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March 26, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
March 26, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Nobuya Fukumoto (far left), a lawyer for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is surrounded by the media at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday after it ordered the group to be stripped of its religious corporation status.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Tokyo court strips Unification Church of religious corporation status
By Karin Kaneko
The order against the group, heavily criticized for its coercive tactics in soliciting donations, removes its tax-exempt status.
Nobuya Fukumoto (far left), a lawyer for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is surrounded by the media at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday after it ordered the group to be stripped of its religious corporation status.
Yields on Japan's 10-year government bonds have risen at a fast pace since the Bank of Japan ended its negative-rate policy last year and started to tighten.
BUSINESS / Markets
Japan bond rout signals era of ultralow rates might really be over  
By Kazuaki Nagata
For the first time in 16 years, yields on Japanese 10-year government bonds have jumped 50 basis points since November to above 1.5%.
Smoke from a wildfire in the city of Okayama on Monday. The fire had subsided by Tuesday while a separate wildfire in Ehime Prefecture continues to spread.
JAPAN
Ehime wildfire blazes on while Okayama's begins to burn out
By Yukana Inoue
The wildfire in Ehime Prefecture had spread to cover 171 hectares by Tuesday, although no building damage has been reported.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waits for a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee to begin at the Diet in Tokyo on March 14.
JAPAN / Politics
Parties still at odds over corporate donations as deadline for agreement looms
By Himari Semans
The prospect of reaching a decision on whether to ban, restrict or continue to accept donations by the end of the month appears slim.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K "Super Auk" from JS Shiranui prepares to land on HMAS Brisbane during Exercise Malabar 2023 while off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
JAPAN
New SDF command will be key for contingency planning, Australian commander says
By Gabriel Dominguez
Framework will enable direct communication with counterparts in partner nations and speed up coordination, the Australian Defence Force's chief of joint operations says.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K "Super Auk" from JS Shiranui prepares to land on HMAS Brisbane during Exercise Malabar 2023 while off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

JAPAN

Pigeons — and their droppings — can be extremely difficult to manage once they settle in.
A new year, a new home and new unexpected guests: pigeons
By Jessica Speed
They might seem harmless at first, but their droppings pose serious health risks to humans and the birds can be extremely difficult to manage once they settle in.
Fukui Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto has approved Kansai Electric Power's revised road map for shipping spent nuclear fuel from aging reactors in the prefecture.
Fukui's governor allows three aging reactors to continue operations
All three reactors have been in operation for more than 40 years.
Japan eyes ¥300,000 limit on daily ATM use for elderly
U.S. Osprey makes emergency landing at airport in Nagano Prefecture
Ishiba plans price measures through existing budgets
By Erica Yokoyama and Akemi Terukina
Hakamata gets ¥217M in compensation after acquittal in 1966 murder case

BUSINESS

Cars parked at the port in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 2021
Stocks rise as Trump hints at delays to auto tariffs and relief for some
By Andrea Shalal, David Lawder and Timothy Gardner
U.S. markets ended Monday broadly higher on optimism that the tariffs set to be detailed next week may not be as extensive as expected.
A commercial fishing boat leaves the port in Point Judith, Rhode Island, on March 13, as cuts by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration imperil key fishing data and research.
Trump’s regulatory freeze throws U.S. fishing industry into chaos
By Valerie Volcovici, Leah Douglas and Gloria Dickie
The freeze allowed overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna in waters off North Carolina.
BYD sales top Tesla as tech focus wins over Chinese drivers
By Danny Lee
Xiaomi raises $5.5 billion in upsized Hong Kong share sale
By Julia Fioretti and Dave Sebastian
Sumitomo Mitsui markets head sees BOJ rate at 30-year high
By Taiga Uranaka and Hideki Suzuki
Japan names former MUFG economist to lead huge pension fund
By Nao Sano, Takashi Umekawa and Hideyuki Sano

WORLD

Now-U.S. President Donald Trump during a interview at his private club Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, on March, 4, 2024. Trump’s first four years in the White House were filled with falsehoods, and now he and those around him are using false claims to justify their policy changes.
In his second term, Trump fuels a ‘machinery’ of misinformation
By Steven Lee Myers and Stuart A. Thompson
The president and his advisers have ushered the United States into a new era of post-truth politics, where facts are contested and fictions used to pursue policy goals.
A large Canadian flag hangs on the front of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on March 5.
China and India could seek to meddle in April 28 election, Canada says
By David Ljunggren
Hostile state actors are seen increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to meddle in elections, the country's spy service said.
Afghan women risk Taliban wrath over hair trade
By Claire GOUNON
South Korea struggles to contain deadly wildfires
Journalist killed, evacuation calls issued as Israel presses Gaza offensive
U.S. and Russia wrap up Saudi Arabia talks on proposed Black Sea ceasefire

Sports

Saudi fans cheer during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers group C match between Saudi Arabia and China in Riyadh on Thursday.
Renard expecting no letup from Japan as Saudis eye World Cup spot
The Saudis picked up their first win in five qualifiers when they beat China 1-0 at home last week.
Raducanu happy to have found her spark again during Miami run
Ozeki Onosato on doorstep of yokozuna promotion after latest title
By John Gunning
Brazil soccer federation president re-elected after Ronaldo pullout
Partey time for Ghana as World Cup dream draws nearer
By Nick Said

Opinion

Increased reliance on AI and digital technology is weakening cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, as people depend more on machines for tasks that once required mental effort.
‘Use it or lose it’ — a grim mantra for the AI age
Brad Glosserman
In sum, “excessive dependence on AI without concurrent cultivation of fundamental cognitive skills may lead to underutilization and subsequent loss of cognitive abilities.”
South Korea’s political drama is far from over
By KARISHMA VASWANI
Japan urgently needs an AI vibe shift
By Catherine Thorbecke
America’s big trade win
By Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
I don’t believe a single word Trump and Putin say about Ukraine
By Thomas L. Friedman

ENVIRONMENT

Ice is seen on the Pastoruri glacier in the Peruvian Andes, Peru, in May 2024.
World's glaciers are losing record ice as global temperatures climb, U.N. says
By Alexander Villegas
Glaciers are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record.
Why we should worry when whales stop singing
By Todd Woody
What the $660 million Greenpeace verdict means for U.S. activism
By Olivia Raimonde and Zahra Hirji
In the remote Amazon, midwives care for women stranded by drought
By Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni
Extreme weather in 2024 forced most people to flee in 16 years
By Aaron Clark

CULTURE

AMKK’s latest exhibition, “X-Ray Flowers,” is the culmination of seven years of work aided by CT technologists, who help with the highly specialized imaging techniques.
Avant-garde botanists AMKK illuminate the inner worlds of flowers
By Kim Kahan
The punk florists' latest exhibition immerses visitors in darkness, bathed only in the glow of X-rays and CT scans of plants and flowers.
'One Hundred Flowers': A moving exploration of loss, love and living with dementia
By Kris Kosaka
Osaka’s kabuki fan culture fueled an elusive figure of the ukiyo-e scene
By Martin Laflamme
Virtual idols, real fans: Hololive’s bet on the future of pop
By Patrick St. Michel
‘My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999’ shows that even stoic gamers can fall in love
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

A sign at Tokyo's Haneda Airport shows users the way to the monorail in four different languages.
Can we make it official? Language in the age of Trump.
By Peter Backhaus
The United States made English its main language, but in Japan things seem to be heading in a different way.
The art of taking a pause: Discover the 1,000-year-old meditation technique of zazen in Tokyo's temples
By Laura Pollacco
World’s first public bonsai museum reopens after renovations
By Erik Augustin Palm
Now is the time to discover this Japanese mountain vegetable
By Elizabeth Andoh
At Osaka's Haraiso Sparkle, curry with a side of city pop
By Eric Millman

COMMUNITY

Megumi Koiwai (left) found refuge in writing and storytelling that allowed her to reconcile with her heritage and upbringing.
A community of stories: Making space for reflection and dialogue in Tokyo and beyond
By Megumi Koiwai
Through conversations with an international writing workshop, a writer of mixed heritage finds steadier footing and a sense of self.
Edanoshin Katsura: ‘Rakugo and techno are both about rhythm and groove’
By Wakaba Oto
A shy cat looking for a new start
From abandoned houses to ‘creative communities’: An Ishinomaki entrepreneur's vision for rural Japan
By Florentyna Leow
A shy Shiba mix is ready to bloom

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Cherry blossom season kicks off in Tokyo after warm weekend
By Jessica Speed
Blooms are seen on the Meteorological Agency's sample cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Japanese wages likely to rise more than 5% again this year
By Kazuaki Nagata
Wages are set for another big increase this year as annual negotiations secure generous agreements.
JAPAN
Stay at home if Mount Fuji erupts, government panel says
By Yukana Inoue
Mount Fuji in November. For the first time, the government has released specific guidelines on how residents should act in the event that Mount Fuji erupts.
BASEBALL
In pictures: Tokyo's weeklong celebration of baseball's best
Shohei Ohtani belts a home run in the fifth inning of the second game of the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs.
JAPAN
What's the fuss over Ishiba's gift vouchers?
By Himari Semans and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waits for a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee to begin in Tokyo on Friday.

Podcast

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

Longform

The sun shines from behind a waving Philippine flag at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Eighty years after the Battle of Manila, old foes forge new ties
By Anton L. Delgado

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WHAT’S TRENDING

SUMO
Ozeki Onosato on doorstep of yokozuna promotion after latest title
By John Gunning
Onosato celebrates after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on Sunday.
JAPAN
Japan's first foreign swordsmith opens workshop in Hiroshima Prefecture
Johan Leutwiler checks a sword he made at his workshop studio in the Kui district of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture.
JAPAN
Tokyo court strips Unification Church of religious corporation status
By Karin Kaneko
Nobuya Fukumoto (far left), a lawyer for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is surrounded by the media at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday after it ordered the group to be stripped of its religious corporation status.
JAPAN
Japan launches new Joint Operations Command to unify SDF branches
By Jesse Johnson
The head of the Self-Defense Forces' new Joint Operations Command, Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo, inspects an honor guard Monday morning at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Applications for forgery-proof passports start in Japan
By Karin Kaneko
New Japanese passports will be printed using laser technology based on banknote printing techniques, making forgery more difficult.