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September 14, 2025
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September 14, 2025
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Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi enters the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Koizumi tells backers he intends to run for LDP presidency
The current agriculture minister is expected to hold a news conference next week to formally announce his candidacy in the party leadership race.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi enters the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
A protester wearing a mask representing U.S. President Donald Trump carries a sign during a demonstration organized by the families of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, to call for their release and for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Airstrikes, drones, tariffs: Being a friend of the U.S. not what it used to be
By Shaun TANDON
Donald Trump returned to the White House vowing always to put America first. In recent days, even longtime U.S. allies have found out the hard way that its friendship has limits.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves as he arrives to attend a signing ceremony for a framework agreement, aiming to speed up development in the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, a settlement in the occupied-West Bank, on Thursday.
WORLD
Netanayhu says killing Hamas leaders is route to ending Gaza war
Israel has ramped up efforts to seize control of Gaza City, telling residents to evacuate and blowing up buildings it said were being used by Hamas.
A young girl looks up at a photograph of Charlie Kirk during a candlelight vigil for the right-wing activist at a makeshift memorial at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah, on Friday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Accused sniper jailed in Charlie Kirk killing awaits formal charges in Utah
The killing has stirred outrage among Kirk's supporters and condemnation of political violence from across the ideological spectrum.
Singer-songwriter Mei Ehara confronted the pressure of creating her third album by taking inspiration from a literary device that merely serves as a trigger for a plot. The resulting album is “All About McGuffin.”
CULTURE / Music
Mei Ehara’s third album finds clarity in the noise
By Patrick St. Michel
The Japanese singer-songwriter turns the concept of a McGuffin into her most direct work yet, sharpened by a U.S. tour with Faye Webster.
Singer-songwriter Mei Ehara confronted the pressure of creating her third album by taking inspiration from a literary device that merely serves as a trigger for a plot. The resulting album is “All About McGuffin.”

JAPAN

Shigeko Kagawa, Japan's oldest person at 114, in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, on July 30
Aging Japan’s centenarian population nears 100,000
By Jessica Speed
The number has grown steadily in recent years and comes as the birth rate continues to plummet.
Agricultural minister Shinjiro Koizumi is planning to run in the Liberal Democratic Party's upcoming presidential poll, sources said.
Koizumi plans to run for LDP president, sources say
Koizumi plans to inform his supporters in his electoral district about the decision on the weekend and hold a news conference next week to formally announce his bid.
12 Japan agencies found vulnerable to cyberattacks
Renaming considered for JICA's "hometown" project
Rice prices in Japan rebound to 13-week high
Two people injured after United Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Osaka

BUSINESS

The Audi E5 Sportback, the first model of Audi's series of electric vehicles jointly developed with SAIC, is showcased at a Volkswagen event in Shanghai in April.
How Chinese EV tech is reshaping global auto design
Licensing deals with major automakers make up relatively small but growing revenue streams for Chinese EV-makers and offer a new quid-pro-quo.
Jose Munoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor
Hyundai battery plant faces startup delay after U.S. raid, CEO says
By Nora Eckert
The plant, part of a $7.6 billion factory complex to make battery-powered models, was slated to come online later this year.
‘PowerPoint broke me’: The challenges for blind professionals
By Miquela V Thornton
U.S. and Japan pledge not to manipulate forex for competitive advantage
By Erica Yokoyama and Takashi Umekawa
Top Japan leaser Orix plans to boost property fund size by 33%
By Ryo Horiuchi
Government reviews Mitsubishi-led group's exit from offshore power projects

WORLD

Police officers stand guard between an anti-fascist group and anti-immigration protesters during a rally organized by British anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, in London on Saturday.
Police and protesters scuffle as 110,000 join anti-migrant London protest
The march brought a culmination to a highly charged summer in Britain that included protests staged outside hotels housing migrants.
A billboard showing an image of U.S. President Donald Trump embracing prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead by a single bullet while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University in the town of Orem on Wednesday, hangs on the side of a building in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Charlie Kirk's allies warn Americans: Mourn him properly or else
After the fatal shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, U.S. Republicans have a warning for Americans: Mourn him respectfully or suffer the consequences.
Trump presses NATO nations to halt Russian oil purchases
Drone breaches Romanian airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine
As drones swarm battlefields, militaries seek cheaper defenses
By Gerry Doyle and Aaron Kirchfeld
Trump’s big U.K. visit comes at worst possible time for PM Keir Starmer

Sports

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir crosses the finish line to win the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
Kenya's Jepchirchir wins women's marathon gold at worlds in Tokyo
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa finished just behind for silver, with Julia Paternain of Uruguay taking bronze.
PSG begins title defense as Champions League kicks off
By Andy Scott
Chelsea blows chance to top Premier League at Brentford
Japan's top sprinters fail to keep up in 100 meters at world championships
By Sam Byford
Olympic medal-winning German race walker blazes on after battle with depression
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

A soldier on a tank waves an Israeli flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas near the Israel-Gaza border in January 2024. 
War responsibility across borders and generations
Kumiharu Shigehara
The Asia-Pacific War is often remembered for the culpability of leaders, but this overlooks the multitudes who filled the ranks below.
Israel’s Doha strike has destroyed American credibility
By Daoud Kuttab
America’s politics turn bloody
Japan needs an immigration debate, not social media myths
By Gearoid Reidy
Gen-Z protesters across Asia are challenging the old guard
By Karishma Vaswani

ENVIRONMENT

Smoke streams from a smokestack at a refinery in Anacortes, Washington, last October. The Environmental Protection Agency moved on Friday to stop requiring thousands of polluting facilities to report the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that they release into the air.
U.S. moves to scrap emissions reporting by polluters
U.S. President Donald Trump has heavily promoted new oil, gas, and coal extraction while moving to suppress competition from solar and wind.
Scientists link major carbon emitters to worsening heat waves
By Coco Liu and Eric Roston
Drought hit over half of Europe in mid-August, EU data shows
China’s green push may cut global fossil use by 2030, says think tank
Polluted and poor: Blighted U.S. cities tackle 'toxic soup'
By Carey L. Biron

CULTURE

Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
By Zoria Petkoska and Thu-Huong Ha
Dozens of biennials, triennials, art festivals and fairs are taking place between September and December.
‘100 Meters’ brings kinetic energy to rivalry drama
By Matt Schley
Tokyo International Comedy Festival doubles down on diversity and scale
By Moe Shimizu
Unsound turns Osaka into a laboratory of avant-garde music
By James Hadfield
'Faking Beethoven’: Comedic musical biopic forgets to have fun
By James Hadfield

LIFE

Sensing a bleak future for the local "awamori" liquor, Mizuho Distillery ventured into rum production, releasing a collection of eight rums made from "kokutō" (partially refined or unrefined sugar) sourced from various islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
The sweet rise of Okinawan rum
By Miriam Gradel
The spirit is emerging out of the shadow of the local “awamori” liquor, thanks to a growing band of producers who are keen to tell the tale of the islands' traditional agriculture.
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
'He's a regular man, not unlike us': Marking 40 years of Mario games
By Kilian Fichou and Mathias Cena
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s announcement hits all the right notes in Japan
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Melos Han-Tani is a game designer of eclectic interests whose upcoming releases, Angeline Era and Danchi Days, are set in alternate-history Ireland and a public housing complex in Japan, respectively.
Melos Han-Tani: ‘Figuring out what you value is valuable for any artist’
By Gendel Gento
A designer, programmer and composer, Han-Tani draws inspiration from a wide range of sources and channels his creativity through games, music and writing.
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
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
‘Fairytale’ Shirakawago ranked one of the world’s most beautiful villages
By Elizabeth Beattie
Forbes and Unforgettable Travel Company have ranked Shirakawago in Gifu Prefecture as Asia's most beautiful village.
JAPAN
Aging Japan’s centenarian population nears 100,000
By Jessica Speed
Shigeko Kagawa, Japan's oldest person at 114, in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, on July 30
BUSINESS
Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation
By Kazuaki Nagata
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
JAPAN
As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo
By Gabriel Dominguez
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.
ENVIRONMENT
Shizuoka farmers fight to preserve sustainable tea method that’s steeped in tradition
By Kai Wilson
As of August 2024, the number of confirmed chagusaba farmers had fallen to 302, just over half the 582 reported in 2015, according to the Shizuoka Chagusaba Farming Method Promotion Council.

Podcast

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

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight
By Mai Yoshikawa

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

COMFACTS

The 7th RD20 Conference to be held in Tsukuba, Japan — Registration for Press Briefing and the Conference Now Open
The 7th RD20 Conference to be held in Tsukuba, Japan — Registration for Press Briefing and the Conference Now Open
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan's cutting-edge railgun successfully strikes target vessel
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) conducted a ship-board railgun shooting test from June to early July this year with the support of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
BUSINESS
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
By River Akira Davis
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 — and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
JAPAN
‘Fairytale’ Shirakawago ranked one of the world’s most beautiful villages
By Elizabeth Beattie
Forbes and Unforgettable Travel Company have ranked Shirakawago in Gifu Prefecture as Asia's most beautiful village.
BUSINESS
People rush to make furusato nozei donations ahead of tighter rules
A booth from the town of Betsukai in Hokkaido at an Amazon Japan furusato nо̄zei promotion event, on Sept. 5 in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
JAPAN
Aging Japan’s centenarian population nears 100,000
By Jessica Speed
Shigeko Kagawa, Japan's oldest person at 114, in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, on July 30