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TOKYO
August 05, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 05, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
Trade deal
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The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Noshiro conducts a port visit to a Philippine Navy base in Subic, Zambales province, in March.
JAPAN
Australia to buy 11 advanced Japanese frigates in breakthrough for Tokyo
By Gabriel Dominguez
Canberra will purchase the Mogami-class warships in what will be Tokyo’s biggest-ever defense contract.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Noshiro conducts a port visit to a Philippine Navy base in Subic, Zambales province, in March.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka in 2019.
WORLD / Politics
Kremlin plays down Trump submarine order, urges caution on nuclear rhetoric
By Mark Trevelyan and Dmitry Antonov
The exchange takes place as Trump threatens new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its oil unless Moscow agrees to end the war in Ukraine by Friday.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and Economic Revitalization Minister and chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa attend a budget committee session on the U.S. tariff issue in the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Opposition parties fume over U.S. trade deal not being put in writing
By Himari Semans
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said issuing a joint document with the U.S. will not serve the nation’s interests and may instead jeopardize the agreement.
People shield their eyes from the sun as they walk through a street on a hot day in Tokyo on July 26.
JAPAN
Extreme heat in Japan set to peak this week
By Yukana Inoue
Temperatures are particularly high in the Hokuriku region, where the mercury has exceeded 38 degrees Celsius in many areas.
This year, Fuji Rock Festival's ticket sales were the strongest they have been since the COVID-19 pandemic, with overseas ticket buyers accounting for roughly 10% of all sales.
CULTURE / Music
From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
From Singapore to Greece to Michigan, fans came to Japan not just for the music, but for the nature, the relaxed atmosphere and the freedom to dance into the early hours.
This year, Fuji Rock Festival's ticket sales were the strongest they have been since the COVID-19 pandemic, with overseas ticket buyers accounting for roughly 10% of all sales.

JAPAN

A fire breaks out from a launch barge (bottom) during a fireworks event in Yokohama on Monday evening.
Fire at Yokohama fireworks event injures one crew member
Five people on one of the barges that caught fire were rescued after jumping into the water, with one of them taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to the press at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
Ishiba open to delivering message to mark 80th anniversary of WWII's end
His predecessors had issued official statements approved by the Cabinet during the 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries.
'Furikake' app to help manage children's health in Indonesian
Kyoto University team develops pain reliever comparable to morphine
Mihama mayor willing to accept survey for new nuclear reactor
U.S. envoy to attend peace ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

BUSINESS

Twelve months on from Aug. 5, 2024, when Japan’s stock benchmarks plummeted 12%, the broader Topix index is once again hovering near record highs.
A year after Japan's stock meltdown, markets show resilience and promise
By Alice French and Aya Wagatsuma
Clearer BOJ messaging, corporate reforms and a better-than-feared U.S. tariff deal has traders in Japan's markets betting against a repeat of last year's crash.
Amid rising prices for food and other items, a government panel has proposed a record hike in the average minimum wage.
Amid inflation, Japanese government panel proposes record ¥63 minimum wage hike
The recommendation by the panel, which advises the labor minister, would raise the average minimum wage to ¥1,118 per hour.
BOJ rate hike in September or October is 'desirable,' MUFG chief says
By Alice French, Aya Wagatsuma, Taiga Uranaka and Hideki Suzuki
South Korea, U.S. prepare for summit with details of trade deal unresolved
By Hyunjoo Jin and Jihoon Lee
Gates Foundation commits $2.5 billion for women’s health
By Ike swetlitz
AI search pushing an already weakened media ecosystem to the brink
By Thomas URBAIN

WORLD

A drone footage shows partially submerged village houses and other buildings after heavy rainfall flooded the Miyun district of Beijing on July 29.
Beijing evacuates more than 80,000 over heavy rain: state media
The move follows flooding in the capital's suburbs last week that killed dozens.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters in Brasilia on July 29.
Bolsonaro ordered into house arrest for defying Brazil court
By Daniel Carvalho and Andrew Rosati
The move came a day after Bolsonaro supporters staged rallies across the country against Brazil’s top court.
U.K. and France set to ratify 'one in, one out' boat migrant returns deal
Canada airdrops aid into Gaza and again accuses Israel of violating international law
By Kanishka Singh
Hunger mounts and cemeteries grow in Sudan's besieged al-Fashir
Trump again threatens India with harsh tariffs over Russian oil purchases
By Kanishka Singh and Doina Chiacu

Sports

Miyu Yamashita poses with the trophy after winning the Women's British Open in Porthcawl, Wales, on Sunday.
Miyu Yamashita shows nerves of steel to win Women's British Open
Yamashita's previous best performance in a major was a tie for second place at last year's Women's PGA Championship.
England faces searching Ashes questions after India series thriller
By Julian Guyer
Yankees sign pitcher Kenta Maeda to minor league deal
Trump to sign order creating Olympics task force ahead of 2028 games
By Jeff Mason
Christian Coleman defends Sha'Carri Richardson after reported arrest

Opinion

Despite topping physical health rankings, Japan’s children face a worsening mental health crisis due to limited early education, inconsistent counseling support and poor awareness of their rights.
It’s time to take children’s mental health seriously
Yuko Tamura
Given these disparities, it is clear the government needs to build a consistent school system with appropriate emotional support mechanisms
China’s unbeatable new production model export
By Jeffrey Wu
Even nuclear experts are at a loss right now
By Andreas Kluth
U.K. military rhetoric is not matching fiscal reality
By Martin Ivens
The EU’s economic surrender only deepens its dependence on the U.S.
By Alberto Alemanno

ENVIRONMENT

Activists stage a demonstration in front of the United Nations Offices in Geneva on Monday.
Pressure from oil producers and U.S. threaten global pact on plastics pollution
By Olivia Le Poidevin and Valerie Volcovici
Plastic production is set to triple by 2060 without intervention, choking oceans, harming human health and accelerating climate change, according to the OECD.
'Let's go fly a kite': Capturing wind for clean energy in Ireland
By Peter MURPHY
Efforts set to resume to reach plastic pollution pact
How Trump-vetted scientists are trying to shred the climate consensus
By Brian Kahn, Danielle Bochove and Leslie Kaufman
Why did such a powerful earthquake produce such a weak tsunami?
By Katrina Miller

CULTURE

Left to right: A woman repurposes a garbage bag to protect her hat from the rain; having a hat and a beverage close at hand is a festival must.
A weekend in Naeba: Rain or shine, the fun never stopped at Fuji Rock '25
By Alyssa I. Smith
Sweltering naps, makeshift shelters, dancing in the rain — Fuji Rock is all about surrendering to the moment.
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson
'Stigmatized Properties: Possession': Layered lead faces ghosts and show business
By Mark Schilling
'Army on the Tree': World War II film leans into absurdist theater
By James Hadfield
Artist Chiharu Shiota weaves a hidden marvel on Teshima
By Thu-Huong Ha

LIFE

Mika Horii (left) and Jane Su record an episode of “Over the Sun” at TBS Broadcasting Center in Tokyo’s Akasaka area. The show draws 1.5 million monthly plays.
'Over the Sun': A podcast for Japanese women who’ve lived a little
By Yuko Tamura
In their hit podcast “Over the Sun,” hosts Jane Su and Mika Horii turn everyday chats into a cultural phenomenon.
In Tokyo, fish-shaped ‘taiyaki’ treats offer a sea of options
By Russell Thomas
A language built on the wind, from mountain gusts to wind chimes
By Eric Margolis
Communal knead: A Turkish baker in Kamakura draws queues
By Alex Michael Dwyer
As summer soars, the tomato offers a lesson in staying bright and cool
By Makiko Itoh

COMMUNITY

Canadian-born Jesse Cunningham came to Japan to teach in the JET Programme, and later found opportunities to learn traditional blacksmithing in Kochi Prefecture.
The international artists supporting Japan’s craft legacy
By Laura Pollacco
From Kochi to Kamakura, non-Japanese craftspeople are training with local artisans and carving out a niche for themselves.
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Ayaka Ohira: ‘Being outside of the traditional path gave me more freedom’
By Zoria Petkoska
The mothers holding up Japan's Vietnamese community
By Nguyen Bao Anh

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Fuji Rock's weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
By Patrick St. Michel
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band’s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.
ENVIRONMENT
How Trump is gaslighting on climate change — with Japan’s help
By Mara Budgen
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas
LIFE
With a new distillery, Suntory makes a spirited move on gin market
By Weiwen Lin
A staff inspects a distillation pot still at Suntory's new Osaka Spirits & Liqueurs Craft Distillery, which will focus on gin production and help Suntory capture a bigger slice of the fast-growing gin market.
LIFE
Junglia brought dinos back to Okinawa. But will it bring tourists?
By Owen Ziegler
At Panorama Dining, one of Junglia’s two proper restaurants that also doubles as the rooftop Inifinity Terrace overlook, guests can pay extra to sit in balcony tables made to look like birds’ nests overlooking the park grounds.
MORE SPORTS
From Osaka to the NHL: Jordan Spence hopes to inspire young Japanese hockey players
By Joel Tansey
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jordan Spence helps lead the Dreamskate Japan hockey camp in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, on July 5.

Podcast

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

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear
By Jason Coskrey

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Develops “Yukigesho Castella” as Part of Sake Upcycling Project
Tsunan Sake Brewery Develops “Yukigesho Castella” as Part of Sake Upcycling Project
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

ASIA PACIFIC
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel
An Indian Air Force pilot gets out of a Rafale fighter jet during its induction ceremony at an air force station in Ambala, India, September 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC
China and Russia start joint military drills in Sea of Japan
Russian and Chinese naval officers take part in a ceremony Thursday ahead of the start of joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan, following the arrival of Chinese military vessels in Vladivostok, Russia.
ASIA PACIFIC
Kamchatka quake may have awakened volcano dormant for 600 years, Russia says
Kamchatka. Krasheninnikov Bay
WORLD
Italy's fast fashion hub becomes Chinese mafia battlefield
By Alexandria SAGE
Signs for fast-fashion factories in Prato, Italy, on Friday. Chinese crime groups in the district thrive on the "Prato system" rife with corruption in the fast-fashion sector.
JAPAN
Extreme heat in Japan set to peak this week
By Yukana Inoue
People shield their eyes from the sun as they walk through a street on a hot day in Tokyo on July 26.