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February 23, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
February 23, 2025
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People demonstrate in support of Ukraine ahead of the third anniversary of the war with Russia, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Trump shakes transatlantic alliance with Russia pivot
By Danny Kemp
Fears are growing in European capitals that the bond forged from the ruins of World War II is on the verge of collapse.

More coverage

Trump says U.S. wants return on Ukraine aid money
People demonstrate in support of Ukraine ahead of the third anniversary of the war with Russia, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Saturday.
Under the law, information such as race, social status, medical history and any criminal record is designated as sensitive personal information, and obtaining such information requires prior consent from the individuals concerned.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japan may ease privacy rules to aid AI development
The move is intended to make it easier for AI-related businesses to utilize personal information.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba replies to a question from Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara at a Lower House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Feb. 17.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Party heads' love of trains could keep budget talks from derailing
By Eric Johnston
The leaders of Nippon Ishin no Kai and Komeito both share Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's passion for locomotives.
Asian seabass are bred at the Songkhla Coastal Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Research and Development Center in southern Thailand.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
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.
In Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, an entire street is dedicated to Japanese spirits, monsters and ghouls — a sign that the overall region is rich in spine-tingling tourist draws.
LIFE / Travel
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
By Zoria Petkoska
The two prefectures are leaning on spooky folklore to draw more travelers.
In Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, an entire street is dedicated to Japanese spirits, monsters and ghouls — a sign that the overall region is rich in spine-tingling tourist draws.

JAPAN

Emperor Naruhito speaks to reporters on Thursday. He turned 65 on Sunday.
Emperor turns 65, renewing wish for peace 80 years after end of WWII
At a news conference held at the Imperial Palace ahead of his 65th birthday, the emperor said he is grateful that Japan has been without war for 80 years.
Akie Abe meets with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (left) at the Taiwan Presidential Office in Taipei on Friday.
Taiwan President Lai meets with Akie Abe, widow of slain prime minister
Lai told Akie at the meeting that Taiwan aims to protect the values of freedom and democracy, and deepen its friendship with Japan.
LDP to actively use social media for election victory
Heavy snow warning issued for Ishikawa
U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule
By Martin Fackler
Japan eyeing IT to help those in need of assistance during disasters

BUSINESS

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., says he is looking to increase ownership in Japan’s five largest trading houses.
Berkshire set to gradually raise stakes in Japan trading houses
The shares of the five — Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, Sumitomo and Marubeni — have benefited over the longer-term from Buffett’s interest.
Japanese investors are estimated to have increased holdings of Chinese bonds by 53% last year, the most among the markets that make up the World Government Bond Index, according to Bloomberg analysis of Japanese balance-of-payments data.
Tokyo fund buys China bonds for first time on Japanification bet
By Masaki Kondo
"Our long-term view is that it’s inevitable for China to follow the path of Japan,” said Hikaru Tanaka, fund manager at Asset Management One.
How Trump’s tariffs could reorder Asia trade and exclude the U.S.
By Alexandra Stevenson
Japan seeks Tesla investment in Nissan as Foxconn approaches Honda
Japan's Cat Day sees companies capitalize on 'a-meow-zing' economic boon
Japan yields fall as Ueda warns BOJ can step in to smooth market
By Toru Fujioka

WORLD

A poster depicting a hostage Omer Wenkert, at the site of the Nova festival where party goers were killed and kidnapped during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza, in Reim, southern Israel, on Wednesday.
Israel prepares to receive six more Gaza hostages as Bibas body identified
By James Mackenzie and Maayan Lubell
The fragile truce between Israel and Hamas militants had been threatened with derailment by the misidentification of a body released on Thursday.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles listens during an AUKUS meeting in London on Sept. 26, 2024.
New Zealand says China navy held another live-fire drill in international waters
Similar drills a day earlier had forced airlines in the area to divert some flights.
After revolution, Bangladesh textbooks rewrite history
By Sheikh Sabiha ALAM
Trump tells CPAC his goal is a ‘lasting’ Republican majority
Starmer faces defining moment in campaign to sway Trump
By Alex Wickham and Ellen Milligan
U.S. could cut Ukraine's access to Starlink internet services over minerals, say sources
By Andrea Shalal and Joey Roulette

Sports

Roki Sasaki talks about his marriage announcement during an interview at the Los Angeles Dodgers' training camp in Glendale, Arizona.
Roki Sasaki surprises Dodgers teammates with marriage news
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki surprised teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday with the big news.
FIA denounces booing of Red Bull's Christian Horner and Max Verstappen
Yankees amend famous facial hair policy to allow 'well-groomed beards'
By Victor Mather
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich not expected to return this season
Dmitry Bivol beats Artur Beterbiev for undisputed light heavyweight title

Opinion

Many Japanese companies like Toto have quietly shifted from consumer-facing products like toilets to specialized, high-value industries such as semiconductor materials, proving that Japan's innovation remains strong despite its lower global visibility.
Japan’s toilet jokes are on you. Innovation is flourishing.
Gearoid Reidy
One of the most surprising stories in corporate Japan in recent months has been the emergence of semiconductor materials as a significant profit driver at Toto.
What Trump’s return could mean for Afghanistan
By Sadiq Amini
America's allies get a rude awakening
What is Trump’s foreign policy strategy, if there is one?
By Kuni Miyake
The new face of global protests
By Slavoj Zizek

ENVIRONMENT

The Chip Mong Insee cement factory in Kampot province, Cambodia, on Jan. 9. An investigation has shown that the plastic credits sector relies heavily on the polluting cement industry to burn collected waste, despite concerns about health risks and carbon emissions.
'What would you have us do?': The plastic credits problem
By Sara Hussein
Credits place no obligations on buyers to stop producing or using unrecyclable plastic that ends up in the environment.
Shipyards of Bangladesh brace as heavy emitting ships near end of life
By Md. Tahmid Zami
Sky not the only limit for JAL and ANA’s climate goals
By Chris Russell
NOAA told to make list of climate-related grants, setting off fears
By Christopher Flavelle, Austyn Gaffney and Raymond Zhong
It’s ‘virtually certain’ the world has already breached 1.5 C
By Kendra Pierre-Louis

CULTURE

Yamanote Jijosha has a long history of staging Shakespeare plays, and in celebration of its 40th anniversary, the company will present “Othello” and “Macbeth.” Previously, it toured productions like “Titus Andronicus,” which premiered in Tokyo in 1999, saw multiple revivals and had a homecoming in 2015.
Directing is never a monologue at the experimental Yamanote Jijosha theater company
By Kris Kosaka
To mark its four decades of existence, the company stages two Shakespearean tragedies for a triumph.
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
‘Hypnosismic — Division Rap Battle — Movie' lets viewers remix the narrative
By Matt Schley

LIFE

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 struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
By Cat Kerr
Production methods and economic risks keep the domestic tea industry from ramping up supply.
Cold with a chance of kimchi meatballs
By Simon Daly
Bear skulls and pit dwellings: Hokkaido aims to sell ancient history
By Justin Randall
Attempting the classics: Deciphering impermanence in ‘Hojoki’
By Eric Margolis
Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ‘unique to this land’
By Phoebe Amoroso

COMMUNITY

Mike Sunda at a concert in Haikou, China
Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’
By Mike Fu
Creative strategist Mike Sunda talks about his influences and the filming of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi” music video.
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
Ken Rodgers, a fixture of the Kyoto literary scene, dies at 72
By Eric Johnston

Editors' Picks

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.
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.
MORE SPORTS
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown ready to sprint past Paris disappointment
By Mai Yoshikawa
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (center) runs during a 100-meter heat at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3, 2024.
SUMO
What is the ceiling for sumo’s newest yokozuna?
By John Gunning
Newly promoted grand champion Hoshoryu (center) performs a dedication ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 31.
CULTURE
‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight
By Mark Schilling
“Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” centers on a real-life love triangle between poet Chuya Nakahara (Taisei Kido, left), actor Yasuko Hasegawa (Suzu Hirose, center) and literary critic Hideo Kobayashi (Masaki Okada).

Podcast

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

Longform

Tokyo Koon stands at the forefront of tackling the so-called 2025 issue, also known as the “Magnetic Tape Alert.”
The race to save 20th-century history
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high
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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan's Prince Hisahito to hold first news conference on March 3
Prince Hisahito heads to greet the Emperor and Empress on the occasion of his 18th birthday in Tokyo on Sep. 6.
BUSINESS
Tokyo fund buys China bonds for first time on Japanification bet
By Masaki Kondo
Japanese investors are estimated to have increased holdings of Chinese bonds by 53% last year, the most among the markets that make up the World Government Bond Index, according to Bloomberg analysis of Japanese balance-of-payments data.
WORLD
Ukraine promises swift deal for minerals as Trump cuts Kyiv out of peace talks
By Andrew E. Kramer
A truck carrying partially-refined titanium ore to a factory for further refining at a mine east of Kyiv.
JAPAN
U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule
By Martin Fackler
U.S. Marines during training in Okinawa last month.
JAPAN
Special website created 30 years after Tokyo subway sarin attack
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system by Aum Shinrikyo, the Public Security Intelligence Agency launched a special website Friday.