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September 08, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 08, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday became the first to enter the race to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
JAPAN / Politics
Race to replace Ishiba kicks off as LDP heavyweight Motegi throws hat into ring
By Kanako Takahara
Former party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi became the first to announce he is running in a party presidential election, with others expected to follow soon.

More coverage

Ishiba to quit as prime minister amid LDP discontent
Opposition heads rap political stagnation after Ishiba's decision to resign
Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday became the first to enter the race to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
A Homeland Security Investigations police officer watches over workers during a federal search warrant at a company in Ellabell, Georgia, on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
U.S. migrant raid jolts South Korea, stirs investor anxiety
By Youkyung Lee and Denny Thomas
The raid came shortly after a White House summit between the presidents of both countries where Korean companies pledged to up U.S. investments.
Gross domestic product grew at an annualized pace of 2.2% last quarter, the revised report said, indicating that consumer spending is gaining momentum.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan confirms GDP growth as spending holds up amid U.S. tariffs
By Yoshiaki Nohara
The Japanese economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.2% in April-June, exceeding an initial estimate of a 1.0% expansion, the Cabinet Office said.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center) at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday prior to a Cabinet meeting
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japan to start a new support system for crime victims next year
The government has increasingly been urged to enhance public assistance for people afflicted by serious crimes.
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Jon Heese naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 2007 and embarked upon a career in local politics the following year.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
After being elected to four terms in the Tsukuba Municipal Assembly, Jon Heese now serves as a prefectural assemblyman — and one of Ibaraki Prefecture’s biggest cheerleaders.
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Jon Heese naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 2007 and embarked upon a career in local politics the following year.

JAPAN

Haruto Kotani (second from right), the 20.25 millionth visitor to the Osaka Expo, and others during a ceremony in Osaka on Saturday
Osaka Expo hits record 200,000 daily visitors
The cumulative number of visitors, including those related to the Expo project, has reached 20.25 million.
People buy groceries from a mobile supermarket in a rural area of Nagomi, Kumamoto Prefecture. The government is considering a new "hometown resident" registration system to help strengthen regional revitalization measures.
Japan eyes two types of 'hometown resident' registration
The system is included in the government's basic vision for regional revitalization, adopted in June.
Tokyo Gov. Koike seen keeping three-party alliance involving LDP
In imperial family first, Princess Aiko attends disaster-related conference
Farm minister Koizumi is believed to have urged Ishiba to quit
Japan braces for Trump push on U.S. troop funding

BUSINESS

Takeover offers by foreign firms are increasing in Japan, backed by government guidelines that instructed companies to give "sincere consideration” to such proposals.
Japan set for record number of takeover offers from foreign firms
By Tsuyoshi Inajima
Foreign firms' proposals to buy or acquire majority stakes in Japanese companies are on pace to exceed last year’s record of 193.
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minster Ryosei Akazawa speaks to members of the media at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Thursday.
Akazawa says U.S. trade deal not settled as Japan awaits pharma and chip orders
Akazawa said Japan would begin a full analysis of the economic impact of the U.S. auto tariff changes.
Trump signs order offering some tariff exemptions to countries with U.S. trade deals
U.S. tariffs still spell big pain for Japan's small automakers
By Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent calls for big changes at Fed
Trump threatens trade actions after EU fines Google over ads

WORLD

Palestinians react after an explosion from an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Sunday.
Israel warns recognizing Palestinian state could trigger 'unilateral' action
Several countries, including France and Britain, have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state during the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
Smoke rises over Kyiv after a Russian missile strike on Sunday, reportedly the largest mass strike of the war.
Russia hits Ukraine with biggest air attack of war
Russia launches drones, missiles on Ukraine, Zelenskyy appeals for stronger air defenses.
Israel's Ramon Airport near Eilat reopens after being hit by drone from Yemen
By Steven Scheer
France faces more turmoil with government on brink ahead of confidence vote
By Tassilo Hummel
Red Sea cable cuts disrupt internet across Asia and the Middle East
Afghan earthquake survivors refuse to return to villages, fearing landslides
By Sayed Hassib and Mohammed Yunus Yawar

Sports

Japan flanker Iroha Nagata attempts to score a try against Spain during their match at the Women's Rugby World Cup in York, England, on Sunday.
Japan bows out of Women's Rugby World Cup with comeback victory over Spain
Both sides were bidding for their first win of the tournament after defeats against world champion New Zealand and Ireland had ended their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
Max Verstappen says Red Bull has taken step forward after winning Italian GP
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight
By Mai Yoshikawa
Three-time World Series champion Davey Johnson dies at 82
Japan and Mexico play to goalless draw as World Cup preparations ramp up

Opinion

NASA says its satellite imagery shows the Earth is becoming drier — at least the parts where most people live.
The Earth is drying out and we need to act urgently
Mark Gongloff
Measurements from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites suggest the continents have been losing fresh water at an alarming rate since 2002.
Huge crowds at the Vatican as teen becomes first millennial saint
Can Europe and China forge a climate connection?
By Emmanuel Guerin and Bernice Lee
‘Confugenics’ and East Asia's demographic crisis
By Waka Ikeda
Putin sees only U.S. weakness in Ukraine
By Max Hastings

ENVIRONMENT

A pedestrian bridge that crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis
Polluted and poor: Blighted U.S. cities tackle 'toxic soup'
By Carey L. Biron
The worst effect could be seen in poor, minority areas, where heavy industry, manufacturing and transport tend to concentrate.
Shizuoka farmers fight to preserve sustainable tea method that’s steeped in tradition
By Kai Wilson
How Europe lost an area the size of Cyprus to wildfires this year
By Laura Millan and Joe Wertz
Scientists assail ‘cherry-picking’ of Trump administration climate report
By Eric Roston
New wave: Sea power turned into energy at Los Angeles port
By Romain FONSEGRIVES

CULTURE

“The Summer Hikaru Died” is a slow-burn horror and a coming-of-age narrative, but its thematic layers and queer undertones open conversations about friendship and belonging.
Dark folklore meets teenage angst in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’
By Mike Fu
Slow-burn horror in the countryside coupled with queer undertones makes for a memorable anime adaptation.
Traditional Japanese erotic art exhibition puts female pleasure in focus
By Tomohiro Osaki
‘Swallows' untangles the murky ethics of selling motherhood
By Kris Kosaka
‘How Dare You’ turns environmental activism into a youthful adventure
By Mark Schilling
‘A Pale View of Hills’: A chilling, borderless adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

At Syn, chef Naoto Ohno's playfulness is evident in the "Apple," a replica fruit filled with applejack-flavored foie gras and served on a plate decorated with a familiar logo.
With a global approach, Syn gives French cuisine plenty of latitude
By Phoebe Amoroso
Up-and-coming chef Naoto Ohno draws from his rich travel experiences to redefine cooking traditions at his restaurant in Fukuoka.
Overnight mulberry matcha oats are the perfect answer to a busy morning
By Simon Daly
Racehorses, anime girls and gambling: Umamusume’s recipe for success
By Owen Ziegler
Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91
By Ella IDE
Vogue appoints Chloe Malle to replace fashion doyenne Anna Wintour

COMMUNITY

A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Jon Heese naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 2007 and embarked upon a career in local politics the following year.
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
After being elected to four terms in the Tsukuba Municipal Assembly, Jon Heese now serves as a prefectural assemblyman — and one of Ibaraki Prefecture’s biggest cheerleaders.
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms
Jesse Kirkwood: ‘Languages are entire cultural universes with all sorts of baggage’
By Kris Kosaka
More Than Music makes space for creative communion
By Shyam Bhardwa
Seri Yanai: ‘We mix modern and analog to create something new’
By Ayako Nakano

Editors' Picks

LIFE
In rural Hokkaido, the stops and starts of tourism revival on full display
By Justin Randall
Redevelopment plans for Kawayu Onsen have hit some snags — an example of how bringing tourists back to declining rural communities is far from easy work.
SUMO
London’s calling and sumo’s top division — along with Hello Kitty — are ready to answer
By John Gunning
Yokozuna Hoshoryu and Hello Kitty, an ambassador for sumo's upcoming tour to London, at Tokyo's Kokugikan on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Resonac creates 27-member consortium to pursue advanced chip developments
By Kazuaki Nagata
Representatives from member companies of JOINT3, a consortium working together on semiconductor-related developments announced by Resonac, pose for a photo in Tokyo on Wednesday.
CULTURE
Haru Nemuri’s radical new album refuses easy listening
By Patrick St. Michel
Musician Haruna Kimishima, better known as Haru Nemuri, confronts Japan’s politics, nationalism and censorship on her recent output.
COMMUNITY
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall
The Betsukai Pilot Spirits welcomed new players (left to right) Yuta Yamanaka, Roman Guthrie, Scott Bellina and Leo Jiminian this year, pictured here with Yassir Lachkar of the Ishikari Red Phoenix.

Podcast

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

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight
By Mai Yoshikawa

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.

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

JAPAN
Japan to experience blood moon lunar eclipse on Monday
By Elizabeth Beattie
A blood moon is seen during a partial eclipse in the sky over Lake George near Canberra on March 14.
COMMENTARY
‘Confugenics’ and East Asia's demographic crisis
By Waka Ikeda
East Asia’s fertility plunge is driven not just by financial costs but by perfectionist cultural expectations that burden parents with intense educational and social demands.
JAPAN
Japan prince comes of age as succession crisis looms
By Hiroshi Hiyama
Prince Hisahito concludes his elaborate "kakan no gi" coming-of-age ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN
Ishiba to quit as prime minister amid LDP discontent
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announces his decision to step down, at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Bangladesh is a South Asian time bomb
By Brahma Chellaney
Many Bangladeshis hoped that the overthrow of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina last year would revitalize the country’s democracy after an authoritarian lurch under the “iron lady.” Instead it has led to proliferating human-rights abuses, intensifying repression and widespread Islamist violence.