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September 10, 2025
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September 10, 2025
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The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Typhon midrange missile system live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States on July 16, successfully sinking a maritime target during the Talisman Sabre exercises in Australia's Northern Territory.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
High-tech U.S. missile systems come to Japan amid policy shifts and China concerns
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Long wary of such a move, Tokyo’s acquiescence — and its own planned missile deployments — highlights a gradual but monumental shift in defense policy.

More coverage

At parade, China shows off powerful new weaponry to keep rivals at bay
The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Typhon midrange missile system live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States on July 16, successfully sinking a maritime target during the Talisman Sabre exercises in Australia's Northern Territory.
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, in Tokyo on Nov. 1, 2024
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Who might the LDP woo once it elects its next president?
By Eric Johnston
Short of a majority in both chambers of parliament, the ruling party needs an opposition party’s support to elect its leader as prime minister.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on April 2.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. Supreme Court to review Trump tariffs on fast-track schedule
The justices said they will hear arguments in the first week of November, an unusually aggressive schedule that suggests the court will try to resolve the case quickly.
A Chinese Navy ship speeds past a Philippine fishing boat while the Philippine, Australia and Canadian navies conduct a joint drill near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Sept. 2.
ASIA PACIFIC
Manila working on new protocols for dealing with Beijing in South China Sea
By Gabriel Dominguez
As tensions heat up in the waterway, the Philippines is updating its existing rules of engagement as part of a whole-of-government approach.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a news conference on Sunday in Tokyo where he announced his resignation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
The Liberal Democratic Party’s internal coup is complete
Michael MacArthur Bosack
Ishiba came into the prime ministership last year with the odds already stacked against him. The LDP was a fractured party with waning public support.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a news conference on Sunday in Tokyo where he announced his resignation.

JAPAN

Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto addresses in May in Kobe a meeting of a study group discussing the idea of taxing owners of vacant units in high-rise condominiums.
Kobe eyes tax on vacant or underused units in high-rise condos
Since taking office, Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto has highlighted problems associated with high-rise condominiums, pushing to strengthen regulations and address aging buildings.
Yoko Inoue (third from right), co-head of a civic group working to recover the remains of victims of a fatal 1942 accident at the Chosei coal mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, calls on the government to conduct DNA examinations on human bones recovered recently from the mine, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
DNA analysis sought for bones recovered from western Japan undersea mine
The Chosei coal mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture experienced a fatal flooding in 1942, which caused the deaths of 47 Japanese workers and 136 from the Korean Peninsula.
Three Japanese nationals among those detained by ICE at Hyundai plant in Georgia
Kirin releases electric soup cup that enhances salty taste
Crime lab worker accused of 130 improper DNA analyses
LDP to pick next party leader through 'full-scale vote'
By Gabriele Ninivaggi

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump South Korean leader and Lee Jae Myung meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Aug. 25.
U.S. and South Korea in deadlock over $350 billion investment fund
Seoul has been emphasizing to U.S. officials that it cannot accept the same terms as Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge finalized last week.
Toyota Motor has implemented a five-stage internal qualification system at vehicle certification test sites to ensure quality and develop related human resources.
Toyota introduces qualification system to prevent test fraud
The move aims to prevent any recurrence of irregularities in tests to obtain type approval needed for mass production.
MUFG Bank to open retail outlet for first time in 20 years
Lachlan Murdoch 'a very different leader than his father'
By Hannah Miller and Christopher Palmeri
Top Japan startup Sakana AI touts nature-inspired tech
By Katie Forster
Activist fund Elliott reported to take stake in Kansai Electric, eyeing assets
By Shoko Oda and Lisa Du

WORLD

This frame grab taken from AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after explosions in Doha on Tuesday.
Israel attacks Hamas leaders in Qatar; U.S. says it had little warning
By Andrew Mills, Jana Choukeir, Jeff Mason and Ahmed Elimam
The attack drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, and risks derailing Gaza ceasefire talks.
Sebastien Lecornu, France's then-Minister of Armed Forces, leaves the Elysee presidential palace in Paris after a weekly Cabinet meeting on March 5. French President Emmanuel Macron has named Lecornu France’s new prime minister.
Macron appoints ally Lecornu as France’s new prime minister
By Samy Adghirni, James Regan and William Horobin
Lecornu, who previously served as defense minister, will become the country’s fifth prime minister in two years.
Poland shoots down drones in its airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine
South Korean women target U.S. military in landmark forced prostitution lawsuit
By Claire Lee
Flotilla headed to Gaza reports second drone attack at Tunisian port
By Tarek Amara and Enas Alashray
Rights advocates demand U.N. press China on abuses in Xinjiang
By Nina LARSON

Sports

American forward Alejandro Zendejas fights for the ball with Japanese forward Daizen Maeda during a friendly in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday.
Zendejas and Balogun lift U.S. over Samurai Blue in friendly
After a scoreless draw against Mexico on the weekend, Japan goalkeeper Keisuke Osako made nine saves as his team again failed to get on the scoreboard.
Extreme heat a rising threat to 2026 World Cup venues, report says
By Martyn Herman
Vuelta a Espana director vows to finish race despite pro-Palestinian protests
'Biggest fight in a decade': Crawford targets history against Canelo
By Rory Carroll
Bears to leave Chicago for new stadium in the suburbs

Opinion

Candidates for Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election stand together on stage before a debate in Tokyo in September 2024. Pictured are future Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi and others. 
Ishiba’s resignation triggers a battle for the soul of the LDP
Edo Naito
To become the next prime minister, the new LDP leader will also need to secure enough support from one or two of the other larger conservative opposition parties.
‘Trump Doctrine’ a fundamental challenge to allied unity
By Tomonori Yoshizaki
Japan deserves far better leadership than this
By Gearoid Reidy
Dowry-related violence continues to claim the lives of India's daughters
By Kavita Chowdhury
Tesla is offering Musk a trillion-dollar ransom
By Liam Denning

ENVIRONMENT

Heliostat mirrors at the site of Dunhuang Shouhang 100MW Tower Solar Thermal Power Generation Project in Gansu province, China, on Oct. 16, 2024
China’s green tech firms pour billions into overseas factories
By Sheryl Tian Tong Lee
Chinese companies are expanding their supply chains abroad to capture new markets, avoid tariffs and get closer to sources of raw materials, according to new research.
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
How Europe lost an area the size of Cyprus to wildfires this year
By Laura Millan and Joe Wertz

CULTURE

“The Summer Hikaru Died” is a slow-burn horror and a coming-of-age narrative, but its thematic layers and queer undertones open conversations about friendship and belonging.
Dark folklore meets teenage angst in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’
By Mike Fu
Slow-burn horror in the countryside coupled with queer undertones makes for a memorable anime adaptation.
'Faking Beethoven’: Comedic musical biopic forgets to have fun
By James Hadfield
Latest 'Demon Slayer' film slays at box office, earning over ¥30 billion
Traditional Japanese erotic art exhibition puts female pleasure in focus
By Tomohiro Osaki
‘Swallows' untangles the murky ethics of selling motherhood
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce kisses partner — now finacee — Taylor Swift as they celebrate after his team won Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s announcement hits all the right notes in Japan
By Yuko Tamura
Japanese culture is in the depths of a nostalgia wave, and the engagement announcement for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fits in with it nicely.
Overnight mulberry matcha oats are the perfect answer to a busy morning
By Simon Daly
Racehorses, anime girls and gambling: Umamusume’s recipe for success
By Owen Ziegler
With a global approach, Syn gives French cuisine plenty of latitude
By Phoebe Amoroso
Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91
By Ella IDE

COMMUNITY

A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Jon Heese naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 2007 and embarked upon a career in local politics the following year.
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
After being elected to four terms in the Tsukuba Municipal Assembly, Jon Heese now serves as a prefectural assemblyman — and one of Ibaraki Prefecture’s biggest cheerleaders.
Gentle care is the key to Cymbal’s heart
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall
Jesse Kirkwood: ‘Languages are entire cultural universes with all sorts of baggage’
By Kris Kosaka

Editors' Picks

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.
BUSINESS
Search is on for loopholes in Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge
By Francis Tang
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick argues that U.S. President Donald Trump has sole authority to invest Japan's promised $550 billion.
LIFE
In rural Hokkaido, the stops and starts of tourism revival on full display
By Justin Randall
Redevelopment plans for Kawayu Onsen have hit some snags — an example of how bringing tourists back to declining rural communities is far from easy work.

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

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Speaks at the Symposium “The Potential of Sake × Longevity”
Tsunan Sake Brewery Speaks at the Symposium “The Potential of Sake × Longevity”
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan eyes two types of 'hometown resident' registration
People buy groceries from a mobile supermarket in a rural area of Nagomi, Kumamoto Prefecture. The government is considering a new "hometown resident" registration system to help strengthen regional revitalization measures.
JAPAN
Ed Sheeran teams up with Tokyo’s Oedo Line
By Alyssa I. Smith
The “Oh! Ed! Collaboration Campaign,” launched on Tokyo's Keio Line to celebrate the Friday release of Ed Sheeran’s latest album, “Play,” includes a eight-car train dedicated to the pop star's music and trivia related to his career
BUSINESS
Workers say corporate South Korea was warned about questionable U.S. visas before Hyundai raid
By Hyunjoo Jin, Heekyong Yang and Heejin Kim
Activists holding signs that reads "No one is illegal!" protest against a huge immigration raid last week in the U.S. state of Georgia, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Why more hotels in Japan are offering room-only service
Nipponia Hotel Ise Kawasaki Merchant Town in Ise, Mie Prefecture
BUSINESS
Search is on for loopholes in Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge
By Francis Tang
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick argues that U.S. President Donald Trump has sole authority to invest Japan's promised $550 billion.