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February 26, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
February 26, 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump throws a pen after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
U.S. and Ukraine agree to terms of critical minerals deal
The latest version of the deal still doesn’t spell out specific security guarantees, though Ukraine sees it as a starting point toward that possibility.

More coverage

Japan urges G7 to avoid 'wrong lessons' in Ukraine peace process
U.S. President Donald Trump throws a pen after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
Masanori Katayama (center), chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association, speaks during a meeting with trade and industry minister Yoji Muto at the ministry on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japanese auto industry seeks government help against U.S. tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he wants to impose 25% tariffs on imports of autos as soon as April 2.
Girls take care of their baby brother before leaving for school in Seoul. South Korea just recorded its first rise in fertility rates in nearly a decade.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
South Korea’s fertility rate edges up for first time in years
By Sam Kim
The rate, which went from 0.72 in 2023 to 0.75 last year, remains the world's lowest.
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks at the party's executive meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ruling coalition clinches budget deal with Nippon Ishin
By Himari Semans and Gabriele Ninivaggi
The agreement is expected to lead to an increase in government spending on public and private education from April.
Elon Musk speaks next to U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 11.
WORLD / Politics
U.S. lawmakers warn that China could use Musk to influence Trump
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom
Lawmakers fear the CCP will try to use business leaders who have commercial interests in China, to advance its goals in talks with Washington.
Elon Musk speaks next to U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 11.

JAPAN

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
Japanese authorities raise alarm over rise in fake police phone scams
Tokyo police rearrested a man suspected of being involved in multiple scams and released a voice recording in hopes of raising awareness.
The weak yen is often cited as one reason why many Japanese don't go abroad.
Only 17% of Japanese people own passports, Foreign Ministry says
By Yukana Inoue
Around 3.7 million passports were issued domestically in 2024, a 8.8% increase from the year before but down 15.2% from prepandemic numbers in 2019.
Comedian Uchimura and announcer Miura remain ideal bosses, survey finds
Osaka Expo centerpiece a ‘symbol of Fukushima's reconstruction’
Japan's soft power may hold key to African development as U.S. cuts aid
Ruling coalition clinches budget deal with Nippon Ishin
By Himari Semans and Gabriele Ninivaggi

BUSINESS

The Chinese embrace of DeepSeek comes as governments from South Korea to Italy remove the Chiense AI from national app stores, citing privacy concerns.
DeepSeek rushes to launch new AI model as China goes all in
By Eduardo Baptista, Julie Zhu and Fanny Potkin
Deepseek had planned to release R2 in early May but now wants it out as early as possible.
Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor (left) and Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director of Maruti Suzuki India, during an event in New Delhi on Jan. 17
Suzuki Motor unit opens first new India plant in eight years
By Alisha Sachdev
India’s largest carmaker by sales had last opened a new factory in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2017.
DeepSeek reopens AI model access as China rivalry heats up
Apple to keep DEI efforts, though some adjustments possible
By Mark Gurman
South Korea political turmoil pushes companies to take tariff matters into their own hands
By Hyunjoo Jin
Nippon Steel sticks with U.S. Steel takeover after investment call
By Shoko Oda

WORLD

A supporter of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol waves a flag showing a picture of Yoon during a rally near the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Tuesday, as Yoon attended his final impeachment hearing.
Yoon accused in final impeachment hearing of seeking 'dictatorship'
By Jack Kim
In his own closing statement before the Constitutional Court, the South Korean president defended his decisions as lawful and necessary to protect the country.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a statement on defense spending on Tuesday.
Trump’s threats push U.K.'s Starmer into a more global, military agenda
By Joe Mayes, Ellen Milligan and Alex Wickham
U.S. President Donald Trump's apparent refusal for the U.S. to be the final guarantor of security in Europe has prompted the prime minister to act.
U.S. threats mean Canada must bolster military, candidates say
By Brian Platt
Musk's new ultimatum spurs fresh confusion among U.S. government workers
By Alexandra Alper, Nathan Layne, Tim Reid and Valerie Volcovici
Chile power outage plunges capital into darkness, hits major copper mines
By Alexander Villegas and Fabian Cambero
White House takes control of picking media who cover Trump
By Danny Kemp

Sports

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton at a Formula One launch event in London on Feb. 18
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari opens new possibilities
By Luke Smith
The driver is hopeful that an eighth world championship will be within his sights once again.
Chiefs GM expects Travis Kelce to play in 2025: 'He was fired up'
Postecoglou backs 'elite' Son after Tottenham star's slump
Mercury and Team USA icon Diana Taurasi retires after 20 seasons
Japan seeks answers after Asia Rugby suspends vice president

Opinion

While Osaka’s 2025 World Expo may strengthen Japan’s global ties through diplomatic engagements, its success will depend on fostering long-term innovation, economic cooperation and international collaboration beyond visitor numbers.
Will Expo 2025 in Osaka be a success?
Maximilien Xavier Rehm
Osaka has hosted the Expo twice before, in 1970 and 1990, with the 1970 affair in particular occupying a special place in many local residents’ hearts.
U.S. defense spending demands could transform global security
By Brad Glosserman
Ukraine is just a pawn in a Russian reset
By Marc Champion
Germany needs an economic miracle. Merz's odds don’t look good.
By Chris Bryant
Men, media and MAGA deepen South Korea’s split
By Abhishek Sharma

ENVIRONMENT

Asian seabass are bred at the Songkhla Coastal Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Research and Development Center in southern Thailand.
Japan looks to save seafood and seaweed farming from warming oceans
By Joel Tansey
Projects at home and in Thailand are seeking to address challenges stemming from climate change as well as sustainability concerns.
Japan adopts bill obliging firms' participation in emissions trading
Trump creates uncertainty for world’s most cited climate report
By Eric Roston and Sheryl Tian Tong Lee
Nations at odds over major U.N. climate science report
By Kelly Macnamara
'What would you have us do?': The plastic credits problem
By Sara Hussein

CULTURE

From her early love for "Cardcaptor Sakura" and "YuYu Hakusho" to her rise on "RuPaul’s Drag Race," Rock M. Sakura’s anime inspirations are central to her drag persona.
When anime meets drag: The manga-inspired world of Rock M. Sakura
By Kat Joplin
A drag queen who merges manga, anime and queer culture, Rock M. Sakura's persona resonates deeply with fans worldwide.
Vatican thriller 'Conclave' wins top prize in SAG Awards upset
By Andrew Marszal
Japanese movies win accolades at Berlin International Film Festival
'A Hundred Years and a Day': Short stories unfold through the lives of structures and spaces
By Thu-Huong Ha
Fuji Rock’s biggest lineup surprise? The debut of Tatsuro Yamashita.
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

Tokoro Ruins Museum Director Yuuki Nakamura says that 'most Japanese people don’t know' the history of the Okhotsk culture, but he and others are betting that travelers might be intrigued enough to visit and find out more.
Bear skulls and pit dwellings: Hokkaido aims to sell ancient history
By Justin Randall
The Okhostk culture thrived in northern Hokkaido from the fifth to ninth centuries and may have provided the Ainu with some of their best-known rituals.
Cold with a chance of kimchi meatballs
By Simon Daly
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
By Zoria Petkoska
Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ‘unique to this land’
By Phoebe Amoroso
Chewing on race, culture and 'okonomiyaki' quesadillas
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

David Moreton, a former professor at Tokushima University, originally came to Japan as a missionary in 1988. He is now one of the world’s foremost experts on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage.
How a Canadian missionary found spiritual transformation in Shikoku
By Suzanne Kamata
David Moreton has devoted decades to researching southern Japan’s famed 88-temple pilgrimage, established by influential monk Kobo Daishi.
Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’
By Mike Fu
Black History Month in 2025: The boundaries between 'us' and 'them'
By Baye McNeil
John Davis: ‘At its core, indie is about creative freedom’
By Gendel Gento
Home away from home: My first time at a Tet festival in Japan
By Nguyen Bao Anh

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Japan looks to save seafood and seaweed farming from warming oceans
By Joel Tansey
Asian seabass are bred at the Songkhla Coastal Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Research and Development Center in southern Thailand.
LIFE
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
By Cat Kerr
Once a boon to tea farmers' bottom lines, the global matcha craze is now pushing producers and distributors to their limits with few options to adequately meet demand.
JAPAN
As Ukraine rift emerges, Kyiv's envoy says Japan must take on bigger global role
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Monday.
LIFE
Attempting the classics: Deciphering impermanence in ‘Hojoki’
By Eric Margolis
The poet and essayist Kamo no Chomei wrote “Hojoki” in 1212 after bearing witness to a series of natural and man-made disasters. His experiences caused him to withdraw into a hermetic lifestyle.
CULTURE
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
By Yukana Inoue
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The building of new high-rise residential buildings has some alarmed that they could empty and fall into disrepair as Japan's population shrinks.
The high cost of letting Japan's condos crumble
By Tomoko Otake

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mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers
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WHAT’S TRENDING

LIFE
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
By Cat Kerr
Once a boon to tea farmers' bottom lines, the global matcha craze is now pushing producers and distributors to their limits with few options to adequately meet demand.
BUSINESS
Yen volatility nears six-week high as Tokyo inflation gauge eyed
By George Lei
Samples of newly-designed Japanese yen banknotes at the National Printing Bureau Tokyo plant in June 2024.
BUSINESS
SoftBank among eFishery investors facing near wipeout
By David Ramli and Olivia Poh
In all, global investors plowed around $315 million into eFishery’s preferred shares over five funding rounds.
COMMENTARY
Men, media and MAGA deepen South Korea’s split
By Abhishek Sharma
A rally in support of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 18. Young men have emerged as a key demographic that has come out in support of Yoon, in contrast to the many young women participating in protests opposing him.
JAPAN
Japan’s ‘hidden gems’ overwhelmed as social media drives influx of tourists
Visitors line up to take photos in front of a convenience store with Mount Fuji in the background at the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Jan. 29.