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June 08, 2025
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June 08, 2025
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A mourner prays for the victims of an indiscriminate fatal attack on a street of Tokyo's Akihabara area on the 17th anniversary of the incident on Sunday.
JAPAN
Victims mourned 17 years after Akihabara indiscriminate attack
The attacker, Tomohiro Kato, drove a truck into crowds in Akihabara and then stabbed others, killing seven people and injuring 10.

More coverage

Memorial held for victims of school stabbing 24 years ago
Police officer recounts fatal rampage in Akihabara 17 years on
A mourner prays for the victims of an indiscriminate fatal attack on a street of Tokyo's Akihabara area on the 17th anniversary of the incident on Sunday.
Akihiko Ogino, president and CEO of Daiwa Securities Group, says Japan should press ahead with diversity initiatives as he attends the Tokyo Pride parade in the capital's Shibuya area on Sunday.
BUSINESS
Top banker vows loyalty to DEI at Tokyo Pride Parade as Trump’s pushback rages
By Keiko Ujikane
Few Japanese executives have spoken out on U.S. backlash to DEI, though many firms seem to be quietly maintaining their initiatives.
New data from the National Police Agency shows patterns in where dementia are found after going missing, and how best to locate them.
JAPAN / Society
491 dementia sufferers found dead in Japan in 2024
Many who were declared missing were later rescued thanks to GPS or other tracking devices attached to their clothing.
A car burns on Atlantic Boulevard during a standoff by protesters and law enforcement, following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, California, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Protesters rally against immigration agents for second day in Los Angeles
By Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis
The protests pit LA and its large Hispanic and foreign-born population against Trump, who has made an immigration crackdown on a top priority.
At the 2025 Osaka Expo, the Italian pavilion has a weekly rotating menu of regional dishes curated by Italian retail and dining chain Eataly.
LIFE / Food & Drink
From Belgian waffles to Nordic sushi: What to eat at the 2025 Osaka Expo
By Patrick St. Michel
With food diplomacy at stake, countries at the Expo are flaunting their culinary chops to win over attendees.
At the 2025 Osaka Expo, the Italian pavilion has a weekly rotating menu of regional dishes curated by Italian retail and dining chain Eataly.

JAPAN

Former Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano speaks at a meeting of the party in the city of Miyazaki on Saturday.
DPP eager to discuss no-confidence motion with CDP
"I would like to hear the CDP's thoughts and strategy regarding whether it will or will not submit a no-confidence motion," Tamaki said at a news conference.
Women aspiring to enter politics attend a class at a school for future female politicians in Gifu Prefecture.
Over half of local assemblywomen suffer harassment: government survey
Specifically, "verbal abuse" was cited by both male and female members as the leading form of harassment.
Junglia Okinawa theme park shown to press
Objectivity seen as key to screening AI weapons
Ishiba vows to set up council for regional revitalization
Japanese professor given Ukrainian award for humanitarian efforts

BUSINESS

Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Jan. 28
Meta in talks for Scale AI investment that could top $10 billion
By David Carnevali, Shirin Ghaffary, Katie Roof and Kurt Wagner
The financing could exceed $10 billion in value, some of the people said, making it one of the largest private company funding events of all time.
A worker at a rare earth metals mine in Jiangxi province, China, in 2012
China says it may speed up rare earths application approvals from EU
By Brenda Goh
Beijing's recent suspension of rare earths-related exports upended the supply chains central to numerous industries around the world.
Akazawa vows to redouble efforts for tariff accord with U.S.
Nomura flags risk of sharp yen rally on U.S.-Japan policy pressure
By Carter Johnson
Taiwan’s Yageo plans to keep Shibaura’s AI technology in Japan
By Debby Wu
Japan won’t wait for G7 summit for possible U.S. trade deal

WORLD

The Taiwanese coast guard conducts its annual drill in southern Taiwan, simulating the seizure of a ferry by 'international terrorists,’ in collaboration with Taiwan's military to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Sunday.
Taiwanese coast guard, military drill to better face China's 'grey zone' threat
By Ben Blanchard
Taipei has repeatedly complained about Chinese activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation.
An Israeli armored personnel carrier near the Israel-Gaza border, as seen from Israel on Saturday
Israeli airstrikes kill 55; body of Thai hostage retrieved from Gaza
By Maayan Lubell and Jaidaa Taha
Thai agricultural worker Nattapong Pinta was abducted from a small Israeli community near the Gaza border during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Trump’s China gambit belies rocky road ahead on tariff deals
By Josh Wingrove
U.K. and India discuss 'counterterrorism' cooperation after Pakistan ceasefire
By Krishna N. Das
Thailand tightens border security amid tensions with Cambodia
By Pathom Sangwongwanich
U.S. says Russia response to Ukraine drone attack not over and to expect more strikes
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

Sports

Coco Gauff from the U.S. celebrates after winning the French Open women's singles final match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on Saturday.
Gauff continues American renaissance by stunning Sabalenka for French Open glory
By Shrivathsa Sridhar
The 21-year-old's victory helped her become the first American to capture the singles trophy in Paris since Serena Williams in 2015.
Dodgers need more offense to avoid sweep at Cardinals
Panthers even series with Oilers on Brad Marchand's double OT goal
'Honoured' Djokovic hints at possible Roland Garros farewell after semifinal loss
Soccer surging in Canada a year from World Cup hosting
By Ben Simon

Opinion

Japan is the world's biggest market for Iqos, a heat-not-burn tobacco product marketed by its maker Philip Morris as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes — a claim not backed by independent scientific research.
Smoke and mirrors: How big tobacco manipulates science in Japan
Shiro Konuma
In Japan, not only does the tobacco industry have close ties to government, but universities are also vulnerable to its influence. In this equation, public health loses out.
A return to normalcy in South Korea, but hard work lies ahead
Mark Zuckerberg finally found a use for his Metaverse — war
By Dave Lee
A new generation of 'Japan hands' and a changing world
By Joshua W. Walker
South Korea's new president has a chance to clean up
By David Fickling

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

Kenji Yanobe’s spacesuited cats are the main characters of “Ship’s Cat Island,” the inaugural exhibition at Hyper Museum Hanno in Saitama Prefecture.
What can Kenji Yanobe’s cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
By Jennifer Pastore
The spacesuited felines will be familiar to those who have visited the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka or Tokyo’s Ginza Six shopping complex last year.
‘Kokuho’ finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
By Mark Schilling
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
By Natsuko Fukue
‘Strangers in Kyoto’: Tea, tradition and passive-aggressive politeness
By James Hadfield
'Kokuho' illuminates the high price of becoming a national treasure
By Matt Schley

LIFE

The Eggplant, Trang Pepper and Mole dish encapsulates Igniv Bangkok's philosophy of weaving Thai ingredients into its creative Swiss food.
With Igniv Bangkok, the Thai capital’s fine dining scene gets a boost
By Phoebe Amoroso
The progressive Swiss restaurant is emblematic of the city’s evolution toward a diverse gourmet destination that includes choices from modern German to creative Japanese.
Japanese mollusks with a tangy lift
By Simon Daly
At a mountainside shrine, yuzu candy made by imperial decree
By Lance Henderstein
What’s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
By Yuko Tamura
In Elden Ring Nightreign, the FromSoftware formula goes awry
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Since moving to Tokyo from New York City in 2014, Hiraku Morilla has been promoting Keith Haring’s legacy in his professional life and advocating for LGBTQ+ community.
Hiraku Morilla: ‘Pride means respect for those who walked so we could run’
By Gendel Gento
The New York-raised director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection reflects on his queer, multiracial identity and LGBTQ+ rights in Japan.
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube
By Alex Michael Dwyer
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

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
What can Kenji Yanobe’s cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
By Jennifer Pastore
Kenji Yanobe’s spacesuited cats are the main characters of “Ship’s Cat Island,” the inaugural exhibition at Hyper Museum Hanno in Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
By Eric Johnston
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.
CULTURE
New Naoshima museum bets on Asia, not the West
By Thu-Huong Ha
Detail of Takashi Murakami, “Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu: Iwasa Matabei RIP” (2023-25)
JAPAN
Japan’s prison reform focuses on rehabilitation
By Karin Kaneko
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Suzuki said preparations for the changes that will focus more on rehabilitation are being actively made at each correctional facility.
JAPAN
Accidents raise concern over how Japan vets foreign drivers
By Karin Kaneko
Keita Ueno (right), the owner of Kiki Driving School and an instructor who supports both foreign nationals and Japanese citizens returning from abroad in getting their foreign driver’s licenses converted, is worried about the current lax system for the process.

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

JT Directory Service

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Foreign tourists with unpaid medical bills in Japan to be denied entry
By Karin Kaneko
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during ministerial meeting meeting on foreign residents in Japan on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Japan eyes tougher rules for foreign residents and tax hike for tourists
By Jessica Speed
A tax-free shop in Kyoto in April 2024. Last week, members of a Liberal Democratic Party study group drafted a proposal seeking to scrap the country's tax-free shopping system altogether.
JAPAN
Accidents raise concern over how Japan vets foreign drivers
By Karin Kaneko
Keita Ueno (right), the owner of Kiki Driving School and an instructor who supports both foreign nationals and Japanese citizens returning from abroad in getting their foreign driver’s licenses converted, is worried about the current lax system for the process.
BUSINESS
Japan won’t wait for G7 summit for possible U.S. trade deal
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top negotiator in tariff talks with the U.S. speaks to reporters at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Friday.
JAPAN
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
By Eric Johnston
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.