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August 04, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 04, 2025
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba walks toward the Upper House hall to attend the opening ceremony of a parliamentary session in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba unlikely to make personal statement on WWII anniversary
A personal statement by Ishiba, who is viewed as relatively dovish, could intensify the calls for his resignation that have emerged inside the LDP.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba walks toward the Upper House hall to attend the opening ceremony of a parliamentary session in Tokyo on Thursday.
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
China and Russia start joint military drills in Sea of Japan
The Joint Sea-2025 exercises kicked off in waters near the Russian port of Vladivostok and would last for three days.
Voters cast their ballots for the Upper House election at a polling station in Tokyo on July 20.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan to ramp up measures against foreign election interference
In last month's Upper House election, foreign actors were suspected to be behind the spread of disinformation on social media.
Troops from the Ground Self-Defense Force launch a Type 12 surface-to-ship missile at Beecroft Weapons Range in Australia's New South Wales state during Exercise Talisman Sabre on July 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
'Firsts’ abound in latest Talisman Sabre joint military drills
By Gabriel Dominguez
The multinational military drills saw over 80 "firsts" in which participants either tested new systems or performed certain combined activities for the first time.
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
How Trump is gaslighting the climate — with Japan’s help
By Mara Budgen
As the U.S. president ramps up high-polluting LNG projects, Japan is among the nations he's pressuring for investments. The economic case for the push, however, is far from clear.
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas

JAPAN

Four male workers were confirmed dead after falling into a manhole in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture, on Saturday morning, fire authorities said.
Four dead after falling into manhole in Saitama
The four, all in their 50s, fell into the manhole around 9:25 a.m. during a sewage pipe inspection.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya speaks during a news conference last month.
Japan's foreign minister urges Myanmar to restore democracy
Japan strongly urges Myanmar's military to "swiftly restore the country's democratic political system," Iwaya told a news conference.
80 years on: Thai man wants to return soldiers' remains to Japan
Tepco wraps up latest round of treated water release in Fukushima
Japan joins multinational space defense drill
80 years on: Three generations pass on memory of Toyama air raid

BUSINESS

Fujifilm raised U.S. prices for the majority of its digital cameras and lenses last week, as the U.S. tariffs continue to reverberate across the consumer tech industry.
Fujifilm raises camera and lens prices in the U.S. due to tariffs
By Chris Welch
Many of the company’s camera bodies are now $200 more expensive than they were on Thursday evening.
BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday.
BOJ watchers bring forward next rate hike call after trade deals
By Toru Fujioka and Cynthia Li
The view has emerged after clarity over trade increased with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing deals, including one with Japan.
'Kōsen' tech colleges and HR firm tie up for student entrepreneurs
Trump’s economic agenda is losing support, but Democrats see few gains
By Nancy Cook
Japan's new auto sales log first fall in seven months
The AI race has Big Tech spending $344 billion this year
By Brunella Tipismana Urbano and Navya Menon

WORLD

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday.
Trump builds $274 million war chest ahead of midterm elections
The fundraising is an unprecedented sum for a second-term president.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks with rescuers Friday at a residential building in Kyiv that was partially destroyed due to a Russian missile.
Ukraine breaks up 'corruption scheme' in defense sector
The anti-corruption watchdog said the scheme involved inflating prices for electronic warfare and drone equipment, and then funneling off 30% of the contract amounts.
Kamchatka quake may have awakened volcano dormant for 600 years, Russia says
U.S. envoy meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv
U.S. museum says Trump administration did not compel impeachment display removal
Federal agency opens probe into former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith

Sports

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jordan Spence helps lead the Dreamskate Japan hockey camp in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, on July 5.
From Osaka to the NHL: Jordan Spence hopes to inspire young Japanese hockey players
By Joel Tansey
The Ottawa Senators defenseman briefly returned to Japan last month to help run a hockey camp in Hokkaido.
Canadian teen Mboko stuns top-seeded Gauff in Montreal
Imperious Ledecky beats McIntosh to win 800-meter free thriller
By Andrew MCKIRDY
Miyu Yamashita takes slim lead into final round at Women's British Open
Doncic embraces championship hopes after inking $165 million contract extension
By Rory Carroll

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
Glory to Stalin and the whitewashing of history
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
Will Trump’s tech policies propel U.S. success against China?
By Mariko Togashi
A troubling reminder of Japan's vulnerability to natural disasters
Is this the end of Japan's 'big tent' parties?
By Edo Naito

ENVIRONMENT

Some 460 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is single-use.
Efforts set to resume to reach plastic pollution pact
The coming talks follow a failure to reach a deal last December on how to stop millions of tons of plastic waste from entering the environment each year.
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
When Earth’s surface shifts, a new satellite will see it
By Kenneth Chang
In the Philippines, informal e-waste dismantling poses health risks
By Pam Castro

CULTURE

“Memory of Lines” is Chiharu Shiota’s second art installation on Teshima as part of the Setouchi Triennale.
Artist Chiharu Shiota weaves a hidden marvel on Teshima
By Thu-Huong Ha
The artist cherished for her red-thread installations creates a new work in one of Japan’s famed art islands.
'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
How Japan made techno its own
By Arjan Rietveld
‘Demon Slayer’ movie slashes its own box office records
By Matt Schley

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.
With a new distillery, Suntory makes a spirited move on gin market
By Weiwen Lin
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

COMMUNITY

Wakana, a Japanese fan of Thai BL, visits a temple in Thon Buri, Bangkok featured in the Thai adaptation of the Japanese series “Cherry Magic.” Her media consumption kindled an interest in Thai culture and language, and ultimately led her to relocate to Thailand. “I fell in love with the whole country,” she says.
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Thailand has become a top producer of BL (boys’ love) dramas — and audiences in Japan are among the most ardent consumers.
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life
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
Lilimi settles into a new life

Editors' Picks

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.
JAPAN
Coordination office marks first step in U.S. Forces Japan’s shift to ‘warfighting’ command
By Gabriel Dominguez
U.S., Japanese and Australian staff work in the JJOC Cooperation Team office at the U.S. Army’s Hardy Barracks in central Tokyo in this image posted to the Australian Embassy's X account on July 25.
BUSINESS
GTN takes a chance on newcomers to Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Hiroyuki Goto, president of GTN. The company started after Goto personally co-signed leases for around 20 non-Japanese people, including some friends and friends of friends.
CULTURE
Artist Chiharu Shiota weaves a hidden marvel on Teshima
By Thu-Huong Ha
“Memory of Lines” is Chiharu Shiota’s second art installation on Teshima as part of the Setouchi Triennale.

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

BUSINESS
Japan's jobs-to-applicant ratio falls to 1.22 in June
Japan's seasonally adjusted effective job-to-applicant ratio dipped to 1.22 in June, down 0.02 point from the previous month, according to the labor ministry.
ENVIRONMENT
Why did such a powerful earthquake produce such a weak tsunami?
By Katrina Miller
A person records images of waves following a tsunami advisory generated by local authorities after an earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting warnings and evacuations stretching across at the South Pacific, in Vina del Mar, Chile, on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Japanese students struggle with description-type tests
The average correct answer rate for description-type questions in the Japanese-language section of the fiscal 2025 national achievement test for third-year junior high school students was as low as 25.6%, according to the education ministry.
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.
JAPAN
Last soldiers of Imperial Japanese Army have a warning for younger generations
By Martin Fackler
Kunshiro Kiyozumi, 97, who was the youngest crew member of the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58 in World War II, on his way to a restaurant to have lunch in Matsuyama, Japan, on April 29.