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August 25, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 25, 2025
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Shigeru Ishiba, prime minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attends the party's plenary meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 8. Ishiba took further criticism from his own party Friday, following a dismal result in an Upper House election last month that has weakened his mandate and triggered some internal momentum to replace him as leader.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
No end in sight for LDP drama over Ishiba, whose fate is still up in the air
By Kanako Takahara
It remains to be seen whether those within the party seeking the prime minister’s removal can rally enough support to force a presidential election.
Shigeru Ishiba, prime minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attends the party's plenary meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 8. Ishiba took further criticism from his own party Friday, following a dismal result in an Upper House election last month that has weakened his mandate and triggered some internal momentum to replace him as leader.
The ministry of labor has suggested a 6% minimum wage increase, but most prefectures reporting so far are opting to go slightly higher.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japanese prefectures break with labor ministry on minimum wage
By Kazuaki Nagata
Many prefectures are choosing increases higher than the 6% suggested by the ministry.
A screenshot from an AI-generated video showing what could happen to Tokyo if Mount Fuji erupted
JAPAN
Tokyo releases AI-generated video of Mount Fuji erupting
By Yukana Inoue
With Mount Fuji 100 kilometers away, the video from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to inform Tokyoites about how an eruption could still seriously impact their lives.
Visitors look at paper cranes hung at Peace Park in Nagasaki on Aug. 8, a day ahead of the 80th anniversary of the World War II atomic bombing of the city.
JAPAN / Society
Japan ranked one of the most peaceful places in Asia as global tensions rise
By Elizabeth Beattie
Japan’s geography places it in close proximity to some of the biggest current geopolitical tensions and conflicts, but it still ranked highly in the Global Peace Index 2025.
People hold Taiwanese flags during the event to commemorate the end of World War II at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Aug. 16.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Taiwan and China battle it out in competing World War II narratives
By Ben Blanchard
Both sides are claiming credit for the victory over Japan.
People hold Taiwanese flags during the event to commemorate the end of World War II at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Aug. 16.

JAPAN

Takemasa Kinjo, who was a high school student when his mother was killed by a U.S. Marine in 1974, looks on at the construction site of the new Henoko military base for U.S. forces near his residence in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in June.
Decades after WWII, Okinawa is a reluctant host for U.S. troops
By Hiroshi Hiyama
A string of incidents over the years involving American troops and base personnel, including sexual assault cases, have angered residents.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) inspects an interim storage facility where soil from decontamination work is temporarily stored, at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture on Aug. 10.
Government to use more soil from Fukushima decontamination work
The moves are aimed at gaining public understanding of the safety of the soil and encouraging wider use.
Tepco ends third round of treated water release for fiscal 2025
For this Fukuoka company president, preventing heatstroke is personal
Okinawa town elects independent mayor cautious about defense expansion
Authorities apologize to Ohkawara Kakohki ex-adviser's family

BUSINESS

Summers in Japan have grown hotter and hotter, and people have had to spend more money as a result.
Tokyo household budgets further squeezed by heat wave
By Francis Tang
On average, monthly expenses are up more than $23 a month as a result of high temperatures.
Mercedes-Benz Japan opens its first 150-kilowatt fast-charging station in a park in Chiba in July.
Foreign EVs hit Japan alongside fast-charging network push
As Japanese automakers remain reluctant to shift away from popular hybrids, foreign rivals are challenging the status quo.
Japan to promote vocational reskilling to target wage increases
SpaceX postpones Starship test flight over ground system issue
By Joey Roulette
Central bankers fear being caught in Federal Reserve's storm
By Francesco Canepa, Howard Schneider and Leika Kihara
Less tax, more luxury: millionaires flock to Dubai
By Aya ISKANDARANI

WORLD

Hours before talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung has signaled that reaching a deal with Washington on its demand to have U.S. forces in South Korea play a larger role in countering China will prove difficult.
Lee signals resistance to shifting U.S. Forces Korea’s focus to China
By Jesse Johnson
President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks come just hours before he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in talks that are expected to be dominated by defense and security issues.
People walk on the street near members of the national guard after U.S. President Donald Trump deployed the national guard and ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention, in Washington on Saturday.
Trump clashes with Democrats as he expands national guard plans
By Michael Mathes
Trump this month deployed the national guard to the streets of Washington in a widely criticized show of force.
Suspects in Baltic Sea cable breaches on trial for sabotage in Finland
School closures push Rohingya refugee children into marriage and work
By Ruma Paul
Cambodia MPs pass law allowing stripping of citizenship
By Suy SE
China's new mega-dam triggers fears of water war in India
By Sarita Chaganti Singh and Krishna N. Das

Sports

Okinawa Shogaku High School players celebrate after clinching the National High School Baseball Championship on Saturday at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
Naha celebrates as Okinawa Shogaku clinches first Summer Koshien title
Having already claimed the spring invitational tournament on two occasions, the victory was the first summer championship for a team representing Okinawa since 2010.
Olympic Council of Asia says Asian Winter Games in Saudi Arabia 'on schedule'
Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. released from prison pending trial
Mariners’ Cal Raleigh breaks single-season home run record for catchers
Photographer sparks chaotic scenes at U.S. Open as fuming Daniil Medvedev exits

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15.
Peace in Ukraine is within reach — if the world holds firm
Peace prospects swing with Trump’s erratic diplomacy. Allies, including Japan, need to stress unity and rule of law as they prepare to fill gaps and stabilize support for Ukraine.
Was Trump’s Russia-Ukraine summit doomed from the beginning?
By Kuni Miyake
Ads ruined social media. Now they’re coming to AI.
By Parmy Olson
Why Jimmy Lai’s persecution should worry Japan
By Mark L. Clifford
Urban mining eases the critical minerals crunch 
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

Tourists from abroad get water mist sprayed on them to cool down on the street at Tsukiji Outer Market, a popular sightseeing spot, as the Japanese government issued a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures due to a heat wave on Friday.
World’s climate change crisis has tourists seeking ‘coolcations’
By K. Oanh Ha
Record heat waves are transforming the world’s tourism industry as holidaymakers struggle to deal with the havoc wrought by climate change.
Spain's 16-day heat wave is 'most intense on record'
Egyptian farmers behind world's perfumes face climate fight alone
By Menna Farouk
Is historically arid Beijing ready for a wetter future?
By Laurie Chen
As temperatures soar in London, regulations, not costs, put cooling beyond reach
By Olivia Rudgard

CULTURE

In what is billed as the first major production in English of Hisashi Inoue's "The Face of Jizo,” the Japanese play will have performances at the Seymour Centre in Sydney both in English and in Japanese.
'The Face of Jizo': Hisashi Inoue's play staged in Sydney commemorates WWII victims
By Kris Kosaka
Billed as the first major English-language production of the play, "The Face of Jizo" also increases the variety of roles for Japanese actors in Australia.
Healing Oshima Island's history of disease with a touch of art
By Uliana Dobrova
‘Happy Life’ brings dignity to family’s struggle with grief and poverty
By James Hadfield
‘Seaside Serendipity’: A pastel-soaked reverie on youthful creativity
By Mark Schilling
‘Fires on the Plain’: Haunting imagery in restored 1959 war film stands the test of time
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters — to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
By Yuko Tamura
The monster dolls may be driving fans wild elsewhere, but Japan has long had plenty of its own domestically produced characters that know exactly what consumers want.
Retired Tokyo trains live on as upcycled table lamps
By Joanna Kawecki
Behind Tanikoretani’s quiet facade, a lively world of sake-fueled food
By Robbie Swinnerton
Expressing annoyance with work group chats in Japanese
By Yaeko Kabe
From a piquant paste to a crisp crust, sesame shines in many forms
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Musical act Petalhead, comprised of Jaime Alise (left) and Riku Ogura, performs at More Than Music’s beachside event in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture.
More Than Music makes space for creative communion
By Shyam Bhardwa
Since 2018, Tokyo-based duo Justin Sachs and Atsuko Sunaga have been organizing live shows and curating a community with shared passions.
Seri Yanai: ‘We mix modern and analog to create something new’
By Ayako Nakano
Carl J. Green, mentor to a generation of ‘Japan hands,’ dies at 85
By Matthew Goodman
Handsome cat looking for brighter days ahead
Solidarity with Tokyo’s homeless residents, one day at a time
By Shyam Bhardwa

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Are 'coolcations' the answer for Japan's heat-weary tourists?
By Tomoko Otake
Hikers on a trail in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. As extreme heat continues to grip Japan, a tectonic shift may be underway in the nation’s summer tourism scene as more people gravitate toward cooler destinations.
LIFE
Germany's first sakemaker offers a bold brew of ideas
By Weiwen Lin
Reigen, Germany's first sake brewery, makes a diverse, nontraditional range of sake that includes fruit-flavored sips and wine barrel-aged renditions.
CULTURE
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
By Patrick St. Michel
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.
JAPAN
Is the LDP’s catch-all approach to politics still effective?
By Eric Johnston
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15. Political commentator Toru Hashimoto has suggested that Takaichi ought to lead a group of like-minded hawkish politicians out of the Liberal Democratic Party and form their own party.
LIFE
Fingers sore from too much phone time? You might have ‘sumaho yubi.’
By Mai Yoshikawa
A catch-all term for tendonitis and arthritis caused by excessive smartphone use, 'sumaho yubi' may be difficult to treat for gadget-crazy Japan.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

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 revise romanization rules for first time in 70 years
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is recommending replacing the government’s long-standing Kunrei system with more widely used Hepburn-style spellings.
LIFE
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
By Yuko Tamura
A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters — to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
JAPAN
Emperor emeritus and empress emerita visit postwar settlement
Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko strolled through a cabbage field in Ohinata settlement in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN
At meeting rich in symbolism, Ishiba and South Korea's Lee agree to steadily build ties
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriele Ninivaggi
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shake hands at joint press announcement after summit talks in Tokyo on Saturday.
ENVIRONMENT
Are 'coolcations' the answer for Japan's heat-weary tourists?
By Tomoko Otake
Hikers on a trail in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. As extreme heat continues to grip Japan, a tectonic shift may be underway in the nation’s summer tourism scene as more people gravitate toward cooler destinations.