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February 25, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
February 25, 2025
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This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on Feb. 24 shows (L to R) French Delegate Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Mjoll Frostadottir, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Estonian President Kristen Michal, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, European Council President Antonio Costa, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu posing for a photo prior to their meeting in Kyiv, to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
European leaders in Kyiv to mark three years of war, but top U.S. officials stay away
By Tom Balmforth, Max Hunder and Yuliia Dysa
Trump's rush to end the war has stoked fears of an undermined Kyiv and an altered geopolitical landscape.
This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on Feb. 24 shows (L to R) French Delegate Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Mjoll Frostadottir, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Estonian President Kristen Michal, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, European Council President Antonio Costa, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu posing for a photo prior to their meeting in Kyiv, to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro assists Defense Minister Gen Nakatani as he signs a guest book prior to their bilateral meeting at a hotel in Manila on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan and Philippines to establish high-level defense gear framework
By Jesse Johnson
The two sides also agreed to establish a “strategic dialogue” between the Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine Armed Forces to deepen operational collaboration.
Efrat Machikawa (center) and others protest in white near the Knesset in Jerusalem on Feb. 14, advocating for the safe return of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
JAPAN / Society
The terror, the protests and the reunion: Efrat Machikawa's life since the Israel-Hamas war
By Jessica Speed
The family of Machikawa's uncle, 80-year-old Gadi Moses, taken hostage from southern Israel by Hamas in their October 2023 attack, waited nearly 500 days for him to return home.
Major Japanese banks are tightening controls on the management of safe-deposit boxes after a string of thefts involving bank employees rocked public confidence.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japanese banks to rethink security measures for safe-deposit boxes
By Jessica Speed
A string of thefts involving bank employees have intensified scrutiny of a segment already grappling with weak demand and thin margins.
The building of new high-rise residential buildings has some alarmed that they could empty and fall into disrepair as Japan's population shrinks.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
The high cost of letting Japan's condos crumble
By Tomoko Otake
With rising repair costs, dwindling reserve funds and an aging population of owners, thousands of buildings are at risk of falling into disrepair.
The building of new high-rise residential buildings has some alarmed that they could empty and fall into disrepair as Japan's population shrinks.

JAPAN

Misako Yoshimura looks for a photograph of her father from among several kept in a closet at her home in the town of Yonabaru, Okinawa Prefecture.
Remembering a father who stopped smiling after the war
Misako Yoshimura hated her stern-faced father, but when she learned of what he lost during the Pacific War, the resentment disappeared.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet people gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Sunday to celebrate the emperor's 65th birthday that day.
Over 20,000 visit the Imperial Palace for the emperor's 65th birthday
A total of 23,019 people visited the Imperial Palace on the day, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
17-year-old arrested in connection with stabbing death on Tokyo street
Japan wary of North Korea's practical combat experience in Ukraine war
Hidankyo leader regrets Japan's dodging of upcoming nuclear ban meet
Over 20,000 visit the Imperial Palace for the emperor's 65th birthday

BUSINESS

Samples of newly-designed Japanese yen banknotes at the National Printing Bureau Tokyo plant in June 2024.
Yen volatility nears six-week high as Tokyo inflation gauge eyed
By George Lei
Investors seem to be divided on how quickly policymakers should withdraw their monetary stimulus.
In all, global investors plowed around $315 million into eFishery’s preferred shares over five funding rounds.
SoftBank among eFishery investors facing near wipeout
By David Ramli and Olivia Poh
Investors in the startup, which deploys feeders to fish and shrimp farmers in Indonesia, are likely to get back less than 10 cents for every dollar they invested.
Three years into Ukraine war, Japan struggles to ensure steady LNG supply
Trump targets China with biggest salvo so far in second term
After three years of war, Trump hands Russian economy a lifeline
By Alexander Marrow and Darya Korsunskaya
Musk's Starlink races with Chinese rivals to dominate satellite internet
By Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Eduardo Baptista, Lisandra Paraguassu and Ricardo Brito

WORLD

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Chinese President Xi Jinping during an official welcoming ceremony for delegations' heads at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.
Xi hails Russia's 'positive efforts to defuse Ukraine crisis'
Chinese state media said Xi held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin "upon invitation."
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine (right) with an Iraqi general in Mosul, Iraq, in 2018
Trump’s frustration with generals resulted in an unconventional pick
By Eric Schmitt
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, a retired three-star Air Force officer, quickly moved up the list of candidates to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
U.S. defense chief and national security adviser avoid naming Russia as aggressor in Ukraine
By Maria Paula and Mijares Torres
Ukraine's underground schools helping children feel safe
By Barbara WOJAZER and Daria ANDRIIEVSKA
Alice Weidel, the unlikely queen of German's far-right AfD
By Femke COLBORNE
German election victor Merz plans pivot from U.S. as coalition talks loom
By Sarah Marsh and Matthias Williams

Sports

Shohei Ohtani hits during live batting practice in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 23.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani faces live pitching for first time since surgery
According to multiple reports, Ohtani saw 32 pitches Sunday from Dodgers pitchers and put three in play. He did not hit any home runs.
Dominant Ducati enters MotoGP with two former champions
Venus Williams will not play at Indian Wells despite wild card
Nadeshiko Japan and U.S. each win to set up clash for SheBelieves Cup title
France's Antoine Dupont looking ahead to blockbuster showdown against Ireland

Opinion

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.
Men, media and MAGA deepen South Korea’s split
Abhishek Sharma
Political polarization in South Korea is evermore extreme, with many young men rallying around impeached President Yoon, fueled by online media and a MAGA-inspired movement.
The age of multipolarization
By Tobias Bunde and Sophie Eisentraut
Who will speak for the trees?
By F.D. Flam
Ukraine can survive with the ‘least worst’ peace deal
By James Stavridis
What Trump’s return could mean for Afghanistan
By Sadiq Amini

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.
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
Shipyards of Bangladesh brace as heavy emitting ships near end of life
By Md. Tahmid Zami

CULTURE

In Tomoka Shibasaki's short story collection "A Hundred Years and a Day," time flows architecturally, through the life of structures such as a ramen shop or a cinema.
'A Hundred Years and a Day': Short stories unfold through the lives of structures and spaces
By Thu-Huong Ha
In Tomoka Shibasaki’s curious collection, time flows architecturally, plots meander by design and humans are unnamed, ephemeral and often disappear.
Vatican thriller 'Conclave' wins top prize in SAG Awards upset
By Andrew Marszal
Japanese movies win accolades at Berlin International Film Festival
Fuji Rock’s biggest lineup surprise? The debut of Tatsuro Yamashita.
By Patrick St. Michel
Directing is never a monologue at the experimental Yamanote Jijosha theater company
By Kris Kosaka

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
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
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
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
By Zoria Petkoska
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.
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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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.
JAPAN
U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule
By Martin Fackler
U.S. Marines during training in Okinawa last month.
JAPAN
Japan may ease privacy rules to aid AI development
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.
COMMENTARY
Who will speak for the trees?
By F.D. Flam
Ancient trees and animals play crucial roles in ecosystems, carbon storage and even human health, yet their populations are dwindling due to deforestation, fishing and climate change.
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.