the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo. Japan’s ruling party faces a tough decision over its future as it searches for a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, reverse its waning popularity and reassure investors
Stocks in Tokyo have been rallying for months on political and trade hopes and in anticipation of a rate cut in the United States.
BUSINESS / Markets
Japan's Nikkei 225 rallies to record following Fed rate cut overnight
By Francis Tang
Trade was choppy and tentative at first until a decisive move upward started at about 10 a.m.
U.S. military personnel board the USS Wasp aircraft carrier at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2019.
JAPAN
U.S. State Department sees Japanese role in AUKUS defense pact
By Tony Capaccio
Japan "expressed interest in a range" of projects underway as part of the second leg of the pact, an assessment said.
China's cyberspace regulator told companies this week to stop testing a Nvidia chip that can be repurposed for artificial intelligence applications.
BUSINESS / Tech
China tells companies to stop buying Nvidia’s repurposed AI chip
By Mackenzie Hawkins and Luz Ding
The move marks Beijing’s latest step to wean the country off Nvidia hardware and boost domestic alternatives.
Polls suggest a head-to-head contest in the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential race, but powerbrokers may sideline veteran contenders to engineer a youth-versus-youth showdown that could reshape both the party and Japan’s political landscape.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Whiteboarding the LDP election
Edo Naito
As I whiteboard the election scenarios, Koizumi vs. Takaichi is the most obvious race.
Polls suggest a head-to-head contest in the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential race, but powerbrokers may sideline veteran contenders to engineer a youth-versus-youth showdown that could reshape both the party and Japan’s political landscape.

JAPAN

A street near the site where a Japanese boy was stabbed to death in Shenzhen in September last year.
Safety concerns linger as year marked since stabbing of Japanese boy in China
Security measures have been increased around the school amid worries that anti-Japanese sentiment could rise in China around historical anniversaries.
(From left) Tadashi Morishima,Takeshi Saiki and Hiroki Abe hold a news conference at parliament after submitting their letters of resignation to Nippon Ishin no Kai on Sept. 8.
Nippon Ishin expels three member lawmakers
Noting the three also called on other member lawmakers to leave Nippon Ishin, the party rapped the trio for engaging in acts that disrupted order within the party.
Fumitaka Sato, who contributed to black hole research, dies at 87
Japan to boost support for its anime and film industry
80 years after bombing and typhoon, Hiroshima guide warns of double tragedy risk
Kansai Electric to complete survey for new nuclear reactor in 2030

BUSINESS

Jimmy Kimmel arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2022. Kimmel's late-night show has been taken off the air by ABC.
Disney's ABC yanks 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' off air after remarks about Kirk
By Lisa Richwine, David Shepardson and Trevor Hunnicutt
The move is the latest taken against media figures, academic workers, teachers and corporate employees over their remarks about Kirk following his assassination.
KDDI has launched a new service that allows direct linkups between smartphones and the Starlink satellite communication network.
In shift from price-cutting trend, Japan's telecom firms hike rates as costs rise
Desperate to ensure price hikes are accepted by subscribers, telecom carriers have improved their networks and service quality, and offered extra services.
Huawei unveils AI chip road map to challenge Nvidia’s lead
Vietnam startup seeks slice of third-largest EV motorbike market
By Nguyen Kieu Giang
Marugame Seimen noodle restaurant managers to see raise of up to ¥20 million
Chinese startup pitches tiny EVs to European markets
By Chunying Zhang

WORLD

The RAF Red Arrows perform a flyover at Windsor Castle in the U.K. on Wednesday.
Apple and Citi CEOs join Trump and King Charles at state dinner
By Catherine Lucey, Kate Sullivan and Maddie Parker
The guest list of the event nodded to the work that Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer face as they attempt to bring the special relationship back onto stronger footing.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (front right) and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (front left) meet in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact amid regional tensions
By Maha El Dahan and Saeed Shah
The enhanced defense ties come amid growing uncertainty about the reliability of the United States as a long-standing security guarantor, and after an attack on Qatar by Israel.
U.S. envoys focused on Syria ousted amid pro-Damascus shift, sources say
By Jonathan Spicer, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Humeyra Pamuk
Britain wants social mobility but private schools still dominate
By Irina Anghel
'I don't cry anymore': In U.S. jail, Russian dissidents fear deportation
By Maria DANILOVA
Israel opens new route out of Gaza City as death toll passes 65,000
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer

Sports

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone celebrates after winning the women's 400-meter world title at Tokyo's National Stadium on Thursday.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone runs second-fastest time ever to win 400-meter world title
By Jason Coskrey
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone claimed gold after beating Marileidy Paulino to the finish line.
Busang Collen Kebinatshipi wins men's 400 final; Yuki Joseph Nakajima finishes sixth
By Sam Byford
Noah Lyles makes statement ahead of 200-meter final at world championships
By Jason Coskrey
Japan considering North Korea's participation at 2026 Asian Games
World Athletics stars relish Tokyo atmosphere after COVID-hit Olympics
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

A U.S. flag flies at half mast in front of the White House on Sept. 11 in honor of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist who was fatally shot the previous day at an event at a university in Orem, Utah. The tragedy comes as the Trump administration shutters terrorism-prevention programs despite rising extremist violence.
Why is Trump killing programs designed to prevent terrorism?
Michael Duffin
Political violence is rising worldwide while the Trump administration dismantles prevention programs, weakening U.S. security and global counterterrorism efforts.
Did Putin finally overplay his hand with Ukraine?
By Marc Champion
Why Nepal’s new power brokers should worry India and China
By Karishma Vaswani
Artificial intelligence is not your friend
By Peter G. Kirchschlager
Japan and India must anchor America in the Indo-Pacific
By Stephen R. Nagy

ENVIRONMENT

A resident navigates a flooded road in Masiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa, on May 20. Climate change impacts Africa the most of any continent despite it contributing less than 10% to global carbon emissions, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Military spending eats into Africa's climate finance
By Kim Harrisberg and Joanna Gill
Climate change impacts Africa the most of any continent despite it contributing less than 10% to global carbon emissions, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Climate change led to at least 16,500 heat deaths in Europe this summer
By Emma Court
Malaysia's largest island state aims to be region's 'green battery'
By Jan HENNOP
Rising oceans to threaten 1.5 million Australians by 2050, report says
By Laura Chung
U.S. moves to scrap emissions reporting by polluters

CULTURE

A woman walks past the poster of Lee Sang-il’s kabuki drama "Kokuho" outside a cinema in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
From high risk to record-breaker, ‘Kokuho’ defied expectations to become a megahit
By Mark Schilling
Lee Sang-il's three-hour kabuki drama overcame doubts over subject matter to find its audience.
‘There Was Such a Thing Before’: Fukushima grief and fury in monochrome
By James Hadfield
‘Dear Stranger’ confronts marriage in turmoil, but lacks subtlety
By Mark Schilling
Japan’s box office belongs to 'Demon Slayer' as latest film ranks second all time
By Tomohiro Osaki
Robert Redford, screen idol turned director and activist, dies at 89

LIFE

The promise of autumn is one of relaxation and just being cozy overall.
How Japanese captures the subtle shift into autumn
By Yaeko Kabe
From the equinox to cooler mornings, Japanese grammar and expressions reflect how the season gradually deepens into autumn.
From tofu to teriyaki: Japanese essentials for the home cook
By Simon Daly
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
By Erik Augustin Palm
In Bali, the Ritz-Carlton’s ultraluxury Mandapa hotel marks 10 years
By Owen Ziegler
The sweet rise of Okinawan rum
By Miriam Gradel

COMMUNITY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swastika Jajoo (fourth from right) began attending the daily radio calisthenics routine at Sendai’s Kitasanbancho Park and struck up unexpected friendships with a group of elderly residents.
Calisthenic companions bridge cultures and generations
By Swastika Jajoo
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a doctoral student in Sendai found friendship in unexpected places.
Melos Han-Tani: ‘Figuring out what you value is valuable for any artist’
By Gendel Gento
Gentle care is the key to Cymbal’s heart
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan’s front-line researchers see bright path ahead for dementia treatment
By Tomoko Otake
A scientist looks at scans of grains at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 6, 2023.
MORE SPORTS
Still plenty to fight for, says Japan’s team leader at worlds
By Jason Coskrey
Race walker Hayato Katsuki earned bronze for Japan on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships on Saturday.
BUSINESS
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
By Elizabeth Beattie
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
MORE SPORTS
Japanese athletes inspired by raucous home fans at World Athletics Championships
By Sam Byford
Fans cheer on the home favorites during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
CULTURE
Japan's major art events converge this fall
By Zoria Petkoska and Thu-Huong Ha
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.

Podcast

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

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
By Elizabeth Beattie
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
JAPAN
Japan dispatches five language education 'partners' to India
Five members of the Japan Foundation's Nihongo Partners program (front) gather at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday.
BUSINESS
End of U.S. de minimis exemption causes headaches for some businesses in Japan
By Jessica Speed
Proxy-shopping services — companies that ship Japanese products ranging from cosmetics and snacks to limited-edition stationery on behalf of customers abroad — are already feeling the impact of the U.S. suspending de minimis exemptions.
JAPAN
Over 90% of low-income families in Japan struggling to feed children
By Yukana Inoue
Save the Children Japan domestic program chief Sonoko Kawakami speaks at a news conference in Tokyo in July. A survey conducted by the group in June has found that over 90% of low-income households with children face food insecurity.
BUSINESS
Struggling train firm in Chiba Prefecture turns to self-deprecating humor
"Laughter is important when you're in a difficult situation," said Katsunori Takemoto, president of Choshi Electric Railway, on Aug. 5 in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.