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November 23, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 23, 2025
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COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago (center) hugs Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva after her speech at the COP30 U.N. climate change conference in Belem, Brazil, on Saturday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
COP30 climate deal a 'win' for global unity but fossil fuels untouched
Nearly 200 countries approved the deal by consensus after two weeks of exhaustive negotiations on the fringes of the rain forest, with the notable absence of the United States.
COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago (center) hugs Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva after her speech at the COP30 U.N. climate change conference in Belem, Brazil, on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on tariffs, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump White House prepares tariff fallback ahead of court ruling
By Josh Wingrove
The replacement options come with risks — they tend to be either slower or more limited than the wide-ranging powers Trump has asserted so far and could also face legal challenges.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (second from left) reacts next to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (second from right) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa as they attend a family photo event during a Group of 20 summit plenary session at in Johannesburg on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
G20 summit in South Africa adopts declaration despite U.S. boycott
The declaration used the kind of language long disliked by the U.S. administration: stressing the seriousness of climate change and the need to better adapt to it.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth inspect an honor guard in Tokyo on Oct. 29.
JAPAN / Politics
One month in, real test set to come for defense chief Koizumi
He is now set to face an important test: how to pave the way toward strengthening the country's defense capabilities while obtaining a better understanding of public sentiment.
The miso ramen topped with salmon is a nod to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto's hometown of Otaru, which is known for Ishikari "nabe," a salmon-based hot pot dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink
From Otaru with love, a recipe for salmon-topped miso ramen
By Simon Daly
Pay homage to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto by putting together this simple, healthy bowl.
The miso ramen topped with salmon is a nod to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto's hometown of Otaru, which is known for Ishikari "nabe," a salmon-based hot pot dish.

JAPAN

About 48,000 chickens at a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture will be culled, following the confirmation of a bird flu outbreak.
Japan confirms fifth bird flu outbreak of season
About 48,000 chickens at a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture will be culled.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, on Oct. 28.
Japan set to lean on U.S. allies for support if China escalates
For now, Tokyo has stuck to its usual playbook: avoiding tit-for-tat retaliation, keeping communication channels open and hoping tensions cool over time.
Japan blasts China’s ‘entirely baseless’ claims after U.N. letter
By Sakura Murakami
Princess Aiko returns home from official visit to Laos
GSDF officer arrested over stabbing woman in Tokyo’s Akasaka area
Moss spores can survive in space, Japan researchers say

BUSINESS

In a 2020 research project, Meta scientists working with survey firm Nielsen found that "people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness and social comparison,” internal documents said.
Meta buried 'causal' evidence of social media harm, U.S. court filings allege
In a 2020 research project code-named "Project Mercury,” Meta scientists working with survey firm Nielsen found positive mental health affects from stopping use of Facebook.
Tourists board a bus after sightseeing in Tokyo's shopping district Ginza on Wednesday.
Japan businesses brush off worries over China tourists
By Mathias Cena, Kyoko Hasegawa and Jing Xuan TENG
With less Chinese customers, "it's become a bit easier for Japanese shoppers to visit, so our sales haven't really dropped," a shop manager said.
Chinese cruise ships look to steer clear of Japan amid diplomatic dispute
By Ju-min Park, Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang
Takaichi faces market tests from yen to stocks and bonds
By Hideyuki Sano, John Cheng and Momoka Yokoyama
U.S. mulls letting Nvidia sell H200 chips to China, sources say
By Alexandra Alper
Americans with four-year degrees now comprise a record 25% of unemployed workers
By Matthew Boesler

WORLD

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gestures to supporters during the student day celebrations at Miraflores Palace in Caracas on Friday.
U.S. to launch new phase of Venezuela operations
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
Reports of looming action have proliferated in recent weeks as the U.S. military has deployed forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela.
Relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war burn flares during a rally in Kyiv's Independence Square on Saturday calling to speed up their exchange, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Western leaders say Ukraine plan needs work, Trump signals scope for changes
Western leaders have scrambled to come up with a coordinated response to U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for Ukraine to accept his peace plan with Russia by Thursday.
Trump officials’ meeting with Russian envoy spurs questions about latest Ukraine plan
By Erin Banco and Gram Slattery
Gunmen seize 315 in latest Nigerian mass school kidnapping
Brazil's Bolsonaro detained for trying to break ankle bracelet and flee
MAGA favorite Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign after split with Trump

Sports

Machida manager Go Kuroda lifts the trophy as the club celebrates its victory over Vissel Kobe in the Emperor’s Cup final at National Stadium on Saturday.
All systems Go for upstart Machida Zelvia after landmark Emperor’s Cup triumph
It is the latest success for manager Go Kuroda, the former high school coach who has brought his golden touch to the professional game.
Former greats slam England as 'brainless' after loss in first Ashes test
Barcelona returns to Camp Nou in style with win over Athletic Bilbao
Japan slips past Georgia to shake up rankings ahead of Rugby World Cup draw
Mone Chiba and Yuma Kagiyama skate to gold at Finlandia Trophy

Opinion

China is using threats, diplomatic pressure, economic measures and manufactured media narratives to attack new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and influence Japanese politics.
Seeking good relations with Xi’s CCP is a fool’s errand
Edo Naito
China has a history of favoring Japanese leaders, going back at least to Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in the 1970s, who are inclined to comply with its "red lines."
Bangladesh’s Hasina sentence: Justice or vengeance?
By Anand Kumar
China’s pressure campaign against Japan is a mistake
The United Nations legitimizes Trump’s Gaza peace plan
By Ramesh Thakur
Pakistan will regret letting the army back in
By Mihir Sharma

ENVIRONMENT

Attendees during the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Para state, Brazil, on Nov. 10
Preparing for a riskier world is becoming a bigger part of climate talks
By Olivia Rudgard
As the COP30 climate summit draws to an end, negotiators are still struggling over an agreement over how to transition away from fossil fuel.
As COP30 discusses end of fossil fuels, are renewables ready?
By Clar NiChonghaile
Decades-long contracts chain Asia to coal-fired power
By Sudarshan Varadhan
Clamor for change builds inside the world's COP30 climate negotiations
By Kate Abnett, Simon Jessop and Lisandra Paraguassu
With more heat and storms, can COP30 boost front-line resilience?
By Clar NiChonghaile

CULTURE

“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.
TV icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's memoir paints a life of both war and glamor
By Ayako Nakano
“Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, The Sequel,” TV personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s second memoir, comes out more than 40 years after the first.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40
By Weiwen Lin
The secret to 'Last Samurai Standing'? Treating live action like anime.
By Patrick St. Michel
'Rental Family' brings real-world insight to modern loneliness
By Adam Davidson
Theater beyond borders: Eriko Ogawa's tenure at the NNTT has a global vision
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

Tokyo's western outskirts are home to some of the city's best ramen shops, such as Kotobuki Seimen Yoshikawa.
Tokyo’s western edge is a ramen wonderland
By Brian MacDuckston
Tokyo’s western outskirts hide some of the city’s most distinctive ramen, from fish-forward broths to old-school Chinese noodles.
‘Tampopo’ lives on in bowls of ramen around the world
By Mike Fu
‘Be bear aware’: Japan’s outdoor pros sound off on ursine risks
By Drew Damron
Old-man puns are getting a Gen Z glow-up as 'neo-dajare'
By Alyssa I. Smith
A dictionary revision illustrates how Japanese keeps on evolving
By Yaeko Kabe

COMMUNITY

Bilal Karakus serves Turkish kebabs from his signature red truck in various locations around Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, as well as at festivals and events.
Bilal Karakus: ‘Coming to Japan has broadened my palate’
By Patrick Parr
The owner of a Turkish food truck shares how he came to Japan and started his own business specializing in kebabs.
Happy-go-lucky Omochi loves to make friends
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan celebrates 80 years at the forefront of press freedom
By Gendel Gento
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
By Himari Semans
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.
JAPAN
First foreign president of Hosei University looks abroad for change
By Elizabeth Beattie
Hosei University President Diana Khor, who herself was an international student, aims to encourage students to look outward and cultivate a global mindset.
BUSINESS
Japanese companies advised to change mindset about investment in Africa
By Kazuaki Nagata
Bernard Laurendeau, chief of Enkopa Lab Japan, in Tokyo last month
BASEBALL
Munetaka Murakami headlines quartet looking to move to MLB via posting system
By Jason Coskrey
The Swallows' Munetaka Murakami has 246 career home runs in eight NPB seasons.
JAPAN
The reality of human trafficking in Japan
By Yukana Inoue
A view of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward at night. Last year in Japan, 66 people were put in protective custody as victims of human trafficking. Among them, 58 — including all 41 minors — were Japanese nationals. International pressure to act on human trafficking led Japan to make efforts to crack down on the crime, such as a tightening of conditions in 2005 for entertainer visas.

Podcast

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

Longform

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” was released Nov. 23, 1985, and though it wasn’t a hit at the time, it has gained a cult following in the years since.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40
By Weiwen Lin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.

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
Japanese court orders Cloudflare to pay ¥500 million over manga piracy
Cloudflare has been ordered to pay ¥500 million after four major publishing firms accused the firm of copyright infringement for its role in hosting sites that distribute pirated copies of manga titles.
JAPAN
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
By Himari Semans
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.
JAPAN
Two men suspected of smuggling 1 ton of gold into Japan from South Korea
U.K. gold bullion bars and coins are displayed at Baird & Co. in Hatton Garden in London.
JAPAN
Takaichi rejects China's demand to retract Taiwan remarks
By Alastair Gale — Ryotaro Nakamaru
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has rejected China's demands for her to retract her comments on Taiwan, saying Tokyo's stance on a major regional security crisis remains unchanged.
JAPAN
Japan set to lean on U.S. allies for support if China escalates
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, on Oct. 28.