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July 04, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 04, 2025
Japan elections
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U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to just decide tariff rates himself and send out letters.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations enter uncharted territory
By Francis Tang
A deal seems impossible as both sides refuse to budge just days ahead of the deadline.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to just decide tariff rates himself and send out letters.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange wants more exchange-traded funds and a wider variety of such offerings.
BUSINESS / Markets
Forming an ETF just got easier in Japan with new white-label service
By Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Asset Management Platform handles many of the formalities and much of the necessary operations for fund managers.
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
JAPAN
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
By Tomoko Otake and Yukana Inoue
The discovery raises serious concerns about the integrity of the research in the papers and highlights flaws in academic publishing.
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
JAPAN
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
By Jessica Speed
The recent swarm marks the most intense seismic activity in the quake-prone region since 1995.
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
JAPAN / Society
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
By Elizabeth Beattie
Both cities rank highly in an emerging trend of nighttime tourism, according to a recently released report.
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.

JAPAN

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung holds a news conference to mark his first month in office at the Blue House in Seoul on Thursday.
South Korean president hopes to visit Japan soon
Lee Jae Myung, who marked his first month in office, expressed hopes of promoting dialogue with Japan through mutual visits.
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
By Karin Kaneko
The move comes in response to a series of incidents involving battery packs emitting smoke or catching fire during flights.
Maximum vote-value gap rises to 3.126 times for Upper House election
Women make up less than 30% of candidates in upcoming Upper House election
Victims of 2020 Kumamoto heavy rains mourned five years on
80% of lower-income families in Japan say financial situation getting worse

BUSINESS

Inflation is surprisingly strong, increasing the possibility that the Bank of Japan will raise its interest rate by the end of the year, according to Tsutomu Watanabe, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Tokyo.
Japan's inflation is outpacing BOJ's view, expert says
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
The remarks of Tsutomu Watanabe, a former central bank official, are likely to feed market expectations for another interest rate hike this year.
The Maruti Suzuki India e-Vitara during the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi in January
Suzuki is becoming a top Japan importer with made-in-India cars
By Tsuyoshi Inajima
Suzuki beat out Mercedes-Benz to become Japan’s top car importer in June, thanks to the Jimny Nomad and another popular small SUV assembled in India.
A majority of companies are already feeling the climate heat
By Miquela Thornton
Japan’s households boost spending by most since summer of 2022
By Yoshiaki Nohara
U.S. trade deal leaves Vietnam with questions and one big challenge
By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Nguyen Kieu Giang and Nguyen Xuan Quynh
Japan’s 2025 wage talks conclude with highest gain in 34 years
By Erica Yokoyama

WORLD

Terry Kilgore, 70, stands in his property where the yard used to be before losing his home to the Eaton Fire in January 2025, in Altadena, California.
Six months after LA wildfires, some adjust to new life in RVs
By Daniel Cole
Many homeowners are crashing with friends and family, or renting during the rebuild, but others have chosen to live in RVs on their properties.
The World Health Organization has backed tobacco taxes and price rises for decades, and has called for taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in recent years, but this is the first time it has suggested a target price rise for all three products.
WHO pushes countries to raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50%
By Jennifer Rigby
The move by the United Nations health agency is the strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.
Blistering heat and empty chairs mar U.N.'s flagship development event
By David Latona
North Korean man detained after crossing land border, Seoul says
By Claire Lee
Who won and lost in Trump’s tax bill
By Jamie Tarabay and Steven T. Dennis
Content moderators for Big Tech unite to tackle mental trauma
By Joanna Gill

Sports

UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar rides during the team presentation ahead of the Tour de France in Lille, France, on Thursday.
Tadej Pogacar expresses respect for Tour de France rival Jonas Vingegaard
The 26-year-old Slovenian won the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and world title in 2024 and is the hot favorite again.
New managers making mark at Club World Cup
Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. arrested by U.S. immigration officers
Max Verstappen sidesteps questions about future ahead of British GP
Novak Djokovic builds momentum with dominant victory at Wimbledon

Opinion

The rise of China’s DeepSeek-R1, a low-cost, high-performance open-source AI model, has challenged the belief that only nations with vast computational resources can lead in artificial intelligence, signaling a shift in global AI power dynamics.
A ‘Sputnik’ moment in the global AI race
Makoto Shiono
Much remains uncertain about DeepSeek’s LLM and its capabilities should not be overestimated — but its release nevertheless has sparked intense discussion.
Japan’s Do It Yourself Party: Who we are and where we are headed
By Sohei Kamiya
Sizing up the forthcoming Upper House election
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
As trade deadline approaches, Japan must draw lines
The dilemma facing Japan’s rising (and falling) populist parties
By Rintaro Nishimura

ENVIRONMENT

Solar panels and wind turbines at the Huaneng Binzhou new energy power generation project in China's eastern Shandong province on June 11
China leading BRICS clean-energy boom with shift into solar, report shows
Most countries in BRICS remain major fossil fuel producers, but the group together produced 51% of the world’s solar energy in 2024 — up from 15% a decade earlier.
Europe’s climate resolve faces big test as EU unveils 2040 goal
By John Ainger and Ewa Krukowska
Europe bakes in summer's first heatwave as continent warms
Three Japanese nationals found guilty over PFAS pollution in Italy
How robotic hives and AI are lowering the risk of bee colony collapse
By Brian Kahn

CULTURE

“Fani Mani” marks Kom_I’s return to music, after leaving the genre-bending J-pop outfit Suiyoubi no Campanella in 2021.
‘Try first, figure it out later’: Kom_I and Foodman’s beautiful mess
By Patrick St. Michel
Part philosophy and part performance, the musicians' “Fani Mani” is all party.
Queer-coded yakuza story wins prestigious U.K. crime writing award
By Thu-Huong Ha
‘Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl’: Beautiful, brutal and bringing back ’90s anime energy
By Matt Schley
‘I Am Kirishima’ peels back the mystery of a fugitive radical
By Mark Schilling
From stage to screen, a story of quiet connection in the still heat of Nagasaki
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Karuizawa Distillers, which runs Komoro Distillery in Nagano Prefecture, has teamed up with the city of Furano and real estate developer Seibu Group to open a whisky distillery in Furano.
Beyond the lavender fields in Furano, a whisky distillery emerges
By Simon Daly
The region has teamed up with Karuizawa Distillers and property developer Seibu Group to build a state-of-the-art facility to make single malts.
Come nightfall in Nakano, Thai eatery Orangutan opens its arms
By Kimberly Hughes
Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes
By Shawn B. Swinger
Take your first steps into the world of kabuki with these basic terms
By Eric Margolis
Mexican designer blends Chicano and Harajuku styles
By Raquel Cunha and Rafael Escalera Montoto

COMMUNITY

Miho Koshiba started her career in finance before she founded the Mirai Institute, a think tank that operates the Midori.so coworking space with an ever-growing cosmopolitan community across seven locations in Tokyo.
Miho Koshiba: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if people looked forward to Mondays?’
By Carina Fushimi
The cofounder of the Midori.so coworking space shares her inspirations and aspirations for career and community.
A furry ball of sunshine
Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew
By Damian Flanagan
Fine feline twosome on the hunt for a forever home
A singular ensemble: Indian food, science and Fukushima
By Trishit Banerjee

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
By Thu-Huong Ha
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
MORE SPORTS
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
By John Gunning
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
BUSINESS
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
LIFE
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
By Tan Pin Yen
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
ENVIRONMENT
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
By Anton L. Delgado
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
By Karin Kaneko
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
SUMO
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
By John Gunning
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
COMMENTARY
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
By Gearoid Reidy
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
JAPAN
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
By Karin Kaneko
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
CULTURE
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
By Thu-Huong Ha
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."