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Blue Impulse, the Air Self-Defense Force's aerobatic team, performs ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, in September 2023.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2025

ASDF's Blue Impulse to perform for Osaka Expo on July 12 and 13

The aerobatic team will also fly over top tourism sites in the city and the 1970 Expo site in nearby Suita.
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Jul 2, 2025

Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings

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.
Opposition parties are proposing a consumption tax cut as inflation, especially food inflation, remains high.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 2, 2025

Consumption tax cut enters political conversation ahead of Upper House election

The Liberal Democratic Party opposes a reduction in the tax, but opposition parties are in favor of a cut.
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. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2025

A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend

The Japan Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that "any such predictions should be considered unreliable.”
The remains of an Iranian missile launched during the 12-day Israel-Iran war lie on a road near Tekoa in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 2, 2025

Nuclear proliferation cannot just be bombed away

The most powerful deterrent for any state is possession of nuclear weapons or membership in an alliance that offers a nuclear umbrella (like NATO).
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, speaks during an interview on Tuesday at the parliament building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025

DPP pledges to increase take-home pay ahead of Upper House election

The opposition party is looking to raise its seat count in the chamber to 21, which would enable it to independently submit bills needing budgetary measures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday
WORLD
Jul 3, 2025

Swiss say foreign spying threat high, citing Russia and China

The global context has direct implications for Switzerland, a militarily neutral country which hosts multiple international organizations.
Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima speaks during an interview on Jun. 27 at the Diet building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

SDP campaign to focus on inflation and opposing military expansion, leader says

The SDP exists to prevent people from starving and the country from going into war, said party leader Mizuho Fukushima.
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.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 3, 2025

A ‘Sputnik’ moment in the global AI race

Much remains uncertain about DeepSeek’s LLM and its capabilities should not be overestimated — but its release nevertheless has sparked intense discussion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 24. Rio de Janeiro will host the two-day BRICS  Summit starting July 6, where leaders from 10 member states and others will explore ways emerging economies can 
shape global development. 
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2025

A BRICS+ development agenda for the Global South

An effective BRICS+ development agenda will require a coordinated mobilization of resources and institutional efforts.
People listen to an election campaign speech in Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

Ishiba government’s survival may be at stake in July Upper House election

Election campaigning for the pivotal vote officially kicked off Thursday, with all eyes on how the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition will perform.
Satoshi Kirishima (Katsuya Maiguma) goes into hiding after becoming a wanted man for his alleged involvement in bomb attacks in “I Am Kirishima.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 3, 2025

‘I Am Kirishima’ peels back the mystery of a fugitive radical

Banmei Takahashi's drama gives shape to a man whose face appeared on wanted posters in police stations across Japan — and who stayed hidden for decades.
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.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2025

U.S. trade deal leaves Vietnam with questions and one big challenge

Companies operating in the Southeast Asian hub are on notice to move up the value chain.
“Fani Mani” marks Kom_I’s return to music, after leaving the genre-bending J-pop outfit Suiyoubi no Campanella in 2021.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 4, 2025

‘Try first, figure it out later’: Kom_I and Foodman’s beautiful mess

Part philosophy and part performance, the musicians' “Fani Mani” is all party.
The Maruti Suzuki India e-Vitara during the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi in January
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 4, 2025

Suzuki is becoming a top Japan importer with made-in-India cars

Suzuki beat out Mercedes-Benz to become Japan’s top car importer in June, thanks to the Jimny Nomad and another popular small SUV assembled in India.
The people tasked with removing harmful content from tech giants like Meta Platforms or TikTok report a range of noxious health effects, from loss of appetite to anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 4, 2025

Content moderators for Big Tech unite to tackle mental trauma

Social media companies are facing increasing pressure to address the emotional toll of moderation, with many moderators reporting a range of toxic health effects.
Karuizawa Distillers, which runs Komoro Distillery in Nagano Prefecture, has teamed up with the city of Furano and real estate developer Seibu Group to open a whisky distillery in Furano.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 4, 2025

Beyond the lavender fields in Furano, a whisky distillery emerges

The region has teamed up with Karuizawa Distillers and property developer Seibu Group to build a state-of-the-art facility to make single malts.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. enters the ring before his fight against Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, on June 28.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Jul 4, 2025

Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. arrested by U.S. immigration officers

U.S. authorities informed Mexico that they have begun the procedure to send him home.
Supporters of candidates put up campaign posters on a bulletin board in Tokyo on Thursday, as the official campaigning for the July 20 Upper House election begins. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 4, 2025

The dilemma facing Japan’s rising (and falling) populist parties

A working relationship with ruling parties is key to achieving their policy goals, but at the risk of losing their populist brand and voters.
People listen to an election campaign speech in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2025

Maximum vote-value gap rises to 3.126 times for Upper House election

The figure was up from 3.03 times in the previous Upper House election in 2022.
A voter casts a ballot for the Upper House election at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2025

Overseas voting for Upper House election begins

This marks the first time that Japanese living in Taiwan could vote at polling stations on the self-governed island.
Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu fights for the ball during a game against Tottenham Hotspur in London in April 2024.
SOCCER
Jul 4, 2025

Arsenal parts ways with defender Tomiyasu after injury-ridden season

The 26-year-old Japan defender suffered multiple knee and calf injuries during his four years with the club.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gives a speech in Naha on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2025

Japanese parties' election campaigning swings into gear

In speeches on the second day of the official campaign period for the Upper House election, party leaders focused on issues such as inflation and rice shortages.
A house in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, after it collapsed due to the Noto earthquake, in January 2024.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 5, 2025

Debates on disaster management lacking steam ahead of Upper House vote

References to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's project to establish a disaster management agency are scarce among political parties.
Barbora Krejcikova has struggled with injuries since winning Wimbledon in 2024 and went out in the third round on Saturday at the hands of Emma Navarro.
TENNIS
Jul 6, 2025

Tearful defending champion Krejcikova knocked out of Wimbledon

Krejcikova appeared to be struggling with injury in the closing stages and wept as Navarro took advantage to eliminate her from the tournament.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese Premier Li Qiang pose for a picture after a bilateral meeting Saturday ahead of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 5.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 6, 2025

BRICS nations voice 'serious concerns' over Trump tariffs

The summit's impact will be depleted by the absence of Vladimir Putin as well as Xi Jinping, who is skipping the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.
Donald Trump addresses the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in July last year.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 6, 2025

Cashing in on his comeback, Trump rescues frail finances

Contrary to the president’s assertions, records filed in a fraud case against him suggest that his riches were not the product of a steady and strong empire.
White Sox relief pitcher Bobby Jenks throws against the Astros during Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 22, 2005.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 6, 2025

Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks dies at 44

Jenks was a flame-throwing reliever who appeared in the 2006 and 2007 All-Star Games and closed out the 2005 World Series for Chicago.

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