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TOKYO
November 16, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 16, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
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Chinese tourists wear kimonos as they visit Sensoji temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
China warns citizens not to visit Japan as row over Taiwan heats up
By Jesse Johnson
Beijing’s first retaliatory move against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could have a significant impact on tourism.

More coverage

China warns of military response if Japan intervenes in Taiwan contingency
How Takaichi should navigate Beijing’s diplomatic threats
Chinese tourists wear kimonos as they visit Sensoji temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district on Saturday.
Finance minister Satsuki Katayama answers questions from reporters in a group interview on Oct. 24.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
The challenges awaiting Japan’s new finance minister
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Satsuki Katayama’s shattering of another glass ceiling last month puts her in charge of selling Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “responsible and proactive fiscal policy.”
A man wearing a mask of U.S. President Donald Trump with a Pinocchio nose takes part in a protest against Trump in front of the White House in Washington on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Trump's teflon tested as Epstein saga looms over 2026 campaign
By Gram Slattery - Steve Holland - Nandita Bose
Recently released emails reignite questions about Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and how much the president knew about his alleged abuse of girls.
Sakie Yokota (center), Takuya Yokota (left), and others at a news conference after meeting with U.S. President Trump in Tokyo last month.
JAPAN
After 48 years, families of Japanese abductees still waiting for progress
"The situation will not change unless we do something different," a senior official at the prime minister's office said.
Golden "age-fukuburo," a culinary take on Japan's new year "lucky bags," can be served on their own.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Good fortune, wrapped in fried tofu
By Elizabeth Andoh
Inspired by Japan’s lucky bags, these tofu pouches hold savory treasures that simmer into a small taste of good fortune.
Golden "age-fukuburo," a culinary take on Japan's new year "lucky bags," can be served on their own.

JAPAN

The education ministry plans to create ¥300 billion in funds across all 47 prefectures to strengthen financial support for public high school reform.
Japan to set up ¥300 billion funds for high school reform
The funds will be spent mainly on measures to make public schools more attractive, such as hiring outside experts as lecturers and procuring 3D printers and information devices.
The headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo's Nagatacho area
Ruling LDP marks 70th anniversary as it looks to regain footing
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday marked the 70th anniversary of its establishment, as it looks to stage a comeback after recent electoral drubbings.
After 48 years, families of Japanese abductees still waiting for progress
Timeless tales throw the march of ‘progress’ into relief
By Michael Hoffman
AI poses threat to journalism in Japan, news association chair says
By Elizabeth Beattie
Government launches emergency bear attack prevention plan
By Yukana Inoue

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump has rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products as American consumers lament the high cost of groceries.
Trump cuts tariffs on beef, coffee and other foods as inflation concerns mount
By Andrea Shalal — David Lawder
The move marks a sharp reversal for Trump, who has long insisted that the sweeping import duties he imposed earlier this year are not fueling inflation.
According to the labor and education ministries, 73.4% of job-hunting university students expected to graduate in March 2026 secured informal job offers, up 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier.
More university students in Japan get job offers
The rise in informal job offers comes amid a continued labor shortage.
Alibaba denies report it helps China's military target U.S.
India’s top tech schools see opportunity in Trump’s H-1B curbs
Japan plans bigger extra budget this fiscal year, reports say
By Erica Yokoyama
Nissan to set up panel with union over Oppama plant shutdown

WORLD

Protesters hold the Union Jack and St. George's flags outside the Bell Hotel in Essex, England, after the British government challenged a court ruling requiring asylum seekers to be temporarily evicted from the hotel in Epping, England, in August.
Britain announces largest asylum policy overhaul in modern times
British authorities say the measures are designed to make Britain less attractive to illegal migrants and make it easier to remove them.
Protesters gather in response to immigration enforcement activity by ICE agents in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday.
Charlotte becomes latest target of Trump’s immigration crackdown
The arrival in Charlotte marks the latest expansion of a campaign that has already swept through some of the nation’s largest left-leaning strongholds.
Germans are running short on patience with their stumbling chancellor
By Arne Delfs
Trump officials hold meetings on Venezuela as military tensions rise
Iran's dual reality: As veil restrictions ease, political crackdown deepens
By Parisa Hafezi
Russia plans to make up to 120,000 glide bombs this year, Kyiv says

Sports

The opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics was held Saturday in the capital, with Japan hosting the quadrennial international sporting event for people with hearing difficulties for the first time.
Tokyo Deaflympics kick off as Japan hosts games for first time
A record 3,081 athletes from 81 countries and regions were registered, including Russias and Belarusians competing as neutral athletes.
Japan's Miura and Kihara capture Skate America pairs gold
Wales' Evans denies Japan historic win with last-gasp penalty
Ashes to Ashes, cricket's oldest rivalry endures
By Ian Ransom
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo
By Kathryn Wortley

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi talks with Japan’s then-leader, Shinzo Abe, her mentor, at the Lower House of Parliament in December 2014. Takaichi, under so-called Abenomics 2.0, must convert the nation’s asset boom into broad-based economic prosperity benefiting all. 
How Takaichi can make 'Abenomics 2.0' succeed
Jesper Koll
For now, there is absolutely no evidence that the rise in Japanese asset prices — both stocks and real estate — is feeding a positive wealth effect.
Chinese diplomat crosses the line
Takaichi and a shift in 'strategic ambiguity' over Taiwan
By Kuni Miyake
ASEAN hedges as the South China Sea bubbles over
By Brad Glosserman
What if the COVID-19 vaccine could save cancer patients too?
By Lisa Jarvis

ENVIRONMENT

Attendees walk in front of the China Pavilion during the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil, on Friday.
China finds bigger role as U.S. sidesteps Brazil climate summit
By Valerie Volcovici — Lisandra Paraguassu
China’s transformation to a more central player seeking the world’s attention reflects a shift in the fight against global warming.
Deadly heat worldwide prompts $300 million for climate health research at COP30
By Simon Jessop - Lais Morais - Anna Portella
World's fossil fuel emissions to hit new record in 2025, study says
By Kelly Macnamara
Nearly half of all refugees to face extreme climate hazards by 2040, says UNHCR
Jamaicans have been turning to solar power. It paid off after the storm.
By Hiroko Tabuchi

CULTURE

This year's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" will be broadcast on NHK from 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Chanmina and aespa among 10 acts to debut on NHK’s ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’
By Patrick St. Michel
The New Year’s Eve music spectacle on NHK will feature first-time acts such as idol group Fruits Zipper and long-awaited returns from bands like Okinawa’s Orange Range.
At TIFF, East Asia’s veteran stars tread new territory with mixed results
By Mike Fu
Predictability weighs down ‘A Light in the Harbor’
By James Hadfield
‘Tokyo Taxi’: A simple fare becomes a voyage through time
By Mark Schilling
Tatsuya Nakadai: A masterful leading man and postwar icon
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Golden "age-fukuburo," a culinary take on Japan's new year "lucky bags," can be served on their own.
Good fortune, wrapped in fried tofu
By Elizabeth Andoh
Inspired by Japan’s lucky bags, these tofu pouches hold savory treasures that simmer into a small taste of good fortune.
Japanese words of caution in the online world of cyberattacks and phishing
By Yuko Tamura
Tokyo's viral Muscle Girls bar flexes a brawny sort of beauty
By Kim Kyung Hoon - Satoshi Sugiyama
PokePark Kanto set for February opening in Tokyo suburb
By Gendel Gento
Hearing colors and seeing sounds with Tetsuya Mizuguchi
By Gendel Gento

COMMUNITY

After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame
Using aluminum cans as his medium, the Tsukuba-based British artist creates intricate sculptures that take months or longer to complete.
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila
Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo
By Monique Bae
Florian Wiltschko: ‘Shinto helps me understand and live within Japanese culture’
By Samantha Seghers
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
By Thu-Huong Ha — Mike Fu

Editors' Picks

LIFE
At Ginza’s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
By Owen Ziegler
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) — a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
SPORTS
Japan fully enters sports streaming era as fans face new dilemmas
By Mai Yoshikawa
Sports fan Tadashi Yokoyama streams basketball and fencing on three screens.
BUSINESS
Stablecoins: Boring goes big, and now in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Noritaka Okabe, CEO of JPYC, acknowledges a number of potential risks related to stablecoins.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani collects fourth MVP Award with 2025 NL honor
By Jason Coskrey
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani was named National League MVP for the second straight season on Thursday.
SUMO
As Japan’s female leader rises, can she cross sumo’s sacred line?
By Mai Yoshikawa
Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku (front center) delivers a speech on the first day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Sunday. Centuries of belief and tradition still underpin the all-male association's stance of excluding women.

Podcast

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

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo
By Kathryn Wortley

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons
Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

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

JAPAN
China warns citizens not to visit Japan as row over Taiwan heats up
By Jesse Johnson
Chinese tourists wear kimonos as they visit Sensoji temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district on Saturday.
WORLD
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
By Sofia Christensen - Juliette Jabkhiro - Layli Foroudi
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France — where he had lived since he was a young child — stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
JAPAN
China warns of military response if Japan intervenes in Taiwan contingency
By Francis Tang — Gabriele Ninivaggi
Representatives from the Japan Innovation Party hand over a proposal to designate Xue Jian, the Chinese consul-general in Osaka, as persona no grata, to a staff of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
LIFE
At Ginza’s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
By Owen Ziegler
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) — a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
JAPAN
Japan may triple departure tax to tackle overtourism
A plane takes off from Haneda Airport.