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June 04, 2025
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June 04, 2025
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The total number of births dropped to about 686,000, marking the first time the figure has fallen below 700,000, according to a health ministry release on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Japan’s fertility rate hits record low despite government push
By Erica Yokoyama
The new low underscores the immense challenge facing the government as it attempts to reverse the trend in one of the world’s most aged societies.
The total number of births dropped to about 686,000, marking the first time the figure has fallen below 700,000, according to a health ministry release on Wednesday.
Arrows lead to the tax-free counter at a branch of discount retailer Don Quijote in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Is Japan ready to say goodbye to tax-free shopping?
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Amid widespread abuse of Japan’s tax-free shopping system, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are mulling over its possible abolition.
Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China in 2010.
BUSINESS / Markets
Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold
By Jarrett Renshaw, Ernest Scheyder and Jeff Mason
China has a stranglehold on minerals crucial for sectors ranging from aerospace to semiconductors.
The number of "zombie companies" in Japan, which do not make enough to cover their interest payments, was estimated to have grown some 228,000 in fiscal 2023, one of the highest in a decade.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
'Zombie company' apocalypse might be the point of Japan's minimum wage push
By Kazuaki Nagata
Government efforts to accelerate the pace of pay increases could lead to poorly performing companies going out of business.
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89
By Jason Coskrey
Long before the rise of Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki, Nagashima was arguably the most famous player in Japanese baseball history.
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.

JAPAN

A case in which two Japanese nationals were killed in China’s northeastern city of Dalian last month is still being investigated, with local police saying the incident arose from a business dispute between acquaintances.
Two Japanese nationals killed in Dalian, China
By Francis Tang
Local police have told the Japanese consulate that the incident arose from a business dispute between acquaintances, and a Chinese national has been taken into custody.
Save the Children Japan in May 2022 began its Hello! Baby Box initiative to provide essential items for newborns, with the aim of reducing the burden of child care costs for women in dire situations.
Most expecting and new mothers in poverty lack funds for basic necessities: survey
By Jessica Speed
State support is often diverted to cover essential day-to-day costs and consumables needed for child-rearing, a survey found.
Komeito to propose sales tax cut on food, Yomiuri reports
Japan lawmakers likely to put off decision on Imperial family plan
Ishiba eyes dissolving Lower House in wake of possible no-confidence motion
Government adopts new intellectual property program to enhance competitiveness

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Steel Corporation Irvin Works facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on Friday
U.K. avoids doubled U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs as countries eye trade pact
By Alistair Smout and Andrea Shalal
The U.S. announcement, which exempts British steel and aluminum from a doubling of tariffs to 50%, came in a proclamation that will raise metals tariffs for other countries.
Business and household sentiments "have deteriorated recently," Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said Tuesday at an event in Tokyo.
Uncertainties over Trump tariffs extremely strong, BOJ chief says
The Bank of Japan will continue to raise interest rates if the Japanese economy and prices move in line with the central bank's outlook, Gov. Kazuo Ueda added.
Buffett inspires retail investors to bet on Japan trading houses
By Aya Wagatsuma and Toshiro Hasegawa
TSMC flags delays in Japan expansion while U.S. plans advance
By Debby Wu
Trade war cuts global economic growth outlook: OECD
By Ali BEKHTAOUI
'Zombie company' apocalypse might be the point of Japan's minimum wage push
By Kazuaki Nagata

WORLD

Security personnel keep watch near the portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong displayed on the Tiananmen Gate, in Beijing on Tuesday.
We will never forget Tiananmen crackdown, Taiwan and U.S. say on 36th anniversary
By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard
The events are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa looks on as he attends a ceremony marking Syria’s liberation, in Aleppo, Syria, on May 27.
Israel unleashes strikes on Syria after projectile launches
By Jaidaa Taha and Menna AlaaElDin
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the two projectiles.
South Korea’s Lee pledges to heal deep wounds as ‘president for everyone’
By Jesse Johnson
Vietnam scraps two-child limit as birth rate declines
Any U.S. deal with Iran must tackle nuclear watchdog's blind spots
By Francois Murphy and John Irish
Trump's 'big, beautiful bill?' Musk calls it a 'disgusting abomination.'
By David Morgan and Doina Chiacu

Sports

Oscar Dolan (center), the founder of the New York Sumo Club, officiates at a match between Josh Ortiz (left) and Daniel Akandu during the Empire Cup competition at Japan Village in New York on May 17.
At this New York City sumo club, ‘Everybody gets thrown’
By Aimee Ortiz
The New York Sumo Club has about 100 wrestlers, with around 20 regulars.
Fernandes confirms he rejected Saudi move to stay at Man Utd
'Emotional' Kohli fulfills IPL dream as Bengaluru claims first title
By Faisal Kamal
Seahawks coach slams door on Sam Darnold QB2 talk
LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics

Opinion

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani meets with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
Why Japan isn’t panicking about Trump’s foreign policy
Brad Glosserman
Hegseth’s SLD speech is the first extended statement about U.S. policy and it checked all the boxes.
The problem with Asia's ‘sell America’ moment
By Daniel Moss
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

ENVIRONMENT

The small village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps was destroyed by a landslide after part of a glacier collapsed last week.
How Switzerland's Birch glacier collapsed
By Robin Millard
There are strong theories on the causes, and to what degree it is linked to climate change — but these are yet to be confirmed by scientific analysis.
Swiss glacier collapse is a lesson on climate disaster management
By Laura Millan
Octopus invasion in English Channel flags marine heat wave risks
By Joe Wertz
Half the world has faced an extra month of extreme heat, study finds
China is eroding Japan's LNG dominance. How does that affect Japanese buyers?
By Nithin Coca

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 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

BASEBALL
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89
By Jason Coskrey
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
COMMUNITY
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures 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."

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

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin
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.
BASEBALL
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89
By Jason Coskrey
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Lee Jae-myung projected to win South Korean presidential election
By Jesse Johnson
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's candidate in South Korea's presidential election, speaks during his final campaign event in Seoul on Monday night ahead of Tuesday's vote.
JAPAN
U.S. Marine in Okinawa pleads not guilty to sexual assault
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki (center) takes part in a joint patrol by the U.S. military and the Okinawa Prefectural Police in the city of Okinawa in April in response to a series of sexual assault and other incidents involving U.S. service personnel.
JAPAN
Two Japanese nationals killed in Dalian, China
By Francis Tang
A case in which two Japanese nationals were killed in China’s northeastern city of Dalian last month is still being investigated, with local police saying the incident arose from a business dispute between acquaintances.