Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 8℃
TOKYO
February 06, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
February 06, 2025
Japan inflation
Trade wars
AI
Latest News
Deep Dive
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Talks between Nissan and Honda have been complicated by growing differences, sources have said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nissan set to step back from merger with Honda, sources say
By Maki Shiraki and Daniel Leussink
It was not immediately clear if the merger could survive, with comments from the two sources appearing to leave open the option for a restart.
Talks between Nissan and Honda have been complicated by growing differences, sources have said.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro says Manila's moves to beef up deterrence — including continuing to have a powerful U.S. missile system deployed on its territory — “are for the protection of our territorial integrity and sovereignty."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Philippines all in to get its own midrange missile system
By Gabriel Dominguez
The plan, as disclosed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, comes amid Chinese pressure to remove a powerful U.S. weapons system from its territory.
The sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Wednesday. It has expanded since the initial collapse on Jan 28.
JAPAN
Truck cabin found in sewer pipe in Saitama sinkhole rescue operation
Despite the development, the truck’s 74-year-old driver remained missing as of Thursday morning.
A Japan Airlines jet involved in a collision is towed after the FAA said its right wing struck the tail of a Delta Air Lines plane on the ground at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Japan Airlines jet wing strikes Delta plane on ground in Seattle
The Delta plane with 142 passengers was bound for Puerto Vallarta and was waiting for deicing when it was struck by the Japan Airlines jet after it had landed from Tokyo .
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama has been credited with convincing opposition parties to remain at the negotiating table with his diplomatic skills.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Who is Hiroshi Moriyama, the man behind the prime minister?
By Eric Johnston
The Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general is known for his negotiation skills and diplomacy, making him integral for a party that now rules as a minority government.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama has been credited with convincing opposition parties to remain at the negotiating table with his diplomatic skills.

JAPAN

The panel will discuss ways to help Fuji Television Network improve governance, compliance and financial performance, as the broadcaster has been under fire over its handling of the scandal.
Fuji Media to set up panel to rebuild Fuji TV
The panel will discuss ways to help Fuji TV improve governance, compliance and financial performance in the wake of a scandal.
Japan remains mum on a position taken by U.S. President Donald Trump to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."
Japan noncommittal on Trump's renaming of Gulf of Mexico
By Francis Tang and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi says the government will continue to monitor related developments, but avoided confirming which name it will actually follow.
Fukushima plant operator to dismantle treated water tanks next week
Same-day ticket sales under consideration for Osaka Expo
Heavy snow in Japan to persist through Sunday, disrupting travel
By Karin Kaneko
Ex-MUFG bank worker paid interest to pawnshops to keep gold available to her

BUSINESS

A cargo ship full of shipping containers at the port of Oakland in Oakland, California, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs on Monday.
Economists brace for Trump's new trade war to rekindle inflation worldwide
By Jana Randow, Katia Dmitrieva and Enda Curran
Stubborn growth in consumer prices was bothering much of the world even before U.S. President Donald Trump entered the White House.
SoftBank Group is in talks to acquire Ampere Computing, according to sources.
SoftBank nears deal to acquire chip designer Ampere
By Liana Baker, Ryan Gould and Ian King
SoftBank is discussing a deal that could value the Oracle-backed chip designer at about $6.5 billion, including debt.
BOJ’s Tamura says interest rate needs to rise to at least 1%
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Mini dramas have supplanted movies in China. Is the U.S. next?
By Sohee Kim
Amazon set to release long-delayed Alexa generative AI revamp
By Greg Bensinger
Union chief files motion to dismiss lawsuit by U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel

WORLD

A Palestinian sits among the rubble of buildings destroyed during an Israeli offensive in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
Trump aides defend Gaza takeover proposal but walk back some elements
By Jeff Mason, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland and Nidal al-Mughrabi
Trump shattered decades of U.S. policy with a vaguely worded announcement saying he envisioned transforming Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks during a news conference at her office in Manila in December.
Philippine lower house impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte
By Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema
The impeachment stemmed from a number of allegations, with Duterte having repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
South Korean ministries and police block access to DeepSeek
By Claire Lee
U.S. aid cuts come at deadly moment for malaria control
By Eric Randolph
MBS torn between Trump and Saudi people on potential Israel deal
By Sam Dagher and Fiona MacDonald
Musk creates new power base in Washington with takeover of U.S. agencies
By Tim Reid and Marisa Taylor

Sports

Japan's Kaori Sakamoto celebrates after finishing in third place at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Grenoble, France on Dec. 7, 2024.
Olympics on horizon as China hosts Asian Winter Games
By Mary Yang
The Games crucially come just a year ahead of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
NFL heralds helmet technology for reduction in concussions
By Amy Tennery
Warriors reportedly land Heat's Jimmy Butler in multi-team trade
Howe's master-plan pays off as Newcastle reach Wembley again
By Martyn Herman
Beauden Barrett wants Japan back in expanded Super Rugby
By Nick Mulvenney

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump's imposed and since paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico, coupled with his broad levies on China — and possibly others soon — pose risks of economic retaliation, supply chain disruptions and long-term damage to U.S. influence.
The tariff man is making a risky bet
Carla Norrlof
The optimal tariff argument ignores the substantial risks that Trump is taking. A generalized trade war will make everyone worse off.
Fossil fuel insurance is still way too cheap
By Alexander Pui and Walter James
DeepSeek’s breakthroughs are too big for the U.S. to ban
By Catherine Thorbecke
The U.S. must avoid isolationism — a path to nowhere
By Max Hastings
Ishiba will finally meet Trump, but expectations need to be kept low
By Edo Naito

ENVIRONMENT

A climate change demonstrator takes part in a protest to denounce the impact of U.S. politics on climate change, outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Jan. 11.
Top climate scientist declares 2 degrees Celsius climate goal 'dead'
A stark new analysis concludes that Earth's climate is more sensitive to rising greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought.
Trump’s freeze on climate money sows fear and confusion
By Zahra Hirji and Danielle Bochove
These roads aren’t built for wilder weather driven by climate change
By Kendra Pierre-Louis
Mitsubishi reviews Japanese offshore wind after economic changes
By Shoko Oda
Brazil's carbon trade takes off, but agribusiness escapes scrutiny
By Andre Cabette Fabio

CULTURE

A 45-year-old widow (Takako Matsu) repeatedly travels back in time to meet her future — and late — husband (Hokuto Matsumura) in “First Kiss.”
‘First Kiss’: Time-traveling romantic drama isn’t afraid of a few wrinkles
By James Hadfield
Ayuko Tsukahara’s high-concept love story has wit and wisdom to spare with an endearing screen couple at its center.
Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto awarded Grammy for best new age album
By Alyssa I. Smith
In pictures: The Grammys 2025 moments to remember
By Maggy Donaldson
Beyonce finally wins top album, as Kendrick Lamar sweeps Grammys' rap category
By Maggy Donaldson
Taiwan's 'Meteor Garden' star Barbie Hsu dies at 48

LIFE

The bestselling Switch has a confirmed successor, but what little we know about the Switch 2 console so far raises some concerns about its longterm viability in a crowded gaming market.
Making sense of Nintendo’s tight-lipped Switch 2 reveal
By Owen Ziegler
Nintendo will remain mum on details until April, but questions on how its new console fits into the modern gaming landscape abound.
Novel seafood noodles become flavor of the moment in Tokyo
Sipping down the rabbit hole at Craft Sake Shoten
By Melinda Joe
Gaming’s feminine side is starting to make big bucks
By Samantha Low
First official survey set to change backcountry Hokkaido skiing
By Justin Randall

COMMUNITY

Billed as a “cultural bridge that connects Japan and Vietnam,” Tet Viet Saitama drew tens of thousands of attendees from across the Kanto region.
Home away from home: My first time at a Tet festival in Japan
By Nguyen Bao Anh
A longtime resident of Japan attends Saitama’s first public celebration of Vietnam’s most important holiday.
Ken Rodgers, a fixture of the Kyoto literary scene, dies at 72
By Eric Johnston
Kenny Colvin: ‘Work hard, drink hard, eat hard … relax hard’
By Mike Fu
Namnam reborn: A queer, anarchist space resettles in Tokyo's Koenji
By Aku Owaka-Haigh
Due north: Foreign-born guides introduce Hokkaido’s unique charms
By Justin Randall

Editors' Picks

SUMO
No Paris Syndrome for Japan’s national sport
By John Gunning
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (left) describes a detail of a mawashi presented as a gift to French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace in 1999.
JAPAN
Excitement for the Osaka Expo is low. Can organizers build hype?
By Joel Tansey
The Osaka Expo site on Yumeshima island in December. A survey of 3,000 people from across Japan conducted in October by the Mitsubishi Research Institute showed that just 24% of respondents expressed an interest in attending the Osaka Expo.
BUSINESS
Fuji Media’s crisis entices investors betting on changes
By Bret Okeson, Hideyuki Sano and Lisa Du
While Fuji Media Holdings is known for its iconic sphere-and-lattice headquarters in the Odaiba district near Tokyo Bay, it also owns office buildings, condominiums, hotels, nursing homes, logistic facilities, resorts and even two aquariums.
BUSINESS
Job-hopping Japanese workers push salaries higher
By Kazuaki Nagata
Japanese workers are increasingly job-hopping from one full-time position to another.
CULTURE
At the new Ginza Sony Park, listening is an art form
By Patrick St. Michel
In addition to the commercial benefits from Ginza Sony Park's music-centered exhibition — such as promoting Sony's artists and products — there is a real effort to put music in focus.

Podcast

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

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Ex.Portal By Synergy Media Specialists

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers
mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Tokyo police arrest brothel operator catering to foreign tourists
English-language signs and other materials seized from men’s aesthetic salon Sparaku by the Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward
JAPAN
Record-breaking snowfall hits Hokkaido as cold front sweeps Japan
By Jessica Speed
Snow-covered streets in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Nissan shares plunge, Honda's rise as end to merger talks reported
By Maki Shiraki and Daniel Leussink
Talks by Honda and Nissan to create the world’s third-largest carmaker have gone haltingly since the plans were first announced in December.
SUMO
No Paris Syndrome for Japan’s national sport
By John Gunning
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (left) describes a detail of a mawashi presented as a gift to French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace in 1999.