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August 08, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 08, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Hiroshima/Nagasaki
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Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, said the U.S. made a clerical error in not including a “reciprocal” tariff rate ceiling for Japan in the trade deal.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. backtracks on Japan tariff calculation, taking effective rate lower
By Francis Tang
Japan's chief tariff negotiator said that a clerical error had been made in the U.S.

More coverage

Trump may look like he's winning the trade war, but hurdles remain
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, said the U.S. made a clerical error in not including a “reciprocal” tariff rate ceiling for Japan in the trade deal.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at the Liberal Democratic Party's plenary meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
LDP panel to decide whether to hold party poll that could oust Ishiba
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
The prime minister, who has long shown a strong appetite to stay in government, has said he will remain despite calls for him to resign.
Operations of a medical helicopter in Tokyo will be suspended for seven days this month due to a staff shortage.
JAPAN
Tokyo temporarily halts medical helicopter operations due to staff shortage
By Yukana Inoue
The suspension began on Thursday and will continue through Sunday. The helicopter will also be out of service between Aug. 24 and Aug. 26.
Fumitake Fujita, who was elected as Nippon Ishin no Kai's co-leader, speaks at a party meeting Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Nippon Ishin picks Fumitake Fujita for co-leader position
By Eric Johnston
A former secretary-general, Fujita replaces Seiji Maehara, who resigned to take responsibility for the party’s underwhelming performance in July’s Upper House election.
Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
JAPAN / History / Longform
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe
At 17, Koichi Tagawa survived Nagasaki’s atomic blast and recording two months of grief, destruction and the loss of his mother in a diary he kept for life.
Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

JAPAN

A Yomiuri Shimbun staff prepares to distribute a special edition of the newspaper on the tariff deal between the United States and Japan, in Tokyo on July 23.
Major Japan newspaper sues 'free-riding' AI firm Perplexity
The Yomiuri Shimbun is seeking damages of $14.7 million from the U.S.-based AI firm for using its articles "without permission."
Top officials from the Farm Ministry bow deeply to apologize for mistakenly saying that Japan has enough rice based on faulty data at a meeting on Aug. 8 at LDP headquarters.
Farm ministry apologizes over erroneous rice supply and demand forecasts
By Himari Semans
The errors came to light when Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba admitted that the government’s miscalculations had led to prices surging in the past year.
Mayors for Peace start general conference in Nagasaki
Japan’s rice crop at risk as farms face record-breaking heat
By Aaron Clark
Police officer recounts handling 1985 JAL jumbo jet crash
In a first, Japan deploys F-35B stealth fighters to ASDF base

BUSINESS

A Bank of Japan board member suggested the possibility of a rate hike by year-end, depending on the impact of U.S. tariffs, according to a summary of opinions from the central bank’s policy meeting last week.
BOJ may exit wait-and-see mode by year-end, policy meeting summary says
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Depending on the impact from U.S. tariffs, another rate hike then might be possible, an unnamed board member hinted.
An electric air taxi from Joby Aviation flies near the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in Manhattan, New York City, in November 2023.
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
All Nippon Airways says it is partnering with California-based Joby Aviation to deploy more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft.
Chugai stock drops the most since 1977 on disappointing obesity drug data
By Hideyuki Sano
Summer bonuses at major Japan firms hit record
Japan's household spending rises 1.3% in June
Japan's government adopts budget request guidelines for fiscal 2026

WORLD

Smoke rises from Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on Thursday
Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City
By Alexander Cornwell, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Charlotte Greenfield
The plan reportedly involves evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive there.
Thai Deputy Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit (left), Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (center) and Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha join hands ahead of a meeting to discuss a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Thailand and Cambodia agree to extend peace pact
A joint statement signed by both countries' defense officials said they agree to continue a freeze on border troop movements and patrols.
Simulated Chinese blockade of Taiwan reveals Singapore as lifeline
By Greg Torode, Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee
A journey to belong: Migrants describe 10 years in Europe
By Zohra Bensemra, Edward McAllister, Amina Ismail and Riham Alkousaa
Ukrainians' trust in Zelenskyy dips after wartime protests, pollster finds
By Dan Peleschuk
U.S. deploys patriotic icons to recruit for migrant crackdown
By Andrew Marszal

Sports

A Cardinals fan fans himself during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
Cheer with caution: Expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
By Mai Yoshikawa
The consequences of extreme heat exposure range from dehydration to heatstroke and even death.
Venus Williams falls in first round in Cincinnati
Ritsu Doan joins Eintracht Frankfurt on deal through 2030
Kauli Vaast shines in Teahupo'o's huge tubes at WSL's Tahiti Pro
Ben Shelton captures first ATP Masters title in Toronto

Opinion

A model of the upgraded Mogami-class frigate is displayed at the Defense Security Equipment International Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on May 21.
The Japan-Australia frigate deal is more than a weapons pact
The scale of the agreement is sweeping. Japan has never before won a bid this size.
Xi steals a page from Mao’s foreign-policy playbook
By Kazuko Kojima
Stagflation is hitting Russia’s war economy
By Anders Aslund
RFK Jr.’s mRNA decision may be his worst yet
By Lisa Jarvis
Japan gets serious about attracting world-class researchers
By Yuko Kakazu

ENVIRONMENT

People cool off under water jets in Madrid on Monday.
'Silent killer': the science of tracing climate deaths in heat waves
By Nick Perry
Heat can claim tens of thousands of lives during European summers but it usually takes months to count the cost. Scientists are aiming to change that with faster studies.
Death of a delta: Pakistan's Indus sinks and shrinks
By Zain Zaman Janjua
Germany moves to fast-track geothermal energy projects
Trump administration memo urges countries to reject plastic production caps
By Olivia Le Poidevin and Valerie Volcovici
Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life and tourism

CULTURE

“ChaO” is a romantic comedy centered on a mild-mannered human and a mermaid princess. A spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” the animated film takes place in a near-future Shanghai.
Futuristic mermaid tale ‘ChaO’ makes a splash
By Matt Schley
Yasuhiro Aoki’s feature film debut reimagines “The Little Mermaid” in vibrant detail.
'Glass Heart’: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit
By James Hadfield
‘Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash’ honors young nurses thrust into hellish nightmare
By Mark Schilling
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson
From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith

LIFE

At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama's status as a dining destination.
Tokyo’s WWII museums hold diverse views on war and peace
By Mark Schreiber
Brave the Bon holiday traffic to discover tourism gems off the beaten path
By Yuko Tamura
Saved from the worst, Kyoto still bears scars of war
By Edward J. Taylor
With a new distillery, Suntory makes a spirited move on gin market
By Weiwen Lin

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.
Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings
By Louise George Kittaka
‘Mad cute’ Scottish fold to brighten your day
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio

Editors' Picks

MORE SPORTS
Cheer with caution: Expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
By Mai Yoshikawa
A Cardinals fan fans himself during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
BUSINESS
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
By James Wongvipat
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.
JAPAN
Will the movement seeking Ishiba’s resignation succeed?
By Eric Johnston
Liberal Democratic Party youth division head Yasutaka Nakasone (center) and other members speak to reporters in Tokyo on July 25.
LIFE
Photographer Bleg Bayraktar is winning social media with politeness
By Laura Pollacco
A video on Bayraktar's Instagram account of the Belgian photographer approaching an elderly worker in Tokyo's Shibuya has gone viral, garnering almost 9 million views.
JAPAN
Australia announces new warships will come from Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Niyodo sails at an undisclosed location in this image released Tuesday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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

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ASIA PACIFIC
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel
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.
BUSINESS
Trump: The $550 billion pledged by Japan is 'our money'
By Francis Tang
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He told CNBC that investment pledges are like signing bonuses.
BUSINESS
The United States imposes 15% 'reciprocal' tariff on most Japanese goods
By Francis Tang
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
By James Wongvipat
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.
LIFE
Photographer Bleg Bayraktar is winning social media with politeness
By Laura Pollacco
A video on Bayraktar's Instagram account of the Belgian photographer approaching an elderly worker in Tokyo's Shibuya has gone viral, garnering almost 9 million views.