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August 04, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 04, 2025
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Hala Al-Masri, 17, reacts at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on an UNRWA school that was sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday.
WORLD
Hamas says it will allow aid to hostages if Israel meets their conditions
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
A video released on Saturday of emaciated hostage Evyatar David drew criticism from Western powers and horrified Israelis.

More coverage

Chaos, gangs, gunfire: Gaza aid fails to reach most in need
Hala Al-Masri, 17, reacts at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on an UNRWA school that was sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday.
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks at a party plenary meeting in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nippon Ishin no Kai could join ruling coalition, if the conditions are right
By Eric Johnston
The party might be open to joining if there is a new prime minister and Osaka is designated as Japan's backup capital, its leaders say.
People shield their eyes from the sun as they walk through a street on a hot day in Tokyo on July 26.
JAPAN
Extreme heat in Japan set to peak this week
By Yukana Inoue
Temperatures are particularly high in the Hokuriku region, where the mercury has exceeded 38 degrees Celsius in many areas.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi (center) talks with rice farmers in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, on July 11.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Japan seeks to ditch rice output curbs after price surges
Currently, the government provides subsidies to farmers to encourage them to restrict rice production and switch to other crops to prevent an oversupply.
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band’s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Fuji Rock's weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
By Patrick St. Michel
Thousands braved crowds and slow-moving lines, but unexpected guest appearances by Mariya Takeuchi and Atarashii Gakko! made this year’s event one of the all-time greats.
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band’s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.

JAPAN

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
Japan calls for strict punishment after attack on Japanese in China
Tokyo has asked the Chinese government "to strictly and fairly punish" the suspect, while ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals in the country.
The home of Chizuo Matsumoto's second son in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, in July. The place was recognized by the Public Security Intelligence Agency as a facility of Aleph, Aum Shinrikyo's successor organization.
Matsumoto's second son officially recognized as Aleph leader
The name of the 31-year-old son was included in an agency request for administrative action against Aleph.
Two Oita towns to launch program to nurture aspiring local teachers
Miyagi city marks 350 years of bonito fishing method
80 years on, NPO working to digitize materials on A-bombings
Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka wins second term

BUSINESS

Medium-sized securities firms are raising their starting salaries in line with their bigger domestic competitors Nomura and Daiwa Securities.
Nomura’s starting pay matched by Japanese rivals to retain staff
By Ryo Horiuchi
Medium-sized securities firms are raising their starting salaries in line with their bigger domestic competitors Nomura and Daiwa Securities.
A monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropping on Monday morning.
Stocks in Japan slump after U.S. data spark growth worries
By Alice French and Momoka Yokoyama
The broader Topix Index and the blue-chip 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average pared some of their earlier losses but closed down 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.
AI search pushing an already weakened media ecosystem to the brink
By Thomas URBAIN
Japan food exports expand 15.5% in January to June
Top rice importer Philippines may halt purchases to help farmers
By Manolo Serapio Jr.
China's solar giants quietly shed a third of their workforces last year
By Colleen Howe

WORLD

An Indian Air Force pilot gets out of a Rafale fighter jet during its induction ceremony at an air force station in Ambala, India, September 2020.
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel
Central to the May downing of a French-made Rafale fighter jet was an Indian intelligence failure concerning the range of the China-made PL-15 missile.
An Indian Naval officer stands behind Philippine and Indian flags at the international port of Manila on Friday. India's naval vessels arrived in Manila for a port visit late last week.
Philippine and Indian navies begin first joint South China Sea patrols
The Philippines has heightened defense cooperation with a range of allies over the past year after a series of clashes in the South China Sea.
Former prime minister's palace in Bangladesh to become revolution museum
By Mohammad MAZED
Italy's fast fashion hub becomes Chinese mafia battlefield
By Alexandria SAGE
Billionaire Ong pleads guilty in Singapore gifting scandal
By Low De Wei and Yoojung Lee
South Korea begins removing loudspeakers on border with North

Sports

Miyu Yamashita poses with the trophy after winning the Women's British Open in Porthcawl, Wales, on Sunday.
Miyu Yamashita shows nerves of steel to win Women's British Open
Yamashita's previous best performance in a major was a tie for second place at last year's Women's PGA Championship.
Christian Coleman defends Sha'Carri Richardson after reported arrest
Lando Norris enjoying battle with Oscar Piastri after winning Hungarian GP
Son Heung-min bids farewell to Tottenham on emotional night in South Korea
Noah Lyles' win over rival Kenny Bednarek in 200 ends with staredown and shove

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
China’s unbeatable new production model export
By Jeffrey Wu
Even nuclear experts are at a loss right now
By Andreas Kluth
U.K. military rhetoric is not matching fiscal reality
By Martin Ivens
The EU’s economic surrender only deepens its dependence on the U.S.
By Alberto Alemanno

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

Left to right: A woman repurposes a garbage bag to protect her hat from the rain; having a hat and a beverage close at hand is a festival must.
A weekend in Naeba: Rain or shine, the fun never stopped at Fuji Rock '25
By Alyssa I. Smith
Sweltering naps, makeshift shelters, dancing in the rain — Fuji Rock is all about surrendering to the moment.
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson
From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
'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

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

Canadian-born Jesse Cunningham came to Japan to teach in the JET Programme, and later found opportunities to learn traditional blacksmithing in Kochi Prefecture.
The international artists supporting Japan’s craft legacy
By Laura Pollacco
From Kochi to Kamakura, non-Japanese craftspeople are training with local artisans and carving out a niche for themselves.
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
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

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
How Trump is gaslighting on climate change — with Japan’s help
By Mara Budgen
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas
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.

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

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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 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.