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February 24, 2025
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February 24, 2025
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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.
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.
Efrat Machikawa 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.
German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz reacts after the exit poll results are announced in Berlin on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
German election victor Merz plans pivot from U.S. as coalition talks loom
By Sarah Marsh and Matthias Williams
Friedrich Merz and his opposition conservatives have vowed to help give Europe "real independence" from the U.S. as he looks to cobble together a government.
Toyota unveils a part of Woven City in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Toyota unveils Woven City to test future mobility
The demonstration city includes roads dedicated to automated mobility on the ground and "logistics streets."
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

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.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet people gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Sunday to celebrate the emperor's 65th birthday on the 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.
Japan wary of North Korea's practical combat experience in Ukraine war
Remembering a father who stopped smiling after the war
Hidankyo leader regrets Japan's dodging of upcoming nuclear ban meet
Man served fresh warrant over murder and robbery in Osaka Prefecture

BUSINESS

Elon Musk's Starlink is facing challenges from a Chinese state-backed rival and another service financed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.
Musk's Starlink races with Chinese rivals to dominate satellite internet
By Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Eduardo Baptista, Lisandra Paraguassu and Ricardo Brito
China's rush to occupy more of lower-Earth orbit makes Western policymakers worry it could extend the reach of Beijing's internet censorship regime.
Goods are transported through a business district in Dongguan, in China’s southern Guangdong province.
Trump tariffs shake up China's factory heartland
By Peter CATTERALL
The U.S. president has targeted friend and foe alike since taking office a month ago, notably slapping additional 10% duties on products imported from China.
Fish-gathering plate proves a big hit with anglers
Bain seen as preferred bidder for Seven & I supermarket business
Australia fines Telegram for delay to answers on child abuse, terror
By Renju Jose
Is Xi’s sudden embrace of business for real? China is left guessing
By Li Yuan

WORLD

People visit the graves of relatives who were killed during Russia's attack on Ukraine, during a large-scale light installation Lights of Memory, as they mark the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, at the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, on Sunday.
Ukraine hemmed in as U.S. backing frays three years after Russian invasion
By Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash
Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died and over 6 million live as refugees abroad since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion by land, sea and air.
Nuns pray at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital, where Pope Francis is hospitalized for pneumonia in Rome, on Sunday
Pope Francis remains critical and has 'slight' kidney issue, Vatican says
By Joshua McElwee
The pope is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
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
Hezbollah chief vows 'resistance' as masses mourn Nasrallah
By Laure AL KHOURY
Nepal community fights to save sacred forests from cable cars
By Anup OJHA

Sports

Shohei Ohtani 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.
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
Mikaela Shiffrin earns historic 100th World Cup victory
Liverpool strikes potentially decisive blow in Premier League title race

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

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
‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight
By Mark Schilling

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

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.
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
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.
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

JAPAN
U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule
By Martin Fackler
U.S. Marines during training in Okinawa last month.
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.
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.
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.
WORLD
Israel prepares to receive six more Gaza hostages as Bibas body identified
By James Mackenzie and Maayan Lubell
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.