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June 07, 2025
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June 07, 2025
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Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top negotiator in tariff talks with the U.S. speaks to reporters at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan won’t wait for G7 summit for possible U.S. trade deal
Trade discussions between Japan and the U.S. have "progressed” but have not yet reached a consensus on a deal to revisit sweeping U.S. tariffs, Tokyo's top negotiator said.

More coverage

In tariff talks with the U.S., Japan may have blinked
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top negotiator in tariff talks with the U.S. speaks to reporters at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Friday.
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University. U.S. President Donald Trump has barred Harvard from accepting international students, prompting Japanese universities to offer support.
JAPAN / Society
Japanese universities step up to help international students after Harvard ban
Eighty-seven universities have announced support measures for international students in the U.S. who face difficulties continuing their studies.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan to hold WWII panel discussions after summer Upper House election
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration was considering setting up the panel as early as April.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
By Eric Johnston
The lawmaker, sometimes said to be long on image and short on substance, has won praise for bringing down the price of rice.
Japan is the world's biggest market for Iqos, a heat-not-burn tobacco product marketed by its maker Philip Morris as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes — a claim not backed by independent scientific research.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Smoke and mirrors: How big tobacco manipulates science in Japan
Shiro Konuma
In Japan, not only does the tobacco industry have close ties to government, but universities are also vulnerable to its influence. In this equation, public health loses out.
Japan is the world's biggest market for Iqos, a heat-not-burn tobacco product marketed by its maker Philip Morris as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes — a claim not backed by independent scientific research.

JAPAN

After the appellate court ruling in the shareholders' lawsuit over the Tepco Fukushima No.1 nuclear accident, plaintiffs hold up signs reading "Unjust Ruling" on Friday in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
High court overturns ruling against ex-Tepco executives
The count found the executives were unable to predict the tsunami that triggered the triple reactor meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
Takuya Haraguchi, head of ReFruits, speaks while looking at the kiwifruit vine at his farm in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 24. A newcomer to farming, he hopes to revive the area by growing kiwifruits in this former no-go zone.
'Moving forward': the Gen Z farmer growing Fukushima kiwifruits
By Hiroshi Hiyama
Fukushima is renowned for its delicious fruit, from pears to peaches, but the nuclear disaster led many people in Japan to shun produce grown there.
My Number Card functions to be available on iPhones
Japan law comes into force to extend nuclear plant lifespans
Philippines detains leader of 'JP Dragon' crime ring
Foreign tourists with unpaid medical bills in Japan to be denied entry
By Karin Kaneko

BUSINESS

Tokyo's Asakusa district near Sensoji Temple. The Japanese government vowed to realize pay raises that exceed price increases in a stable way.
Japan highlights wage hikes as cornerstone of economic growth strategy
Seeing wage hikes as a key part of its growth strategy, the government vowed to realize pay raises that exceed price increases in a stable way.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June 2019.
Xi bets Trump detente leads to future wins on chips and tariffs
The Chinese leader hopes for tangible wins in the weeks and months ahead, including tariff reductions, an easing of export controls and a generally more civil tone.
Trump says China's Xi agreed to let rare earth minerals flow to U.S.
Bank of Japan considering smaller reductions in bond buying
Pressure mounts for Japan to adjust bond sales as soon as July
By Mia Glass and Masahiro Hidaka
Soaring rice prices take a bite out of Japan's beloved curry shops
By Ryotaro Nakamaru

WORLD

Elon Musk watches as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House in Washington in March.
Trump says he has no plans to speak to Musk as feud persists
Trump said a review of Musk's extensive contracts with the federal government was in order. "We'll take look at everything," the president said.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, Kim Hye-Kyung (left), arrive for a ceremony to mark the 70th Memorial Day at Seoul National Cemetery on Friday.
South Korea's Lee, Trump agree to work toward swift tariff deal
The future of South Korea's export-oriented economy may hinge on what kind of deal the country's new president, Lee Jae-myung, can strike with U.S. leader Donald Trump.
China demonstrates coast guard capability with move toward high seas patrols
By Kirsty Needham
Trump can bar AP from some White House events for now, U.S. appeals court says
Trump signs orders to bolster U.S. drone defenses and boost supersonic flight
Modi to attend G7 summit in Canada in sign of warming ties

Sports

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (center) reaches for the ball against the Thunder during the second quarter of Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Haliburton's last-second shot lifts Pacers over Thunder in Game 1
Haliburton gave the Pacers their only lead of the game on a dramatic 21-foot jump shot with 0.3 of a second remaining.
Soccer surging in Canada a year from World Cup hosting
By Ben Simon
Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia
By Nick Mulvenney
Four-time NFL MVP Rodgers agrees to deal with Steelers
Spain beats France 5-4 in thriller to reach Nations League final
By Peter Hall

Opinion

Japan is the world's biggest market for Iqos, a heat-not-burn tobacco product marketed by its maker Philip Morris as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes — a claim not backed by independent scientific research.
Smoke and mirrors: How big tobacco manipulates science in Japan
Shiro Konuma
In Japan, not only does the tobacco industry have close ties to government, but universities are also vulnerable to its influence. In this equation, public health loses out.
A return to normalcy in South Korea, but hard work lies ahead
Mark Zuckerberg finally found a use for his Metaverse — war
By Dave Lee
A new generation of 'Japan hands' and a changing world
By Joshua W. Walker
South Korea's new president has a chance to clean up
By David Fickling

ENVIRONMENT

The small village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps was destroyed by a landslide after part of a glacier collapsed last week.
How Switzerland's Birch glacier collapsed
By Robin Millard
There are strong theories on the causes, and to what degree it is linked to climate change — but these are yet to be confirmed by scientific analysis.
Swiss glacier collapse is a lesson on climate disaster management
By Laura Millan
Octopus invasion in English Channel flags marine heat wave risks
By Joe Wertz
Half the world has faced an extra month of extreme heat, study finds
China is eroding Japan's LNG dominance. How does that affect Japanese buyers?
By Nithin Coca

CULTURE

Vice president of events and exhibitions for Studio Ghibli, Kenichi Yoda (right), and director and Ghibli Park creative development manager, Goro Miyazaki (left), pose at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival before receiving an Honorary Palme d'Or.
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
By Natsuko Fukue
A look into the legacy of the beloved anime studio.
What can Kenji Yanobe’s cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
By Jennifer Pastore
‘Strangers in Kyoto’: Tea, tradition and passive-aggressive politeness
By James Hadfield
'Kokuho' illuminates the high price of becoming a national treasure
By Matt Schley
'Godzilla The Art Exhibition' reimagines film icon as monstrous muse for modern art
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Descendents of the original "Gonin Byakushō" families are the only vendors allowed inside the gates of Kotohira Shrine, where they sell "kamiyoame," a golden-hued, yuzu-flavored candy meant for good fortune.
At a mountainside shrine, yuzu candy made by imperial decree
By Lance Henderstein
Located in the mountains of western Kagawa Prefecture, Kotohira has yet to suffer — or benefit — from Japan’s overtourism rush.
What’s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
By Yuko Tamura
In Elden Ring Nightreign, the FromSoftware formula goes awry
By Owen Ziegler
Waves of umami: Awaji Island's culinary trove
By Kathryn Wortley
The empanada that’s secretly a ‘gyōza’ inside
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Since moving to Tokyo from New York City in 2014, Hiraku Morilla has been promoting Keith Haring’s legacy in his professional life and advocating for LGBTQ+ community.
Hiraku Morilla: ‘Pride means respect for those who walked so we could run’
By Gendel Gento
The New York-raised director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection reflects on his queer, multiracial identity and LGBTQ+ rights in Japan.
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube
By Alex Michael Dwyer
Mateusz Urbanowicz: ‘Miyazaki inspired me to put the audience first’
By Naomi Oren
This charming Shiba enjoys life’s simple pleasures
A moving meditation: Finding serenity in tea ceremony across space and time
By Michele Laudig

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
New Naoshima museum bets on Asia, not the West
By Thu-Huong Ha
Detail of Takashi Murakami, “Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu: Iwasa Matabei RIP” (2023-25)
JAPAN
Japan’s prison reform focuses on rehabilitation
By Karin Kaneko
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Suzuki said preparations for the changes that will focus more on rehabilitation are being actively made at each correctional facility.
CULTURE
Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)
By Patrick St. Michel
The year so far is only proving that Mrs. Green Apple is the biggest band in Japan. Their success also seems to be hinting at a change in the musical landscape more broadly.
BUSINESS
Nintendo’s Switch 2 console is finally here
By Owen Ziegler
The Switch 2 is Nintendo's first new gaming console in eight years.
SUMO
Hakuho’s departure highlights worrying sumo trend
By John Gunning
Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs a ring-entering ceremony at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020.

Podcast

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

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan eyes tougher rules for foreign residents and tax hike for tourists
By Jessica Speed
A tax-free shop in Kyoto in April 2024. Last week, members of a Liberal Democratic Party study group drafted a proposal seeking to scrap the country's tax-free shopping system altogether.
JAPAN
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
By Eric Johnston
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.
SUMO
Hakuho’s departure highlights worrying sumo trend
By John Gunning
Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs a ring-entering ceremony at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020.
WORLD
Trump and Musk trade barbs on social media as alliance crumbles
By Nandita Bose and Andrea Shalal
The trouble between U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk started brewing days ago, when Musk denounced Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill.
JAPAN
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin
After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.