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July 07, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 07, 2025
Japan elections
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Foreign nationals' presence in Japan emerges as key issue in Upper House poll
By Eric Johnston
In their campaign promises, parties are offering different solutions to problems caused by the record number here to visit, work and invest in real estate.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump stands next to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, as he speaks to members of the media, upon his arrival at Morristown Airport, in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. tariffs to kick in Aug. 1, barring trade deals
The U.S. Treasury chief signaled that letters President Donald Trump is poised to send trading partners this week aren’t the final word on countries’ immediate tariff rates.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Abukuma-class destroyer Chikuma (front) and the Australian Navy's Hobart-class guided-missile destroyer Brisbane sail in formation during a military exercise in the Pacific Ocean in November 2023.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan eyes used warship transfer to Philippines in bid to counter China
By Gabriel Dominguez
Sending the Abukuma-class vessels to Manila would mark Tokyo’s first export of an entire major naval platform in decades.
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, in the Tokara chain, which has been hit by swarms of earthquakes in recent days, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday afternoon.
JAPAN
More residents evacuate quake-hit remote islands in Japan
The series of earthquakes with their epicenters in the seas around the Tokara chain — including two powerful quakes on Sunday — began on June 21.
Once a way to transport lumber from the mountains to the coast, log rafting is now Kitayama's biggest attraction.
LIFE / Travel
A tiny mountain hamlet keeps traditional log rafting afloat
By Louise George Kittaka
Log rafting was once a means of transporting timber, but now it’s the tourist draw of a tiny Wakayama village.
Once a way to transport lumber from the mountains to the coast, log rafting is now Kitayama's biggest attraction.

JAPAN

The Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, in August 2023. An airman from the base was arrested last weekend for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
Two U.S. servicemen arrested in Okinawa over assaults
A 25-year-old airman is accused of punching his girlfriend while, separately, a 21-year-old marine allegedly put his hands around the neck of an unacquainted man.
Masaru Sato says the ossuary at Matsuoka Hoyoen must be preserved even after residents are gone from the sanatorium.
Former Hansen’s disease patients shed light on history of discrimination
Although the prejudice against Hansen's disease patients brought on by past segregation policy persist, the memories of their hardships are now fading.
Philanthropist Yoshiomi Tamai dies at 90
By Jessica Speed
Customer allegedly stabs girls bar manager and employee to death in Shizuoka
Use of diaper subscription expands at Hiroshima public day care centers
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
By Tomoko Otake

BUSINESS

Nissan plans to sell convertible bonds and use the proceeds to invest in new products and technologies such as electrification and software-defined vehicles.
Nissan to sell ¥150 billion of convertible bonds to fund turnaround
By Peter Vercoe and Kana Nishizawa
Proceeds of the sale will be used to invest in new products and technologies such as electrification and software-defined vehicles.
Every year, an amount equivalent to roughly 15% of the world's economy flows through Visa's networks, and bad actors are constantly trying to siphon off some of that.
Visa's 24/7 war room takes on global cybercriminals
By Alex PIGMAN
The payments giant has invested $12 billion over the past five years building artificial intelligence-powered cyber fraud detection capabilities.
Butter’s global price surge hits croissants and kitchens alike
By Celia Bergin and Ben Westcott
Investors head into Trump tariff deadline benumbed and blase
By Vidya Ranganathan and Suzanne McGee
Immigration raids derail Los Angeles economy as workers go into hiding
By John Gittelsohn
Locker-to-hotel luggage delivery service expanding in Japan

WORLD

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the BRICS summit, at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
BRICS leaders condemn Gaza and Iran attacks, urge global reforms
With forums such as the G7 and G20 hamstrung by divisions and Trump's "America First" approach, the grouping has opened new space for diplomatic coordination.
Members from Texas Game Wardens of the Law Enforcement Divison works following flash flooding, in Kerrville, Texas, on Sunday.
Searchers scour Texas flood zone for dozens missing as 78 confirmed dead
By Sergio Flores and Evan Garcia
Search teams plodded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew aircraft over the flood-stricken landscape of central Texas for a fourth day on Monday, looking for dozens of people still missing from a disaster that has claimed at least 78 lives.
Israel says it struck Houthi sites across Yemen
By Yomna Ehab and Mohamad Ghobari
South Korea investigators seek to arrest former president Yoon again
West Bank town becomes 'big prison' as Israel fences it in
By Alexander Cornwell and Ali Sawafta
Inside Budapest Pride: How organizers defied Orban's ban
By Gordon Cole-Schmidt

Sports

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores his team's third goal during its win over Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Mbappe on target as Real Madrid downs Dortmund to reach Club World Cup semis
By Andy Scott
Mbappe, who did not play during the group stage due to illness, will hope to be at full fitness when Real takes on Paris Saint-Germain, his old club.
Mexico beats United States 2-1 to win 10th Gold Cup title
Alcaraz finds magic touch at Wimbledon as Sabalenka heads to quarterfinals
By John WEAVER
Norris revels in emotional first home win
By Alan Baldwin
Swiss beat Iceland 2-0 to keep alive Women's Euro knockout hopes
By Philip O'Connor

Opinion

Despite perceptions of Russian weakness after Israel’s attack on Iran, that conflict has helped Vladimir Putin by diverting U.S. resources, eroding support for Ukraine and possibly setting the stage for the war to shift in his favor.
The U.S. bombing of Iran was a win for Putin
Marc Champion
The possibility of another war in the Middle East has sucked attention, energy and resources away from Ukraine.
RFK Jr. is playing with babies’ lives
By Mihir Sharma
Central Asia changes its playbook
By Djoomart Otorbaev and Brian Wong
China’s housing crisis is worse than it seems
By Yi Fuxian
Geoengineering’s risks need to be studied more
By F.D. Flam

ENVIRONMENT

A street in Suttsu, Hokkaido, with a sign put up by an anti-nuclear organization. The small community is considering hosting a facility that would hold nuclear waste.
Ainu land rights in crosshairs as Hokkaido communities debate nuclear waste
By Chermaine Lee
Some scholars and activists are raising concerns that Indigenous voices are not being heard amid the debate over whether to host nuclear waste storage facilities.
China leading BRICS clean-energy boom with shift into solar, report shows
Europe’s climate resolve faces big test as EU unveils 2040 goal
By John Ainger and Ewa Krukowska
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
By Anton L. Delgado
Europe bakes in summer's first heatwave as continent warms

CULTURE

The exhibition of Fujimoto’s architecture surveys his career to date, as well as looks ahead as shown in his proposal of a future floating city designed in collaboration with data scientist Hiroaki Miyata.
The future is bright inside the visionary mind of architect Sou Fujimoto
By Zoria Petkoska
From a model of the Grand Ring you can walk through to a futuristic city design, the architect’s exhibition at Mori Art Museum is an invitation to engage with architecture.
Queer-coded yakuza story wins prestigious U.K. crime writing award
By Thu-Huong Ha
‘Try first, figure it out later’: Kom_I and Foodman’s beautiful mess
By Patrick St. Michel
‘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

LIFE

Shintaro Awa is the new head chef of L'Ambroisie in Paris, replacing the legendary Bernard Pacaud, who helmed the restaurant for more than four decades.
Shintaro Awa appointed to head the kitchen of L’Ambroisie in Paris
By Kyoko Nakayama
The Japanese chef takes over the role of Bernard Pacaud, who helmed the renowned restaurant for nearly 45 years.
What’s the first thing you think of when you think of a Japanese summer?
By Yuko Tamura
Beyond the lavender fields in Furano, a whisky distillery emerges
By Simon Daly
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

COMMUNITY

Dog ownership may seem daunting in Japan, but with the right tools and logistical knowledge, you can ensure a healthy, happy life for your pet.
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
By Kat Joplin
Owning a dog in Japan may seem daunting, but having these tools and tips in mind can ease your journey and bring you lots of joy.
Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew
By Damian Flanagan
Miho Koshiba: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if people looked forward to Mondays?’
By Carina Fushimi
Fine feline twosome on the hunt for a forever home
A singular ensemble: Indian food, science and Fukushima
By Trishit Banerjee

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Ainu land rights in crosshairs as Hokkaido communities debate nuclear waste
By Chermaine Lee
A street in Suttsu, Hokkaido, with a sign put up by an anti-nuclear organization. The small community is considering hosting a facility that would hold nuclear waste.
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.

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

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
JAPAN
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
By Tomoko Otake
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
JAPAN
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
By Tomoko Otake and Yukana Inoue
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
JAPAN
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
By Elizabeth Beattie
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
BUSINESS
Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan's tea farms dry
By Romain FONSEGRIVES
Matcha is added to beverages on offer at Kettl Tea in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 20.