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July 13, 2025
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July 13, 2025
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A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
JAPAN
U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says
By Jesse Johnson
The move reportedly caught Japanese officials off-guard, since the U.S. itself maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether or not it would defend Taiwan.

More coverage

China says Japanese ‘harassment’ behind close encounter with ASDF spy plane
A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
BUSINESS / Tech
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
By Kazuaki Nagata
More than 1 million foreign visitors a year experience a medical event during their stay.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) greets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) in Wonsan, North Korea, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
North Korea's Kim offers Russia full support on Ukraine in Lavrov talks: KCNA
Lavrov's visit to North Korea was the latest in a series of high-profile trips by top Moscow officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump intensifies trade war with threat of 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico
The EU and Mexico, both among the largest U.S. trading partners, responded by calling the tariffs unfair and disruptive while pledging to continue to negotiate.
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?
By Owen Ziegler
When it comes to Hideo Kojima’s visuals, art imitates life — and it’s more often Hollywood’s version of life than Japan’s that influences his games.
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

JAPAN

An intricate and massive wooden ring encircles the 2025 World Expo site in Osaka on April 9.
Visitors to Osaka Expo likely to exceed 10 million soon
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition is working to reach its target of 22 million visitors, the Osaka Expo's break-even point in terms of operating costs.
Emperor Naruhito plays the viola at a banquet hosted by the Mongolian first couple on Tuesday in Ulaanbaatar.
Japanese Emperor, Empress deepen ties with Mongolia
At the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, the Emperor and Empress paid tribute to Japanese who died in Mongolia during the aftermath of the war.
Victims of 2022 tour boat sinking in Hokkaido remembered at sea
U.S. minesweeper makes port call in Niigata
Japan Foundation to distribute Japanese movies in Africa
Man arrested for alleged murder of ex-girlfriend in Kawasaki

BUSINESS

Women represent 26% of the AI workforce, according to a UNESCO report, and men hold 80% of tenured faculty positions at university AI departments globally.
Tech's diversity crisis is baking bias into AI systems
By Natasha Ghoneim
Built-in viewpoints and bias, unintentionally imbued by its creators, can make the fast-growing digital tool risky to use.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington in April.
A U.S.-EU trade deal hinges on cars, agriculture and Trump
By Alberto Nardelli and Jorge Valero
Cars and tariff levels on agriculture have emerged as key sticking points between the European Union and the U.S., sources have said.
Taiwanese rocket fails to achieve Japan's first foreign launch
By Kantaro Komiya
As Trump sows tariff confusion, rules of global commerce give way to chaos
By Jeanna Smialek and Ana Swanson
Trump's copper tariffs pile more metal misery on U.S. auto industry
By Nick Carey and Nora Eckert
Canada just can't win in trade war with Trump
By Marion Thibaut

WORLD

Debris at the crash site of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12
Air India crash points to cockpit confusion as fuel flow cut out
Investigators hope to answer one central question: Why and by whom were two fuel switches in the cockpit moved to a cut-off position.
A Palestinian man and one of his sons mourn beside the body of his other son who was killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid near a distribution point in Rafah, according to medics, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday.
Gaza truce talks faltering over withdrawal; 17 reported killed in latest shooting near aid
The latest mass shooting around a U.S.-backed aid distribution system has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks, according to the U.N.
Sex-abuse priest's promotion draws attacks on Catholic Church
By Claire Gallen
Cambodia marks UNESCO recognition of Khmer Rouge sites as places of 'peace and reflection'
By Chantha Lach
How a U.S. mission to push a Trump deal in Congo unraveled
By Jessica Donati
Six killed in massive Russian drone, missile attack across Ukraine

Sports

Poland's Iga Swiatek kisses with the winner's trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, on the thirteenth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday.
Unforgiving Swiatek crushes Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to win maiden Wimbledon crown
By Shrivathsa Sridhar
Already a U.S. Open champion and a four-times French Open winner, Swiatek becomes the youngest woman since Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces.
Wales look to future after ending 18-game losing run with Japan win
Chelsea out to stop PSG completing clean sweep in Club World Cup final
By Andy Scott
Alcaraz and Sinner set to resume rivalry in Wimbledon final
By Steven Griffiths
Ben Healy rides to victory in Stage 6 of Tour de France

Opinion

Tokyo’s skyline keeps evolving, but the country’s drab, outdated government district, long hours, low pay and poor work conditions are driving young bureaucratic talent away just when it needs them most.
Tokyo is missing 'Blade Runner' where it needs it most
Gearoid Reidy
Until the 1960s, Japan had strict prohibitions on developments higher than 31 meters (around 100 feet), a provision that kept cities dense but low.
Trump’s rejection of America’s founding principles
By Steve Pincus
Can China become a defender of free trade?
By Hotaka Machida
Trump declares war on the international economic order
Crypto crime is the future. Bank heists are history.
By Lionel Laurent

ENVIRONMENT

A public school teacher leads the class during the first day of in-person classes, at a school flooded due to high tide, in Macabebe, Pampanga province, Philippines, in August 2022.
Philippines struggling to ready underfunded schools for climate hazards
By Mariejo Ramos
Teachers want the government to do more than tweak the school calendar, and also invest in infrastructure that will make schools resilient to heat and storms.
In Indonesia, a startup captures coolants to stop global warming
By Jack Moore and Sara Hussein
EU’s far right to help shape 2040 climate goals after vote fails
By John Ainger and Ewa Krukowska
South Korea battles 'lovebug' invasion amid climate change
By Claire Lee
France worries about Japanese beetles after finding two

CULTURE

Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
By Patrick St. Michel
Over 100 booths showed off the latest in acrylic stands, binoculars and cheering items such as glow sticks and flags at the second Oshikatsu — Merch Expo.
The many lives of Nakagin Capsule Tower on display at New York’s MoMA
By Zoria Petkoska
‘Young & Fine’: Teenage horndog tale balances heart and hormones
By James Hadfield
‘Harbin’: Somber historical drama sees act of mercy lead to bloodshed
By Mark Schilling
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
By Alyssa I. Smith

LIFE

Milpa's inventive food combines Mexican cooking techniques with Japanese ingredients
With fine dining, Milpa frees Mexican food from the grips of the taco
By Melinda Joe
The Michelin-starred restaurant in Osaka wants to show Japanese diners that its cuisine has a creative breadth beyond tortillas.
Road-tripping through central Hokkaido? Don't miss these bakeries
By Simon Daly
A tiny mountain hamlet keeps traditional log rafting afloat
By Louise George Kittaka
Shintaro Awa appointed to head the kitchen of L’Ambroisie in Paris
By Kyoko Nakayama
What’s the first thing you think of when you think of a Japanese summer?
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Tobias Bieker settled in Osaka in 2018 and started "Unpacking Japan" as a side project with ZenGroup five years ago.
Tobias Bieker: ‘A good interviewer helps the guest shine’
By Gendel Gento
The host of the "Unpacking Japan" podcast offers his take on Osaka life, Japanese jazz and writing fiction.
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
By Kat Joplin
Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew
By Damian Flanagan
Miho Koshiba: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if people looked forward to Mondays?’
By Carina Fushimi
Fine feline twosome on the hunt for a forever home

Editors' Picks

LIFE
An emoji used to say it all. Now it might say too much.
By Yuko Tamura
Apple’s Craig Federighi shows off a set of emoji at a conference on June 13, 2016. While the small pictures have proved helpful in conveying nuance in our texts, younger people are using them less often.
LIFE
‘Our ultimate goal is to save every single Japanese video game’
By Gendel Gento
After nearly shuttering earlier this year, the Tokyo-based Game Preservation Society continues its work to save the early history of Japanese gaming.
CULTURE
Rare vintage shots and first-time shows at TOP’s 30th anniversary
By John L. Tran
The museum's curators selected a wide array of works from the archives for the milestone exhibitions. Among other photos, Nobuyoshi Araki's work from the series "Winter Journey" (1990) was included in the "Continuity and Change" exhibition that concluded in June.
SUMO
New IG Arena set to dial down temperature at Nagoya Basho, in a good way
By John Gunning
With IG Arena getting glowing early reviews as the Nagoya Basho’s replacement venue, it may be a while before fans wax nostalgic about the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
BUSINESS
Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
By Elizabeth Beattie
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Tokyo hit by torrential rainfall at rush hour
By Kanako Takahara
People line up at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as they try to avoid the heavy rain on Thursday.
JAPAN
Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October
By Kanako Takahara
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
BUSINESS
Nissan clinches $4.5 billion bond deal after orders soar
By Takahiko Hyuga and Gowri Gurumurthy
Nissan Motor has raised $4.5 billion through a junk bond sale in U.S. dollars and euros, part of which carries a record-high coupon rate.
JAPAN
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
By Jesse Johnson
A Chinese JH-7 fighter jet makes an near an Air Self-Defense Force YS-11EB surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea this week in this image released Thursday.
JAPAN
What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.