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July 16, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 16, 2025
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What sets Japan apart, experts say, is the country’s sluggish policy response and deep-rooted cultural resistance to the concept of consent.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Teachers sharing illicit student images raises question of systemic failure
By Jessica Speed
Japan’s sluggish policy response and deep-rooted cultural resistance to the concept of consent sets it apart from other countries.
What sets Japan apart, experts say, is the country’s sluggish policy response and deep-rooted cultural resistance to the concept of consent.
Elbridge Colby (center), then-nominee to be the Pentagon's undersecretary of defense for policy, is introduced by U.S. Vice President JD Vance (left), during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington in March.
JAPAN / Politics
Pentagon No. 3 praises Japan defense report, but vows to make alliance more 'equitable'
By Jesse Johnson
The Pentagon's top policy official Elbridge Colby labeled the defense white paper “an important, clear-eyed strategic assessment from our close ally."
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 / Economy
Living conditions index hits lowest level in 15 years in Japan
The percentage of respondents who said their living conditions improved from a year before minus those who said the opposite was the worst since the September 2009 survey.
The IPC Container Terminal at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta in April last year
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump says Indonesia goods to face 19% tariff under new pact
By Hadriana Lowenkron and Catherine Lucey
Indonesia also agreed to purchase $15 billion in U.S. energy, $4.5 billion worth of agricultural products and 50 Boeing jets, many of them 777’s.
Scientists say a recently-published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japanese scientists discover clue to why women burn more fat than men
By Jessica Speed
Scientists say their findings could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies.
Scientists say a recently-published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.

JAPAN

A survey by Tokyo-based nonprofit Good Neighbors Japan showed that the number of respondents saying that their children eat two meals or fewer a day during holidays was about 2.5 times higher than during the school term, at 32.2%.
More kids going hungry during school holidays as food costs soar, survey finds
By Jessica Speed
Rising food and utility prices are placing additional pressures on families already struggling to make ends meet.
Only two months into his role as agriculture minister, Shinjiro Koizumi has become the face of a risky political bet by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Japan’s ‘rice minister’ is ruling party’s biggest election gamble
By Sakura Murakami and Erica Yokoyama
Shinjiro Koizumi’s reformist drive is testing the loyalty of Japan's rural population — the LDP’s most dependable voter bloc.
Chinese court jails Japanese executive in spying case
Lake Inawashiro registered as internationally important wetland under Ramsar Convention
Work to consolidate public facilities gains traction across Japan
Women in Japan's fishery sector on the rise

BUSINESS

Nidec CEO Mitsuya Kishida with lion dance performers during the opening ceremony of the company’s Qingdao Industrial Park on July 9
Nidec builds made-in-China EV motor to help Toyota catch rivals
About 99% of the materials and parts in the new E-axle motor are from China, said Nidec president Mitsuya Kishida.
Jerome Powell, the embattled chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve, appears before a House committee in Washington on June 24.
Wary that Fed chief may be ousted, investors protect portfolios from inflation risk
By Carolina Mandl, Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Matt Tracy
A Fed chief warmer to cutting rates could have a mixed effect on equities but could weaken the U.S. dollar, increase volatility in the Treasurys market and raise longer-term rates.
Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman see no end to AI demand and scaling
By Min Jeong Lee
China’s growth momentum offers Xi rare window to fight deflation
Uber teams up with China’s Baidu on global robotaxi rollout
By Natalie Lung
U.S. says Nvidia's sales of AI chips to China are part of rare earths talks
By Jarrett Renshaw and Karen Freifeld

WORLD

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Victory Day parade in Moscow in May. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs, Putin believes Russia's economy and its military are strong enough to weather any new Western measures over the war in Ukraine.
Putin, unfazed by Trump, will fight on and could take more of Ukraine
By Guy Faulconbridge and Darya Korsunskaya
Three Russian sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking said the Russian leader will not stop the war under pressure from the West.
A serviceman of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces works with an Mk 19 U.S.-made automatic grenade launcher near the front-line town of Vovchansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, on March 13.
Europeans open to buying U.S. arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details
By Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray
Much of the plan remains undisclosed, including the amounts and precise types of weapons to be provided, how quickly they would be supplied and how they would be paid for.
A Nazi document trove raises questions for Argentina
By Leila Miller
Trump tariffs put Bolsonaro and Brazilian right in a bind 
'Epstein files' explained: Why Trump is under pressure
By Ben Turner
Thousands of Afghans secretly moved to Britain after data leak
By Sam Tobin and Andrew MacAskill

Sports

Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with his teammates after the National League won a swing-off tiebreaker over the American League on Tuesday in the MLB All-Star Game.
NL takes MLB All-Star Game in first tiebreaker swing-off
Shohei Ohtani had a hit in two at-bats for an NL team that jumped out to an early lead before hanging on for a win in a unique tiebreaker.
'World's oldest marathon runner' dies at age 114 in road accident
Tony Clark blasts MLB salary cap idea as 'collusion' during All-Star break
Barcelona star Yamal faces probe into dwarf entertainers at 18th birthday
'What's the point?' Scheffler says in candid talk ahead of British Open

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on April 7. Trump’s unexpected strike on Iran shows how Israel’s influence overcame his reluctance for foreign wars.
Trump’s Iran attack shows what it takes to win his military support
Kuni Miyake
How did Israel convince Trump? Put simply, why did Trump, unlike previous presidents who considered it but held back, launch a direct strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities?
Japan’s right-wing fringe is no MAGA or reform movement
By Gearoid Reidy
Cost of living trumps corruption as Japan heads to the polls
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Is democracy stalemated?
By Maciej Kisilowski
The ultrarich move in herds. Just ask London.
By Matthew Brooker

ENVIRONMENT

Firefighters work to tackle a wildfire spread at Les Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille, southern France, on July 8
How climate change is fueling wildfires in Europe
By Kate Abnett
Wildfires have burnt 227,000 hectares of land since the beginning of the year — more than double the average for this time of year over the past two decades.
When it’s this hot, ‘We are enduring, not living’
By Zia ur-Rehman
Europe's illegal pesticide trade surges as farmers cut costs
By Karolina Tagaris
Philippines struggling to ready underfunded schools for climate hazards
By Mariejo Ramos
In Indonesia, a startup captures coolants to stop global warming
By Jack Moore and Sara Hussein

CULTURE

Nakagin Capsule Tower architect Kisho Kurokawa in front of the structure two years after its completion in 1972.
The many lives of Nakagin Capsule Tower on display at New York’s MoMA
By Zoria Petkoska
“The Many Lives of the Nakagin Capsule Tower” showcases the 50-year history of the building through nearly 45 pieces of contextual material and one of the capsules on display.
Rare vintage shots and first-time shows at TOP’s 30th anniversary
By John L. Tran
‘Young & Fine’: Teenage horndog tale balances heart and hormones
By James Hadfield
‘Harbin’: Somber historical drama sees act of mercy lead to bloodshed
By Mark Schilling
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
By Alyssa I. Smith

LIFE

Pick up some country-style bread from Boulangerie Aman on your road trip in Kamikawa, Hokkaido.
Road-tripping through central Hokkaido? Don't miss these bakeries
By Simon Daly
Slice through lavender fields and flaky croissants on your drive through the scenic region of Kamikawa.
‘Our ultimate goal is to save every single Japanese video game’
By Gendel Gento
Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?
By Owen Ziegler
With fine dining, Milpa frees Mexican food from the grips of the taco
By Melinda Joe
An emoji used to say it all. Now it might say too much.
By Yuko Tamura

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.
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
Miho Koshiba: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if people looked forward to Mondays?’
By Carina Fushimi

Editors' Picks

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.
BUSINESS
Tokyo stocks hit by a perfect storm of tariffs, politics and budget worries
By Kazuaki Nagata
Tokyo stocks are underperforming shares in other large markets globally.
JAPAN
Japan researchers identify gut bacteria strain that boosts anticancer drugs
By Tomoko Otake
Researchers at the National Cancer Center Japan say a new type of gut bacteria named YB328 could help unlock the potential of cancer immunotherapy.
LIFE
Tokyobike founder believes in taking in sights of dynamic cities slowly
By Elizabeth Beattie
Ichiro Kanai, founder and president of Tokyobike, is developing a niche but a new customer base who want to cycle as part of a lifestyle.
CULTURE
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
By Patrick St. Michel
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.

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

JT Directory Service

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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
Students in Japan struggle with Japanese language and math sections on national exam
The correct answer rate for the Japanese language section on a national test dropped to 67.0% from 67.8% the previous year among elementary school sixth-graders.
JAPAN
Japan team finds ancient ocean full of squids
The ancient ocean was full of squids, whose population exceeded that of fish or ammonites, a Japanese research team mainly from Hokkaido University has found through a new method using technology.
JAPAN
Japan researchers identify gut bacteria strain that boosts anticancer drugs
By Tomoko Otake
Researchers at the National Cancer Center Japan say a new type of gut bacteria named YB328 could help unlock the potential of cancer immunotherapy.
BUSINESS
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
By Kazuaki Nagata
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
COMMUNITY
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa
After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.