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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.
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.
A container is loaded onto a cargo ship at Hai Phong port in Vietnam. A trade deal secured by Vietnam with the U.S. sets a high bar for Japan's tariff talks.
BUSINESS / Economy
Vietnam steals a march and leaves Japan in a tough spot on U.S. tariffs
By Francis Tang
The deal sets a high bar for Japan and other countries still negotiating with the United States.
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.
JAPAN
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
By Karin Kaneko
Authorities said there was no risk of tsunami and there have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
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

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.
Aokigahara Forest in Yamanashi Prefecture. A man wanted by police in relation to the death of his father and the attempted murder of his mother at their luxury condominium in Shiga Prefecture earlier this year was found dead in Aokigahara Forest on May 11.
Son of Shiga couple attacked in condo found dead in forest
Police identified the deceased as Makoto Iwasaki, a 50-year-old man wanted in relation to the death of his father and attempted murder of his mother in February.
South Korean president hopes to visit Japan soon
Four China Coast Guard ships enter Japanese waters off the Senkakus
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Japan plans 'world first' deep-sea mineral extraction

BUSINESS

A container ship is anchored at the Tan Vu port in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Much of Vietnam's exports to the U.S. are made up of items such as AirPods, phones or other products assembled with Chinese components and then shipped on.
U.S. trade deal leaves Vietnam with questions and one big challenge
By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Nguyen Kieu Giang and Nguyen Xuan Quynh
Companies operating in the Southeast Asian hub are on notice to move up the value chain.
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.
A majority of companies are already feeling the climate heat
By Miquela Thornton
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
Japan’s 2025 wage talks conclude with highest gain in 34 years
By Erica Yokoyama

WORLD

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.
Palestinians inspect the damage at a school sheltering displaced people, following an overnight Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, on Thursday.
Hamas seeks ceasefire guarantees as scores more are killed in Gaza
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since the war between Israel and Hamas began.
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

Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
By John Gunning
Onosato is listed as yozokuna-ōzeki on the latest banzuke, the first time since 1981 that a new yokozuna has been given such a designation.
Max Verstappen sidesteps questions about future ahead of British GP
Novak Djokovic builds momentum with dominant victory at Wimbledon
Tributes pour in for Diogo Jota after Liverpool star's shocking death
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain

Opinion

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. 
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
Gearoid Reidy
The Japan Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that "any such predictions should be considered unreliable.”
A ‘Sputnik’ moment in the global AI race
By Makoto Shiono
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
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.
‘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
Mei Semones is the rookie to remember at Fuji Rock
By James Hadfield

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

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."