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TOKYO
August 13, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 13, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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WWII ANNIVERSARY
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A woman walks past a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian strike in the town of Bilozerske, Donetsk region on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Ukraine, sidelined in Trump-Putin summit, fights Russian grab for more territory
By Andrew Osborn and Lili Bayer
Zelenskyy and most of his European counterparts have said a lasting peace cannot be secured without Ukraine at the negotiating table.

More coverage

Ukraine war has transformed North Korean military: Kyiv’s military intel chief
A woman walks past a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian strike in the town of Bilozerske, Donetsk region on Tuesday.
Kimi Ozawa, who lost her husband in the 1985 crash of a Japan Airlines jumbo jet, prays in front of his memorial marker on Tuesday in the village of Ueno, Gunma Prefecture.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
Controversial theories continue to swirl around 1985 JAL jet crash
By Kazuaki Nagata
Some bereaved family members and critics who subscribe to the idea of possible SDF involvement say the initial probe left too many loose ends untied.
The number of Japanese students who applied to the National Taiwan University in Taipei in 2025 is more than 60% higher than last year due partly to affordability and proximity.
JAPAN
Japanese students who want to study abroad looking at options in Asia
By Elizabeth Beattie
Amid a weak yen, students are increasingly picking more affordable schools in the region, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Former first lady of South Korea Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
South Korea's former first lady arrested following graft allegations
By Heejin Kim
Kim is South Korea's only former first lady to be arrested, joining her husband, ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, in jail for his bid to impose martial law.
Ralph Edwards (far left), Capt. Robert Lewis (rear left), Bertha Starkey (rear center), Marvin Green (rear right), Kiyoshi (seated, left) and Chisa Tanimoto (seated, right), Koko Kondo (front left) and her three younger siblings, on the show “This Is Your Life,” on May 11, 1955
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
How an A-bomb survivor found forgiveness for Hiroshima bombers
By Himari Semans
Koko Kondo’s anger was extinguished when she saw the co-pilot of the Enola Gay bomber recall with regret what he and his crew had done on Aug. 6, 1945.
Ralph Edwards (far left), Capt. Robert Lewis (rear left), Bertha Starkey (rear center), Marvin Green (rear right), Kiyoshi (seated, left) and Chisa Tanimoto (seated, right), Koko Kondo (front left) and her three younger siblings, on the show “This Is Your Life,” on May 11, 1955

JAPAN

Akio Kuroi holds a photograph of his father, Keijiro, as he speaks during an interview in Tokyo in April about how his father had changed after World War II.
'War trauma' transformed caring father into a complete stranger
A growing number of family members of former Japanese servicemen are sharing their experiences, prompting the government to launch a survey to document such realities.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura addresses a meeting of Osaka Ishin no Kai on July 30.
Osaka governor eager to make another bid for metropolis plan
The plan, which has been rejected twice in referendums, would scrap the city of Osaka and reorganize it into special administrative districts under Osaka Prefecture.
Hiroshima museum continues to receive artifacts 80 years after atomic bombing
Torrential rain in Kumamoto Prefecture leaves two dead
Heat waves pose serious health risks for pregnant women, study shows
Victims mourned 40 years after JAL plane crash

BUSINESS

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is looking to expand its presence in the market for debt swaps as a way for emerging countries to alleviate their debt burdens and put savings toward sustainable goals.
MUFG in talks to arrange new debt swaps after $465 million deal
By Natasha White
Japan’s biggest bank is looking to expand its presence in the market for debt swaps after helping to wrap up a deal for Cote d'Ivoire in December.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell (center left) talks to U.S. President Donald Trump and Sen. Tim Scott as they tour the Federal Reserve’s renovation project in Washington on July 24.
Trump may allow lawsuit against Powell, over Fed renovation, amid rate tension
By Josh Wingrove and Joe Mathieu
The renovation work has become a flash point in Trump’s pressure campaign against Powell and the central bank for not lowering borrowing costs.
Do Kwon pleads guilty to U.S. fraud charges in $40 billion crypto collapse
By Luc Cohen
Panama Canal to enter ports business as Trump-China feud simmers
By Michael McDonald
Former IMF economist advises Japan to strengthen non-U.S. ties
By Adriana Reinecke
McDonald’s Japan apologizes over frenzy linked to Pokemon card promotion
By Yukana Inoue

WORLD

Myanmar's national flag flutters at half-mast outside the City Hall in Yangon on July 19.
Myanmar region sees 'dramatic' hunger rise after aid cutbacks
The situation was exacerbated in April when the World Food Program was forced to cut aid to 1 million people nationwide.
Palestinians scramble to collect aid supplies from trucks that entered through Israel, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
Israel's overnight bombardment of Gaza City kills at least 11
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya is in Cairo for talks to revive a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan.
Indonesia says it will continue talks with Malaysia over disputed sea
By Chandra Asmara and Eko Listiyorini
U.S. State Department softens criticism of some countries in human rights report
By Daphne Psaledakis and Humeyra Pamuk
Palestinian mother 'destroyed' after image used to deny Gaza starvation
By Gwen ROLEY
Myanmar security forces involved in systematic torture, U.N. report says
By Emma Farge

Sports

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani sued over $240 million Hawaii development
Ohtani and his agent allegedly "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs' role in the project ... for financial self-interest."
Pete Alonso homers twice to break Mets career record
Alcaraz eases past Medjedovic in Cincinnati before rain forces suspension
Travis Kelce admits he 'slipped a little bit' given off-field pursuits
Duplantis sets new pole vault world record of 6.29 meters

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade delegation, comprising Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, meets with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang and Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva on May 10 to discuss tariffs and trade issues.
Trump’s transactional approach shapes U.S.-China rivalry
Brad Glosserman
There are intense debates about how the U.S. can prevail in that struggle but there are no signs that a single strategy guides the administration.
The bullish case for oil is real — but far, far away
By Javier Blas
Espionage and tariffs can’t tarnish TSMC’s crown
By Catherine Thorbecke
The Japan-Australia frigate deal is more than a weapons pact
Xi steals a page from Mao’s foreign-policy playbook
By Kazuko Kojima

ENVIRONMENT

An Emerald Toucanet. Nearly half of all bird species are found in biodiversity-rich tropical regions.
Climate heat extremes driving tropical bird decline: study
By Julien MIVIELLE
Intensifying temperatures caused a 25% to 38% reduction in tropical bird populations between 1950 and 2020, compared to a scenario without global warming.
The airline industry's dirty secret: Clean jet fuel failures
By Joanna Plucinska, Joe Brock, Marleen Kaesebier and Paul Carsten
Hedge funds flip on green energy and start betting against oil
By Natasha White, Liza Tetley and Ishika Mookerjee
Momentum sagging at U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks
By Robin Millard
How Canadian wildfire smoke is jeopardizing health across North America
By Robert Tuttle, Brian K Sullivan and Danielle Bochove

CULTURE

Metal-meets-idol trio Babymetal is sure to bring spectacle to this weekend's Summer Sonic.
The early bird gets the bangers at this year’s Summer Sonic
By Patrick St. Michel
This year’s festival makes its biggest moves before noon, with Japan’s top acts and K-pop stars commanding early slots.
‘Natasha’ distills global zeitgeist on the opera stage
By Kris Kosaka
Futuristic mermaid tale ‘ChaO’ makes a splash
By Matt Schley
'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

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.
In a coffee-mad neighborhood, a gin distillery is a clear alternative
By Melinda Joe
A walk through Kokura, the city spared nuclear destruction
By Edward J. Taylor
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

COMMUNITY

Francisco Villarreal moved to Japan in 2014 to attend a teacher training program and has forged deep ties to the kindergarten in Tokyo's Asakusa district where he has worked since 2018.
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal
An Argentinian teacher finds echoes of his hometown in the working-class neighborhoods of eastern Tokyo.
Fluffy poodle Ginger, forever young at heart
A campaign to preserve Hiroshima’s historic trees for another 1,000 years
By Patrick Parr
Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings
By Louise George Kittaka
‘Mad cute’ Scottish fold to brighten your day

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
By Joel Tansey
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
LIFE
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
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.
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.
JAPAN
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
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.

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

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

COMFACTS

GO SPARKLING by Tsunan Sake Brewery Wins “Good Design Award” at Milano Sake Challenge 2025
GO SPARKLING by Tsunan Sake Brewery Wins “Good Design Award” at Milano Sake Challenge 2025
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Millions told to evacuate as heavy rain sparks flooding and landslides in Kyushu
Heavy rain falls in the city of Kumamoto on Monday morning.
JAPAN
Osaka Expo ticket sales exceed break-even point
Visitors to the Osaka Expo line up for pavilions on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea
This handout video grab released and taken on August 11, 2025 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows an incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (left) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship as seen from a Philippine fisheries boat near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
JAPAN
Britain’s Prince of Wales aircraft carrier makes Japan debut
By Gabriel Dominguez
HMS Prince of Wales arrives into the Port of Darwin, Australia, in July during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
BUSINESS
Japan's Nikkei 225 hits record high on tariff and rate optimism
By Francis Tang
Stocks in Tokyo rallied on Tuesday despite months of uncertainty and general economic concerns.