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July 04, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 04, 2025
Japan elections
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People listen to an election campaign speech in Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba government’s survival may be at stake in July Upper House election
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Election campaigning for the pivotal vote officially kicked off Thursday, with all eyes on how the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition will perform.

More coverage

DPP pledges to increase take-home pay ahead of Upper House election
SDP campaign to focus on inflation and opposing military expansion, leader says
People listen to an election campaign speech in Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday.
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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends tactical training by military special forces and a firing drill by tank units at an unknown location in North Korea on May 13.
WORLD / Politics
Russia could soon get up to 30,000 more North Korean troops, reports say
By Gabriel Dominguez
The addition would almost triple the total number of North Korean soldiers directly fighting alongside Russia in its war against Ukraine.
In adapting Masataka Matsuda’s 1998 play “On Summer Sand” to film, director Shinya Tamada decided to age up the central character, played by Joe Odagiri (left), by 10 years to bring out a deeper sense of despondency and grief.
CULTURE / Film
From stage to screen, a story of quiet connection in the still heat of Nagasaki
By Matt Schley
Director Shinya Tamada adapts "On Summer Sand" for film by filling the silences between scenes with heartbreak and slow healing.
In adapting Masataka Matsuda’s 1998 play “On Summer Sand” to film, director Shinya Tamada decided to age up the central character, played by Joe Odagiri (left), by 10 years to bring out a deeper sense of despondency and grief.

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.
Victims of 2020 Kumamoto heavy rains mourned five years on
80% of lower-income families in Japan say financial situation getting worse
Four China Coast Guard ships enter Japanese waters off the Senkakus
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case

BUSINESS

Search and rescue members scour a flood-damaged area in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River in October 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.
A majority of companies are already feeling the climate heat
By Miquela Thornton
Its growing financial impacts are a key reason some companies are continuing to pursue emissions cuts even amid political turbulence.
Toyota only lifted prices on some models by a few hundred dollars in the U.S. market in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Japan’s carmakers absorbing tariffs may bolster Trump's position
By Tsuyoshi Inajima and Phoebe Sedgman
Just three of Japan’s six major automakers have raised prices in the U.S., and only Subaru’s hike has come close to the 25% tariff imposed on imported vehicles.
Suzuki is becoming a top Japan importer with made-in-India cars
By Tsuyoshi Inajima
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

The U.S. Capitol in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax bill largely benefits business investors and wealthy Americans.
Who won and lost in Trump’s tax bill
By Jamie Tarabay and Steven T. Dennis
Those hit the hardest by the sweeping package include elite universities and immigrants.
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.
Content moderators for Big Tech unite to tackle mental trauma
By Joanna Gill
Six months after LA wildfires, some adjust to new life in RVs
By Daniel Cole
Russia becomes first country to recognize Taliban government
By Susannah Walden and Aysha Safi
Top Chinese official says war with U.S. unimaginable in tone tweak

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.
China’s shipyard dominance leads to geoeconomic risks
By Kenichi Doi
In the Trump era, how much should countries really be spending on defense?
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
By Gearoid Reidy
Nuclear proliferation cannot just be bombed away
By Mohamed ElBaradei

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
Diva of dualities: Maria Seiren sings opera and noh in both a female and male voice
By Kat Joplin

LIFE

Japan is mad about pets, and the Interpets trade fair showed to what lengths some owners will go for their furry friends.
Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes
By Shawn B. Swinger
From June 19 to 21, a veritable animal kingdom (and their owners) descended on the Intex Osaka convention center to try new foods and meet new friends.
Come nightfall in Nakano, Thai eatery Orangutan opens its arms
By Kimberly Hughes
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
King of Japan’s arcades, Sega’s UFO Catcher turns 40
By Gendel Gento

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

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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."