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September 15, 2025
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September 15, 2025
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A protester wearing a mask representing U.S. President Donald Trump carries a sign during a demonstration organized by the families of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, to call for their release and for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Airstrikes, drones, tariffs: Being a friend of the U.S. not what it used to be
By Shaun TANDON
Trump and his advisers insist they are putting U.S. interests first and scaling back decades of waste — a sharp contrast with Biden's promises to emphasize alliances first.
A protester wearing a mask representing U.S. President Donald Trump carries a sign during a demonstration organized by the families of Israelis held hostage by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, to call for their release and for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
With one month left to go, crowds are expected to swell at the World Expo in Osaka during its final weeks.
JAPAN
Final weeks of World Expo in Osaka likely to see large crowds
At its current pace, the Expo will top 22 million visitors — which is the target to break even on operating costs — and is expected to turn a profit.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with Mozambique President Daniel Chapo during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama on Aug. 22.
JAPAN / Politics
JICA's Africa 'hometown' project may be renamed
The renaming is being considered after false information about the project spread on social media, claiming it would lead to an increase in the number of immigrants.
The average summer bonus for employees of major companies in Japan has now increased for the fourth year in a row.
BUSINESS / Companies
Summer bonuses at major Japan firms hit record
The shipbuilding, retail and finance sectors all posted significant jumps, while both the steel and service industries saw an overall decline.
Sensing a bleak future for the local "awamori" liquor, Mizuho Distillery ventured into rum production, releasing a collection of eight rums made from "kokutō" (partially refined or unrefined sugar) sourced from various islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
The sweet rise of Okinawan rum
By Miriam Gradel
The spirit is emerging out of the shadow of the local “awamori” liquor, thanks to a growing band of producers who are keen to tell the tale of the islands' traditional agriculture.
Sensing a bleak future for the local "awamori" liquor, Mizuho Distillery ventured into rum production, releasing a collection of eight rums made from "kokutō" (partially refined or unrefined sugar) sourced from various islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

JAPAN

European Commission Executive Vice President Stephane Sejourne
EU wants to boost economic security cooperation with Japan
Stephane Sejourne said that together, the EU and Japan should tackle issues such as China's overproduction and U.S. protectionist trade policies.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis destroyer Chokai at its Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture
MSDF Aegis destroyer Chokai to test-fire Tomahawk missiles
If successful, the SDF would gain the ability to directly strike the territory of other countries using cruise missiles.
Japan's elderly population estimated at around 36.2 million
Japanese anime event opens in New Delhi
12 Japan agencies found vulnerable to cyberattacks
Koizumi tells backers he intends to run for LDP presidency

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump’s most concrete step to rein in unprecedented budget deficits — sweeping tariff hikes — faces the danger of a legal reversal that would put the nation’s finances on an even shakier footing.
Tariffs face legal threat that puts Trump’s deficit plan at risk
U.S. President Donald Trump’s most concrete step to rein in unprecedented budget deficits — sweeping tariff hikes — faces the danger of a legal reversal that would put the nation’s finances on an even shakier footing.
The Audi E5 Sportback, the first model of Audi's series of electric vehicles jointly developed with SAIC, is showcased at a Volkswagen event in Shanghai in April.
How Chinese EV tech is reshaping global auto design
Licensing deals with major automakers make up relatively small but growing revenue streams for Chinese EV-makers and offer a new quid-pro-quo.
‘PowerPoint broke me’: The challenges for blind professionals
By Miquela V Thornton
U.S. and Japan pledge not to manipulate forex for competitive advantage
By Erica Yokoyama and Takashi Umekawa
Top Japan leaser Orix plans to boost property fund size by 33%
By Ryo Horiuchi
Government reviews Mitsubishi-led group's exit from offshore power projects

WORLD

Newly-elected prime minister of Nepal's interim government, Sushila Karki, and other officials observe a moment of silence on Sunday to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in recent protests in Kathmandu.
Young activists who toppled Nepal's government now picking new leaders
By Aftab Ahmed and Hritam Mukherjee
A Nepalese activist group used Discord and Instagram to mobilize deadly Gen Z–driven protests that toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.
Sailors aboard the U.S. Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn conduct a small boat operation during a "Maritime Cooperative Activity" with the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Osumi tank-landing ship and the Philippine Navy's Jose Rizal frigate in the South China Sea on Saturday.
Beijing denounces joint U.S.-Japan-Philippines patrol of South China Sea
By Jesse Johnson
China criticized the joint trilateral exercises, alleging that Manila has “frequently colluded with non-regional countries” to organize the patrols.
Fearful of Russia, Poles flock to receive military training
By Barbara Erling
Strikes on Qatar and Poland shake U.S. sway among friend and foe
By Courtney McBride
North Korea condemns 'reckless' U.S.-Japan-South Korea drills
Indonesia leader, in damage control, installs loyalists after protests

Sports

Naoya Inoue (left) battles Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Nagoya on Sunday.
'Smart' Inoue beats Akhmadaliev by unanimous decision
The unbeaten Inoue gradually picked off a fighter who had been described as the most dangerous opponent of his career to finish the final round in Nagoya in complete control.
Seville and Thompson seal Jamaican 1-2 over Lyles in 100-meter final
By Jason Coskrey
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden takes 100-meter title and sets championships record in Tokyo
By Sam Byford
Yuki Joseph Nakajima sets national record en route to 400-meter semifinals at worlds
By Sam Byford
Terence Crawford makes history with upset of Canelo Alvarez

Opinion

A soldier on a tank waves an Israeli flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas near the Israel-Gaza border in January 2024. 
War responsibility across borders and generations
Kumiharu Shigehara
The Asia-Pacific War is often remembered for the culpability of leaders, but this overlooks the multitudes who filled the ranks below.
Is violence policy in Donald Trump’s new America?
By Jan-Werner Mueller
Banning teens from YouTube won’t keep them safe
By Catherine Thorbecke
Israel’s Doha strike has destroyed American credibility
By Daoud Kuttab
America’s politics turn bloody

ENVIRONMENT

Smoke streams from a smokestack at a refinery in Anacortes, Washington, last October. The Environmental Protection Agency moved on Friday to stop requiring thousands of polluting facilities to report the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that they release into the air.
U.S. moves to scrap emissions reporting by polluters
U.S. President Donald Trump has heavily promoted new oil, gas, and coal extraction while moving to suppress competition from solar and wind.
Scientists link major carbon emitters to worsening heat waves
By Coco Liu and Eric Roston
Drought hit over half of Europe in mid-August, EU data shows
China’s green push may cut global fossil use by 2030, says think tank
Polluted and poor: Blighted U.S. cities tackle 'toxic soup'
By Carey L. Biron

CULTURE

Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
By Zoria Petkoska and Thu-Huong Ha
Dozens of biennials, triennials, art festivals and fairs are taking place between September and December.
Mei Ehara’s third album finds clarity in the noise
By Patrick St. Michel
‘100 Meters’ brings kinetic energy to rivalry drama
By Matt Schley
Tokyo International Comedy Festival doubles down on diversity and scale
By Moe Shimizu
Unsound turns Osaka into a laboratory of avant-garde music
By James Hadfield

LIFE

Sensing a bleak future for the local "awamori" liquor, Mizuho Distillery ventured into rum production, releasing a collection of eight rums made from "kokutō" (partially refined or unrefined sugar) sourced from various islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
The sweet rise of Okinawan rum
By Miriam Gradel
The spirit is emerging out of the shadow of the local “awamori” liquor, thanks to a growing band of producers who are keen to tell the tale of the islands' traditional agriculture.
In Bali, the Ritz-Carlton’s ultraluxury Mandapa hotel marks 10 years
By Owen Ziegler
'He's a regular man, not unlike us': Marking 40 years of Mario games
By Kilian Fichou and Mathias Cena
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s announcement hits all the right notes in Japan
By Yuko Tamura
Overnight mulberry matcha oats are the perfect answer to a busy morning
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Melos Han-Tani is a game designer of eclectic interests whose upcoming releases, Angeline Era and Danchi Days, are set in alternate-history Ireland and a public housing complex in Japan, respectively.
Melos Han-Tani: ‘Figuring out what you value is valuable for any artist’
By Gendel Gento
A designer, programmer and composer, Han-Tani draws inspiration from a wide range of sources and channels his creativity through games, music and writing.
Gentle care is the key to Cymbal’s heart
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Japan's major art events converge this fall
By Zoria Petkoska and Thu-Huong Ha
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
LIFE
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
By Erik Augustin Palm
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.
BUSINESS
Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation
By Kazuaki Nagata
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
JAPAN
As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo
By Gabriel Dominguez
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.
ENVIRONMENT
Shizuoka farmers fight to preserve sustainable tea method that’s steeped in tradition
By Kai Wilson
As of August 2024, the number of confirmed chagusaba farmers had fallen to 302, just over half the 582 reported in 2015, according to the Shizuoka Chagusaba Farming Method Promotion Council.

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

Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality
Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality

COMFACTS

The 7th RD20 Conference to be held in Tsukuba, Japan — Registration for Press Briefing and the Conference Now Open
The 7th RD20 Conference to be held in Tsukuba, Japan — Registration for Press Briefing and the Conference Now Open
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
By River Akira Davis
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 — and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
JAPAN
Japan's cutting-edge railgun successfully strikes target vessel
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) conducted a ship-board railgun shooting test from June to early July this year with the support of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
JAPAN
‘Fairytale’ Shirakawago ranked one of the world’s most beautiful villages
By Elizabeth Beattie
Forbes and Unforgettable Travel Company have ranked Shirakawago in Gifu Prefecture as Asia's most beautiful village.
BUSINESS
People rush to make furusato nozei donations ahead of tighter rules
A booth from the town of Betsukai in Hokkaido at an Amazon Japan furusato nо̄zei promotion event, on Sept. 5 in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
JAPAN
Why more hotels in Japan are offering room-only service
Nipponia Hotel Ise Kawasaki Merchant Town in Ise, Mie Prefecture