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July 19, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 19, 2025
Japan elections
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A Sanseito campaign van in Shinjuku. The populist party is gaining ground and challenging the more centrist parties.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japanese markets brace for triple whammy if opposition wins big
By Kazuaki Nagata
Bonds, stocks and the yen could be destabilized if spendthrift parties gain influence.
A Sanseito campaign van in Shinjuku. The populist party is gaining ground and challenging the more centrist parties.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent before a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Ishiba and Bessent say 'good' trade agreement still possible
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged U.S. Treasury chief Scott Bessent to continue talks vigorously with Japan’s chief negotiator to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement.
A think tank researcher said anti-government propaganda by Russian bot accounts was what has made the small far-right party Sanseito so popular leading up to the Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Concerns grow in Japan over possible Russian interference in Sunday’s election
By Yukana Inoue
A blog post from a member of the Japan Institute of Law and Information Systems went viral for stating Russian bots were interfering in the upcoming Upper House election.
Shoshi Maekawa (center) and his supporters enter the Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Man acquitted in retrial over 1986 murder of school girl
Shoshi Maekawa was previously found guilty and served a prison sentence.
The Palestinian Embroidery Obi Project brings together a traditional Japanese garment and age-old designs from the Middle Eastern region.
LIFE / Style & Design
In Gaza-made obi, Palestinian embroidery meets Japanese kimono
By Anna Sakamoto
Kimono sashes from the Palestinian Embroidery Obi Project combine Japanese materials with Middle Eastern designs.
The Palestinian Embroidery Obi Project brings together a traditional Japanese garment and age-old designs from the Middle Eastern region.

JAPAN

The Tokyo district has the highest number of candidates in the 2025 Upper House election with 32 people in the running for seven seats.
In Upper House race, younger voters in Tokyo turn to DPP for new direction
By Yukana Inoue
Many younger voters, especially in the capital, are drawn to the party's idea that the working generation must be supported for the sake of everyone.
Food banks are struggling to secure rice and other food items to distribute to people in need as inflation has put a dent in donations.
As rice shortage hits donations, food banks urge politicians to tackle poverty
Food banks are struggling to secure rice and other food items to distribute to people in need as inflation has put a dent in donations.
Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence — and Zen?
By Michael Hoffman
Sunken WWII Japanese warship Teruzuki found off Solomon Islands
Six years on, victims of fatal Kyoto Animation attack remembered
Emperor emeritus diagnosed with another heart disorder

BUSINESS

South African Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo (left), Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana (center) and South African Reserve Bank Gov. Lesetja Kganyago address a closing news conference on the last day of a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Durban, South Africa on Friday.
G20 communique delivers rare show of unity amid Trump trade war
U.S. tariffs have strained the G20’s multilateral foundations and complicated South Africa’s efforts — as this year’s rotating president — to keep the group’s agenda on course.
While Seven & I shares are higher than they were before Couche-Tard’s interest became public in August 2024, they fell after the proposal was withdrawn this week and are down by more than a fifth this year.
Seven & I risks becoming buyout target again if turnaround fails
By Koh Yoshida
Seven & I Holdings remains a buyout target in the eyes of some investors, who say new suitors may emerge unless the operator of 7-Eleven turns around its business.
Mizuho partners with SoftBank on AI to boost efficiency
Rapidus reports 2-nanometer progress, moving Japan closer to semiconductor goals
By Yuki Furukawa
Japan official urges China to expand foreign investment quota
Japan's smaller firms say they are ready to adapt to Trump tariffs
By Kyoko Hasegawa

WORLD

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on June 27.
Trump sues Wall Street Journal over Epstein report, seeks $10 billion
The newspaper said that Trump in 2003 sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday greeting that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared.
Microsoft used Chinese engineers to work on U.S. military cloud computing systems under the supervision of U.S. "digital escorts" hired through subcontractors who have security clearances but often lacked the technical skills to assess whether the work of the Chinese engineers posed a cybersecurity threat, a media report said.
Microsoft to stop using engineers in China for U.S. military tech support
The revelations also prompted U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to order a two-week review of Pentagon cloud deals.
Australia confident issues raised in U.S. AUKUS review will be resolved
Torrential rain pounds South Korea for third day as thousands take shelter
U.S. House Republicans pass Trump plan to cut foreign aid and public broadcasting
By Bo Erickson and Patricia Zengerle
U.S. health department hands over Medicaid personal data to ICE
By Ahmed Aboulenein and Kanishka Singh

Sports

England defender Lucy Bronze kicks a penalty during the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinal against Sweden at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich on Thursday.
British media hails 'beautiful craziness' of England's shootout victory
By Pearl Josephine Nazare
The Zurich shootout featured 14 penalties before England prevailed 3-2 with Lionesses goalkeeper Hannah Hampton emerging as the unlikely hero.
Japan Football Association planning to join Asia bid for 2046 World Cup
Vingegaard and team get a taste of their own medicine on the Tour
By Julien Pretot
Packed British Open leaderboard as McIlroy scrambles to stay in touch
Marathon world record-holder Chepngetich suspended over banned substance
By Frank Pingue and Chiranjit Ojha

Opinion

Once seen as an unlikely prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba has struggled to deliver on promises, mishandled ties with U.S. President Donald Trump and now faces an election where the odds don’t look good for his party to come out victorious.
A trade deal fumble could be Ishiba’s last mistake
Gearoid Reidy
Ishiba already leads a coalition that lacks a majority in the Lower House, and another bad showing Sunday will likely mean Japan is looking for its third leader in as many years.
The 'Trump Doctrine' is wishful thinking
By Melanie W. Sisson
In Japanese politics, rice is the 'third rail'
By Edo Naito
Japan must be ready for an increasingly dangerous world
In uncertain times, Japan needs responsible leadership

ENVIRONMENT

A student leaves the secondary school building built by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kere, in Kere's home village of Gando, Burkina Faso, on June 3, 2022.
How schools are being built for extreme heat — without air conditioning
By Emma Batha
With techniques such as cross-ventilation and materials such as clay, architects around the world are adapting schools to climate change without the use of air conditioning.
Pakistan's quiet solar rush puts pressure on national grid
By Zain Zaman Janjua
World risks up to $39 trillion in losses from vanishing wetlands: report
By Duncan Miriri
How climate change is fueling wildfires in Europe
By Kate Abnett
When it’s this hot, ‘We are enduring, not living’
By Zia ur-Rehman

CULTURE

Mod's memoir “Things Become Other Things” chronicles his walking trips across the Kii Peninsula, surveying “a graceful end to a certain life cycle.”
Craig Mod's life in motion in a disappearing Japan
By James Hadfield
In “Things Become Other Things,” the longtime resident of Japan captures that grace that lingers in slowly vanishing countryside towns.
The self as a muse: Leonard Foujita's world in paintings and photos
By Jennifer Pastore
Akutagawa and Naoki award decision marks rare absence of literary prizewinners
By Alyssa I. Smith
‘Love Doesn't Matter to Me’: Romance takes a backseat to female friendship
By Mark Schilling
‘New Religion’: Chic debut is low on shivers
By James Hadfield

LIFE

A man takes part in Tokyo’s Sanja Matsuri by helping to carry a "mikoshi" (portable shrine). Many Japanese festivals are open to foreign residents and tourists to participate in.
Dancers, festivals and one very useful Japanese grammar point
By Yaeko Kabe
From Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri to Tokyo’s Sumida fireworks, Japan’s summer festivals offer history, spectacle — and a chance to learn some vocabulary.
Touring the Silk Road — without leaving Tokyo
By Kimberly Hughes
Cool to be square: A block of tofu with veggies to chill your summer
By Elizabeth Andoh
Sega’s first Japan store signals ‘immersive entertainment’ push
By Gendel Gento
Tokyo nabs four spots on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list
By Weiwen Lin

COMMUNITY

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa
Remote work is reshaping how Indian professionals navigate life, family and identity in a post-pandemic Japan.
Lilimi settles into a new life
Tobias Bieker: ‘A good interviewer helps the guest shine’
By Gendel Gento
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

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan's rice farmers are confounded by Shinjiro Koizumi’s policies
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Kiyoshi Shibata stands in front of one of the rice paddies in Murayama, Yamagata Prefecture, where he produces the prefecture's signature rice brand Tsuyahime.
JAPAN
From stalking to death threats, female candidates still face harassment
By Himari Semans
Mayu Ushida, a former NHK newscaster running for election in the Tokyo electoral district on the Democratic Party for the People ticket, signs an autograph for a voter after a public rally at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo on Tuesday.
CULTURE
Kawaii Lab redefines idol pop for the TikTok generation
By Patrick St. Michel
Misa Kimura is the main producer for Kawaii Lab, a project by entertainment agency Asobisystem whose groups have found success by pairing a social media-first strategy with a fresh perspective on traditional idol-pop tropes.
CULTURE
Craig Mod's life in motion in a disappearing Japan
By James Hadfield
Mod's memoir “Things Become Other Things” chronicles his walking trips across the Kii Peninsula, surveying “a graceful end to a certain life cycle.”
JAPAN
With China and Trump, Japan defense report says world entering ‘new era of crisis’
By Jesse Johnson
A senior member of a Self-Defense Forces honor guard inspects a formation before the arrival of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for a visit to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on June 30.

Podcast

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

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Living conditions index hits lowest level in 15 years in Japan
The share of respondents to a Bank of Japan quarterly survey in June who said they have become worse off came to 61.0%, up 5.1 percentage points from the previous survey.
BUSINESS
Tokyo emerges as a top market for global tech talent
By Elizabeth Beattie
Tokyo ranks among the world's top tech talent hubs alongside Beijing, the San Francisco Bay Area, Bengaluru, Paris, New York and Dublin, according to Colliers' newly released global tech markets report.
JAPAN
From stalking to death threats, female candidates still face harassment
By Himari Semans
Mayu Ushida, a former NHK newscaster running for election in the Tokyo electoral district on the Democratic Party for the People ticket, signs an autograph for a voter after a public rally at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN
CDP leader criticizes ‘Japanese First’ policy and calls for inclusive society
By Eric Johnston
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda said it is obvious that Japanese society could not function without the help of foreign workers in manufacturing, health care, construction and public transportation.
SUMO
JSA’s 100th anniversary event is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for sumo fans
By John Gunning
Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi has some fun with children during a special Japan Sumo Association event in 2017.