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August 22, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 22, 2025
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A Ukrainian service member throws a grenade during training in the Donbas region, Ukraine, in April. Russia controls about 88% of the Donbas region, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data.
WORLD / Politics
Putin demands Ukraine give up Donbas, not join NATO and no Western troops: sources
By Guy Faulconbridge
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly dismissed the idea of withdrawing from internationally recognized Ukrainian land as part of a deal.

More coverage

Doubts grow on Ukraine security plan as Russia demands role
A Ukrainian service member throws a grenade during training in the Donbas region, Ukraine, in April. Russia controls about 88% of the Donbas region, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data.
An illustration of a colony of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium that causes pertussis, or whooping cough. As of Aug. 10, there were 64,467 cases reported this year, according to the latest data from the Japan Institute for Health Security.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Infectious diseases to watch for in Japan this summer amid surge of cases
By Tomoko Otake
Experts believe a recent surge in infections is due to relaxed hygiene measures, drug-resistant bacteria and lowered immunity levels amid extreme heat.
Kazuhiro Nomura, president of BK Japan Holdings, which operates Burger King in Japan
BUSINESS / Companies
Big burgers and bigger ambitions for Japan's Burger King
By Kazuaki Nagata
The fast-food chain has grown fourfold in just six years.
Investigators from the Hyogo Prefectural Police examine an area near an apartment building where a 24-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in Kobe on Wednesday evening.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
24-year-old woman fatally stabbed in Kobe apartment building
Police are treating the case as a homicide and are searching for the suspect, believed to be in his 20s or 30s.
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.
CULTURE / Music
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
By Patrick St. Michel
Summer Sonic 2025 showcased Japan’s pop power: Mrs. Green Apple, Hikaru Utada and rising stars outshone the festival’s headliners.
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.

JAPAN

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meet ahead of a summit in Kananaskis, Canada, in June. The two leaders will meet again on Saturday.
Japan and South Korea to expand working holiday program
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are expected to agree on the matter when they meet in Tokyo on Saturday.
An All Nippon Airways passenger plane landed on a runway where a work vehicle was operating at Wakkanai Airport in Hokkaido on Wednesday, according to the transport ministry.
'Serious incident' to be probed after ANA plane lands while vehicle on runway
The Japan Transport Safety Board has appointed two aviation accident investigators to begin an investigation into the event at Wakkanai Airport in Hokkaido.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin
JR East cancels luxury train run over crew's boozing
WFP chief wants world to pay attention to Africa
Founder of video platform FC2 found guilty of hosting obscene videos

BUSINESS

Consumer prices in Japan rose 3.1% from a year earlier in July, slowing from a 3.3% gain in the previous month but still suggesting that inflation remains relatively sticky.
Japan’s inflation hovers well above BOJ’s goal even as it slows
By Toru Fujioka
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% from a year earlier in July, slowing from a 3.3% gain a month earlier.
McDonald's Japan has canceled its plan to bundle "One Piece" trading cards with its Happy Set meals, after a similar Pokemon-themed campaign sparked a frenzy and uproar over uneaten food being discarded.
McDonald's Japan to skip 'One Piece' Happy Meal promo
The cancellation follows a similar Pokemon-themed campaign that sparked a frenzy and uproar over uneaten food being discarded.
KKR is a front-runner in Nissan’s $610 million HQ sale
By Lisa Du, Taro Fuse, Manuel Baigorri and Ryo Horiuchi
Seven & I value eclipsed by Aeon as revamp struggles to impress
By Kanoko Matsuyama
Humble coconut oil turns into a luxury on rising demand, shrinking output
By Rajendra Jadhav, Bernadette Christina and Ashley Tang
Honda taps Silicon Valley startup in self-driving software deal
By Chester Dawson

WORLD

The World Health Organization's funding squeeze was sparked by the U.S. decision to leave the agency, announced on day one of Donald Trump’s presidency in January this year.
WHO plans to relocate units, cease some work under pressure from U.S. withdrawal
By Jennifer Rigby and Emma Farge
The organization cut its 2026-27 budget by 21% in May, has already halved its management team, and has seen over 400 staff depart since January.
Displaced Palestinian women fleeing the northern Gaza Strip ride with their belongings as they head south, in Gaza City, on Thursday.
Netanyahu says Israel to resume Gaza negotiations to end war and free hostages
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell
The statement is the Israeli prime minister's first response to a temporary ceasefire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar that Hamas has accepted.
Taiwan plans defense budget increase to over 3% of GDP
By Amber Wang and Joy Chiang
U.N. investigation seeking justice for Rohingya hit by cost-cutting
By Emma Farge
Americans worry democracy is in danger amid gerrymandering fights, poll finds
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Maayan Lubell, Jason Lange, Nolan D. McCaskill and James Oliphant
Online behavior under scrutiny as Russia hunts 'extremists'

Sports

Sho Tsuboi said the opportunity to drive a Formula One car at Fuji Speedway was a dream come true.
Sho Tsuboi realizes ‘dream’ with Haas F1 test at Fuji Speedway
By Jamie Klein
An impressive performance, which also coincides with Toyota’s modest return to F1, could signal the start of something more substantial.
Blockbuster 'Sincaraz' rivalry ready to light up U.S. Open
By Rob Woollard
England names strong side for Women's Rugby World Cup opener against U.S.
By Julian Guyer
LA28 basketball to start two days before opening ceremony
By Aadi Nair
Olympic champion wrestler Steveson set for MMA debut
By Aadi Nair

Opinion

Jimmy Lai at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong in 2020. The national security trial of the Hong Kong media mogul, which began in late 2023, entered its final stages on Aug. 14, as lawyers present closing arguments.
Why Jimmy Lai’s persecution should worry Japan
Mark L. Clifford
The trial of 77-year-old publisher is showing how Beijing uses Hong Kong as a laboratory for silencing critics worldwide, from students to exiles.
Ads ruined social media. Now they’re coming to AI.
By Parmy Olson
Urban mining eases the critical minerals crunch 
By Brad Glosserman
Currency dominance in the digital age
By Helene Rey
On economic policy, the White House is its own worst enemy
By Clive Crook

ENVIRONMENT

A commuter uses a portable fan on an underground train at rush hour during a heat wave in the City of London financial district.
As temperatures soar in London, regulations, not costs, put cooling beyond reach
By Olivia Rudgard
The British capital has seen a surge in demand for air-conditioning units in high-end homes as climate change raises summer temperatures.
Is historically arid Beijing ready for a wetter future?
By Laurie Chen
Tourism deal puts one of Egypt's last wild shores at risk
By Lobna Monieb
Mozambique's illegal miners reap risky rewards but land suffers
By Samuel Come
Man who bred world’s biggest rhino herd charged with horn smuggling
By Antony Sguazzin

CULTURE

Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
By Patrick St. Michel
Summer Sonic 2025 showcased Japan’s pop power: Mrs. Green Apple, Hikaru Utada and rising stars outshone the festival’s headliners.
‘Happy Life’ brings dignity to family’s struggle with grief and poverty
By James Hadfield
‘Seaside Serendipity’: A pastel-soaked reverie on youthful creativity
By Mark Schilling
‘Fires on the Plain’: Haunting imagery in restored 1959 war film stands the test of time
By Mark Schilling
'Kokuho' rakes in over ¥10 billion at the box office

LIFE

A lot of Japanese workers join online group texts to communicate with their coworkers, but at what point do those chats threaten a healthy work-life balance?
Expressing annoyance with work group chats in Japanese
By Yaeko Kabe
Some employees value the convenience; others feel trapped by after-hours texts and social expectations embedded in office messaging culture.
Fingers sore from too much phone time? You might have ‘sumaho yubi.’
By Mai Yoshikawa
From a piquant paste to a crisp crust, sesame shines in many forms
By Simon Daly
In preserving Japanese hospitality, ‘details are everything’
By Melinda Joe
A seaside hotel built on competitive Japanese cycling
By Jessica Kozuka

COMMUNITY

In honor of his longstanding ties and contributions to Japan's business, legal and nonprofit communities, Carl J. Green was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2018.
Carl J. Green, mentor to a generation of ‘Japan hands,’ dies at 85
By Matthew Goodman
A lawyer and scholar with deep ties to Tokyo’s business and legal communities, Green opened the Ford Foundation’s Tokyo office.
Seri Yanai: ‘We mix modern and analog to create something new’
By Ayako Nakano
Handsome cat looking for brighter days ahead
Solidarity with Tokyo’s homeless residents, one day at a time
By Shyam Bhardwa
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Tokyo crowned No.1 'workation' spot
By Elizabeth Beattie
Workations were a burgeoning trend in the corporate world for years before the COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged it.
CULTURE
Atsushi Kitagawara’s exhibition finds poetry in architecture
By Gendel Gento
The inverted cone, one of Atsushi Kitagawara’s six signature elements in architecture, is a key feature of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum building.
BASEBALL
Candidates preparing to make final pitches for Sawamura Award
By Jason Coskrey
Hawks pitcher Livan Moinelo has a 1.13 ERA in 19 starts this season.
JAPAN
Winning warship bid gives Japan confidence boost as Tokyo eyes more exports
By Gabriel Dominguez
Australia’s decision to select Japan's upgraded Mogami-class warship, seen in this computer-generated image, has been “well received across Japanese industry," a Defense Ministry official said.
LIFE
In Paris, chefs Chizuko Kimura and Kei Kobayashi make their mark
By Kyoko Nakayama
Chef Kei Kobayashi is France's only Japanese chef with three Michelin stars.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
Demystifying the manufacturing success of China
By Zhang Jun
China’s massive scale, strong education system and competitive local governance have enabled it to reach the technological frontier and dominate high-tech manufacturing despite its low per capita gross domestic product.
JAPAN
Japan to revise romanization rules for first time in 70 years
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is recommending replacing the government’s long-standing Kunrei system with more widely used Hepburn-style spellings.
BUSINESS
Japanese manufacturers moving headquarters out of central Tokyo
A building in Kawasaki housing Toshiba's new headquarters
SUMO
Is sumo becoming a victim of its own popularity?
By John Gunning
A training session at Shikoroyama stable in June 2016. Sumo training sessions are increasingly simulated or the preserve of group tours.
JAPAN
Japanese man suspected of ordering double murder in Manila
Two suspects arrested over the killing of two Japanese last week are held in restraints in Manila on Tuesday.