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April 30, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 30, 2025
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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak during an even to to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on April 23.
BUSINESS / Markets
Trump eases auto tariff burden as Lutnick touts foreign trade deal
By David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Kalea Hall
A group representing Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and nine other foreign automakers said Trump's order provided some relief but that "more must be done."
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak during an even to to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on April 23.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stands beside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during the singing of the national anthem at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
‘Almost like allies’: Tokyo and Manila eye two more defense pacts
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Japanese and Philippine leaders agreed to launch talks on both a military intelligence-sharing pact and a deal to allow their armed forces to share fuel, food and services.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
At BRICS meeting, China vows to stand firm against ‘bully’ Trump
By Josh Xiao
On Tuesday, China’s Foreign Minister warned BRICS nations not to cave to U.S. tariffs, urging resistance to pressure amid growing trade tensions.
Sony is considering spinning off its semiconductor unit, sources say.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sony weighs chip spinoff that Dan Loeb called for years ago
The chip business makes industry-leading image sensors that go into cameras inside Apple and Xiaomi phones.
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.

JAPAN

Liberal Democratic Party Policy Chief Itsunori Onodera (center) speaks at a think tank event Monday in Washington.
Japan worries Trump tariffs will push countries toward China
By Erica Yokoyama
Many nations are looking to negotiate with the U.S. over the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs, which could undermine security in the region.
Michiko Takagaki talks about the personal items she has displayed of a relative who died in the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, on April 26.
Items of an A-bomb victim who died the day he enlisted to be displayed
Just 15 minutes after enlisting in the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military, an atomic bomb was dropped some 700 meters from where he stood.
LDP’s Moriyama pushes for concrete results on China’s seafood import ban
By Eric Johnston
Iwaya and Guterres reaffirm need for U.N. Security Council reform
System failure hits Sumitomo Mitsui ATMs
Japan's spring honors to celebrate contributions of 3,990 people

BUSINESS

Sunset at Dudley Page Reserve, in Dover Heights, Sydney, on April 21
Australia’s economic ‘miracle’ is ending no matter who wins vote
By Swati Pandey and Ben Westcott
Polls suggest the May 3 election will be tight, with many pundits predicting the winner will lead a minority government.
Microsoft signage in New York on Oct. 25, 2024. Microsoft’s sudden decision to pause work on some data centers suggests cloud computing providers may be reevaluating expenditures.
Big Tech’s earnings problem is estimates may be way too high
By Jeran Wittenstein
There’s little expectation executives will be able to give estimates with any degree of confidence, given the high level of macroeconomic uncertainty.
Brazil's would-be cocoa king aims to revolutionize industry with giant farm
By Marcelo Teixeira
Big Tech’s earnings problem is estimates may be way too high
By Jeran Wittenstein
As Tesla falters, these new EVs are picking up the pace
By Kyle Stock
Delta routes new Airbus plane to Tokyo to sidestep Trump tariffs

WORLD

Reform U.K. party leader Nigel Farage
Populist Reform party could reshape the U.K. political landscape
By Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill
It also convinced its leader, Brexit veteran Nigel Farage, he had to professionalize the party, and fast.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney waves to supporters at a victory party in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Carney's Liberals win Canada election defined by Trump
Following a campaign dominated by Trump's tariffs and annexation threats, Carney promised to chart "a new path forward."
Carney’s plan to manage Trump: Keep calm, find new friends
By Brian Platt and Layan Odeh
Northeast China restaurant fire kills 22: state media
Spain and Portugal hunt for cause of power outage as electricity returns
India shuts over half of Kashmir tourist spots after deadly attack
By Fayaz Bukhari

Sports

Christophe Lemaire rides Admire Daytona, who was bred in Japan, during the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on April 5.
Could this be Japan’s year at the Kentucky Derby?
By Jason Coskrey
Japan has made great strides in thoroughbred racing, and many feel it is no longer a question of "if" a Japanese horse will win the event but "when."
Japan and Malaysia ease through to Sudirman Cup quarterfinals
Arsenal ambitions go beyond semifinals, says Arteta
FIA president considering 'improvements' to swearing rules
By Alan Baldwin
Klopp congratulates Liverpool on Premier League triumph

Opinion

Demonstrators hold a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on Harvard University at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 17.
Stop scaring future world leaders off U.S. campuses
Andreas Kluth
To the extent that a U.S. education gets others to think as Americans think, it is the ideal tool of soft power
How to make America truly 'Great Again'
By Sergiy Korsunsky
Placating China won't prevent it from invading Taiwan
By Dee Wu
Is there a method behind the Trumponomics madness?
By Kazuto Suzuki
The world is waking up to the dangers of superpollutants
By Lara Williams

ENVIRONMENT

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin
Last year the government issued its first "megaquake" advisory. Ever since, those living in the areas it's expected to hit have been preparing for the worst.
Trump administration targets scientists behind key climate assessment
By Valerie Volcovici
Pope Francis saw defending the climate as an urgent priority for the world
By Eric Roston
Countries could use forests to 'mask' needed emission cuts, report says
By Kelly Macnamara
Global warming is a security threat and armies must adapt, experts say

CULTURE

On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
By Kris Kosaka
Prolific writer Yuko Tsushima explores themes of militarization, colonialism and occupation through the identities of mixed-race orphans in postwar Japan.
China’s first K-pop concert in years signals efforts to mend ties
By Hyonhee Shin and Shinhye Kang
Sasuke Haraguchi’s provocative soundtracks for digital natives
By Patrick St. Michel
‘She Taught Me Serendipity’: A quiet reminder not to take people for granted
By Mark Schilling
Thumbelina's bedtime is before 8. Her exhibition runs till 5 a.m.
By Tomohiro Osaki

LIFE

2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
By Patrick St. Michel
At Expo 2025 in Osaka, mascots from around the world borrow from Japan’s character culture — but none can match Myaku-Myaku’s gloopy charm.
How to bring up bad news in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura
Savoy, Tokyo’s top pizzeria, fires up in Sapporo
By Simon Daly
A modern Japanese cookbook that is ‘a beautiful mess’
By Simon Daly
Built in a flash, Osaka Expo pavilions wrestle with sustainability
By Thu-Huong Ha

COMMUNITY

Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa
How to spend the perfect day in Hiroo, Tokyo’s expat enclave
By Eric Margolis
Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’
By Miikka J. Lehtonen
Tokyo Humanities Cafe feeds hungry minds
By Jessica Kozuka

Editors' Picks

MORE SPORTS
Could this be Japan’s year at the Kentucky Derby?
By Jason Coskrey
Christophe Lemaire rides Admire Daytona, who was bred in Japan, during the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on April 5.
BUSINESS
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave
By Mai Yoshikawa
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
JAPAN
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
By Yukana Inoue
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
JAPAN
U.S. secretary of the navy weighs ‘dual-use’ shipbuilding with Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez
John Phelan at a Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. secretary of the navy in Washington in February

Podcast

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

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones
Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

WHAT’S TRENDING

ENVIRONMENT
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
BUSINESS
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave
By Mai Yoshikawa
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
JAPAN
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
By Yukana Inoue
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
ASIA PACIFIC
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
By Jesse Johnson
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.