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June 03, 2025
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June 03, 2025
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Voters take part in early voting for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station at the Incheon International Airport, South Korea, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Wave of anger could sweep liberals to victory in South Korea election
By Cynthia Kim
The months of chaos that followed former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December remain fresh on the minds of voters.

More coverage

South Korean presidential election set to reshape diplomatic chessboard
China displaces old foe Japan in South Koreans' minds ahead of vote
Voters take part in early voting for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station at the Incheon International Airport, South Korea, on Thursday.
Then-<i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs the New Year's ring-entering rite in 2018. The Japan Sumo Association has accepted his resignation and he will officially leave the association on June 9.
SUMO
Former yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo association
By Kanako Takahara and Karin Kaneko
Hakuho's departure comes more than a year after his stable closed down over a physical abuse incident involving one of its wrestlers.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House in Washington in February.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba eyes trade meeting around Trump's birthday before G7 meet, report says
Some government officials have said a deal announced on June 14 — the U.S. president's birthday — might have special symbolic significance for him.
Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Philippines vague on U.S. missile deployments, but clear on one thing
By Gabriel Dominguez
Manila has already secured the funds to buy its own midrange missiles, according to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin
Labor shortages and shifting mindsets are driving younger Japanese workers to challenge the country’s traditional office culture.
After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.

JAPAN

Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of Ispace. The Resilience lunar lander could become the company's first to touch down on the moon on Friday.
Japanese startup Ispace prepares for lunar lander to touch down on the moon
By Jessica Speed
The goal is to achieve a soft landing near the Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold, in the moon’s northern hemisphere.
Japan has enforced tougher rules on companies to protect workers from heat after 30 workplace deaths and roughly 1,200 injuries were reported last year that were associated with high temperatures.
Protect workers from heat waves or face fines, Japan tells firms
By Shoko Oda, Yui Hasebe and Aaron Clark
The revised legislation is a rare global example of a national-level policy on heat safety for employees.
U.S. Marine in Okinawa pleads not guilty to sexual assault
Tokyo construction site blast caused by gas cylinder buried in the ground
Welfare benefit reductions totaled about ¥300 billion between 2013 and 2018
Japan to set up minister-level meeting to address rice supplies
By Sakura Murakami

BUSINESS

Kimihiro Matsuzaki prepares dishes at his half-century-old restaurant, Yanagi, in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.
Profitable Fukushima companies closing due to lack of successors
According to Teikoku Databank, more than a third of the companies that went out of business in the prefecture in 2024 were in the black.
Japanese firms' capital expenditure gained 1.8% in the three months through March from the previous quarter, while inflation is keeping a lid on household spending and U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign clouds the trade outlook.
Japan’s firms raised capital spending ahead of U.S. tariffs
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Business spending holds the key to the country’s economic growth as inflation keeps a lid on household spending.
Samsung nears wide-ranging deal with Perplexity for AI features
By Mark Gurman
Toyota to build GR Corolla in Britain from 2026
Trump tariffs face threat at top court — over rulings that blocked Biden
By Greg Stohr
Japan says progress made in U.S. tariff talks, but details are scarce
By Francis Tang

WORLD

Muslim worshipers gather to pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca on Sunday ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia cracks down on unauthorized Hajj pilgrims, aiming to save lives
By Haitham EL-TABEI
Last year, 1,301 pilgrims, most unregistered and lacking access to air-conditioned facilities, died as temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius.
Australian defense chief Richard Marles speaks during the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
U.S demands Australia increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP
By Jesse Johnson
Officials in Tokyo are closely watching how U.S.-Australia defense spending talks unfold, with U.S. President Donald Trump thought to be pushing Japan to also spend more.
How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people
By Chloe Rabs
Pro-Trump nationalist wins Poland’s presidential election
By Wojciech Moskwa and Agnieszka Barteczko
Ukraine drone strikes hit nuclear bombers deep inside Russia
Trump vowed to remake aid. Is Gaza the future?
By Shaun TANDON

Sports

Then-<i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs the New Year's ring-entering rite in 2018. The Japan Sumo Association has accepted his resignation and he will officially leave the association on June 9.
Former yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo association
By Kanako Takahara and Karin Kaneko
Hakuho's departure comes more than a year after his stable closed down over a physical abuse incident involving one of its wrestlers.
Yamamoto struggles as Yankees shut down Dodgers to avoid sweep
Mo'unga shrugs off broken hand to win Japanese title
By Andrew MCKIRDY
Pyramids are champions of continent but still second best at home
By Mark Gleeson
Alcaraz and Swiatek pass tough French Open tests
By Jed Court

Opinion

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivers his report to delegates at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 19.
Trump’s WHO withdrawal could cost the U.S. dearly
Gordon Brown
Despite progress since COVID-19, the U.S. remains vulnerable to pandemics like H5N1, and withdrawing from the WHO would weaken its ability to respond to global health threats.
European kindness is threatening the foundations of free speech
By Martin Ivens
AI sometimes deceives to survive. But is there anybody who cares?
By Parmy Olson
Braving the storm: It’s time to board Russia’s shadow fleet
By Thomas O. Falk
Japan can ride the anime wave to become the new soft superpower
By Douglas Montgomery

ENVIRONMENT

Tugboats assist a liquified natural gas tanker as it docks at a port in Yantai, China, in February. In 2021, China became the largest importer of LNG, and as of this year, China now has the most long-term LNG contracts.
China is challenging Japan's LNG dominance. What does that mean for Japanese buyers?
By Nithin Coca
Japanese companies have long held the leading position in the buying and trading of one of the world's key energy sources, but that era of hegemony has come to an end.
How Switzerland's Birch glacier collapsed
By Robin Millard
Half the world has faced an extra month of extreme heat, study finds
Swiss residents in shock after glacier debris buries village
By Dave Graham
Nickel rush for stainless steel guts Indonesia tribe's forest home
By Jack Moore and Bagus Saragih

CULTURE

Atsuko Okatsuka tries out some of the jokes from her new special, “Father,” at the Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya in January.
Atsuko Okatsuka brings big 'dad' energy to new special
By Zoria Petkoska
The comedian’s upcoming special, titled “Father,” blends whimsical comedy and family drama — just in time for Father's Day.
Anime's big night out is getting bigger — and more surreal
By Patrick St. Michel
‘I Have a S/e/c/r/e/t’ gives teen angst a whimsical twist
By Mark Schilling
Songs, stars and strategy: Japan debuts its newest awards ceremony
By Alyssa I. Smith
Japan's Seto wins International Critics Award at Cannes

LIFE

Elden Ring Nightreign sees a developer following up its greatest commercial and critical outing with a game that struggles to find its stride.
In Elden Ring Nightreign, the FromSoftware formula goes awry
By Owen Ziegler
Released on May 31, the studio’s first purely multiplayer effort struggles to grasp what makes its newly chosen genre great.
The empanada that’s secretly a ‘gyōza’ inside
By Simon Daly
How ‘hikikomori’ shut-ins ‘start to have dreams for the future’
By Eric Margolis
Traditional home experts to gather at MinkaMeets event
By Laura Pollacco
How to talk about change in Japanese — one forecast at a time
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

American Robert Jefferson runs a YouTube channel called The Kamakura Gardener that invites viewers to enjoy the pleasures of gardening, cooking and slow living.
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures and soothes via YouTube
By Alex Michael Dwyer
Veteran broadcaster Robert Jefferson has built up a following through his comforting video content about gardening, cooking and living in Kamakura.
Mateusz Urbanowicz: ‘Miyazaki inspired me to put the audience first’
By Naomi Oren
This charming Shiba enjoys life’s simple pleasures
A moving meditation: Finding serenity in tea ceremony across space and time
By Michele Laudig
Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’
By Laura Pollacco

Editors' Picks

COMMUNITY
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures and soothes via YouTube
By Alex Michael Dwyer
American Robert Jefferson runs a YouTube channel called The Kamakura Gardener that invites viewers to enjoy the pleasures of gardening, cooking and slow living.
LIFE
Waves of umami: Awaji Island's culinary trove
By Kathryn Wortley
Silversea Cruises' culinary program takes guests on a rich gourmet experience at wellness retreat Zenbo Seinei, where the local produce is presented in an eight-course meal.
ASIA PACIFIC
Hegseth to prioritize China and more allied spending in Asia — but questions remain
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a trilateral meeting between Japan, the U.S. and Australia at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
CULTURE
'Godzilla The Art Exhibition' reimagines film icon as monstrous muse for modern art
By Matt Schley
Artists offer their own interpretations of Japan's most famous monster at "Godzilla The Art Exhibition."
CULTURE
Atsuko Okatsuka brings big 'dad' energy to new special
By Zoria Petkoska
Atsuko Okatsuka tries out some of the jokes from her new special, “Father,” at the Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya in January.

Podcast

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

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
Western businesses will not return to Russia
By Thane Gustafson
A McDonald's restaurant sits shuttered in Moscow in May 2022 as a result of Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
JAPAN
Japanese customers brave the rain to line up for cheap stockpiled rice
By Jessica Speed
Iris Ohyama began sales of government-stockpiled rice at a home center location in Chiba Prefecture on Saturday morning.
ASIA PACIFIC
Hegseth to prioritize China and more allied spending in Asia — but questions remain
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a trilateral meeting between Japan, the U.S. and Australia at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
COMMENTARY
Lessons from India-Pakistan war: Were China's arms overrated?
By Brahma Chellaney
A Chinese J-10B fighter jet is put on display at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, in October 2016. The short May conflict between India and Pakistan became a live trial for Chinese arms, exposing vulnerabilities in its fighter aircraft and air defense systems.
JAPAN
Former Japanese princess Mako gives birth to first child
Mako Komuro (right), the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, left the Imperial Family after marrying Kei Komuro, a former schoolmate at International Christian University in Tokyo, in October 2021.