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March 04, 2025
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March 04, 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after clash with Zelenskyy
The pause will last until the U.S. president determines the country’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace, a senior defense official said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that if Japan and China try to weaken their currencies and put the United States "at a very unfair disadvantage," he could impose fresh tariffs on them.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump, claiming Japan guiding yen lower, hints at fresh tariffs
The U.S. president said that if Tokyo tries to weaken its currency and put the United States "at a very unfair disadvantage," he could unleash more measures.
A Seven & I Holdings special committee reviewing a proposed takeover by Alimentation Couche-Tard decided in favor of keeping the Japanese convenience store chain independent because of antitrust concerns in the U.S., according to a media report.
BUSINESS / Companies
Seven & I to reject Couche-Tard’s buyout proposal, report says
A special committee reviewing the offer decided in favor of keeping the Japanese convenience store chain independent because of antitrust concerns in the U.S.
Trucks wait in line to cross into the United States near the border customs control at the World Trade Bridge, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, last November.
BUSINESS / Markets
Trump says Canada, Mexico tariffs to take effect Tuesday, roiling markets
By David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland
CEOs and economists say the action will deal a serious setback to the highly integrated North American economy.
Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
Stakeholders in Suginami Ward have been fighting against a road development plan for some years — but economic forces are already transforming the neighborhood.
Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.

JAPAN

Firefighters work to extinguish the forest fire in the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in this screenshot of a video footage from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency on Friday.
Why the latest Iwate wildfire is so difficult to extinguish
By Yukana Inoue
The unusually dry weather, strong winds, the prefecture's mountainous terrain — as well as what's known as a fire cycle — have made the situation worse than usual.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions during a Lower House Budget Committee meeting at parliament on Monday.
Ishiba says Japan won't take sides in U.S. row with Ukraine
By Jesse Johnson
The Japanese leader sought to strike a balance for Japan, the sole Asian G7 member, in its alliance with the U.S. and its longstanding support for Kyiv.
At first news conference, Prince Hisahito pledges to fulfill royal duties
Japan's Iwasawa elected as head of International Court of Justice
Japanese destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait for just second time
'Your Name.' anime producer jailed over obscene acts against minors

BUSINESS

The higher cost of food is forcing Japanese consumers to scrimp and bargain hunt as their purchasing power drops.
Japan’s consumers hunt for bargains as food inflation bites
By Yui Hasebe, Koh Yoshida and Haruka Iwai
The prices of staples such as rice, eggs and cabbage have all surged in the past 12 months.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
Xi prepares to unveil China stimulus plan as trade war heats up
AI breakthroughs and Xi’s recent embrace of private entrepreneurs have driven a rally ahead of the National People’s Congress.
Japan small-cap fund tops rivals with stocks few analysts cover
By Aya Wagatsuma
Toyota to hand out shareholder perks to entice retail investors
By Momoka Yokoyama and Aya Wagatsuma
TSMC unveils $100 billion in new U.S. investment, joined by Trump
By Stephanie Lai, Debby Wu and Ian King
Japanese stocks stalled at 1989 levels as investors weigh tariffs and rates
By Kazuaki Nagata

WORLD

Bybit, one of the biggest crypto exchanges, was forced to borrow from other platforms and use its own treasury funds to replace the roughly 515,000 tokens, mostly Ether but also derivatives of the coin, that were stolen in the North Korean attack.
North Korea’s $1.5 billion heist puts the crypto world on notice
Cybersecurity researchers quickly concluded that the era of giant digital-asset heists had entered a new and potentially ruinous phase following the theft.
A Rohingya girl feeds a child from a jar carrying the USAID logo at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Feb. 11.
USAID official put on leave after warning of deaths due to Trump's aid block
By Andrea Shalal
The Trump administration announced last week that it was canceling nearly 10,000 foreign aid grants and contracts worth almost $60 billion, ending about 90% of USAID's global work.
North Korea slams U.S. 'provocations' over aircraft carrier visit to Busan
Animal rights activists in India offer robot elephants to replace real ones
By Satish BABU
Egypt's alternative to Trump's 'Gaza Riviera' aims to sideline Hamas
By Andrew Mills
Israeli fire kills two Palestinians in Gaza amid impasse over ceasefire
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

Sports

The figure skater Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents when an army helicopter collided with a passenger jet above the Potomac River, drops to his knees in tears on the ice at the Legacy on Ice tribute in Washington on Saturday.
Figure skating stars pay an emotional tribute to the Washington plane crash victims
By Juliet Macur
Dozens of stars from the sport, going back decades, attended the benefit.
Alcaraz guns for Indian Wells three-peat as Sinner serves ban
By Rory Carroll
Houston Dash forward Yuki Nagasato retires after storied career
Jose Altuve takes on challenge of learning to play left field for Astros
By Chandler Rome
Federica Brignone wins super-G to extend overall World Cup lead

Opinion

To achieve a stable supply chain and propel semiconductor innovation, Japan's government and chipmakers are increasingly building bridges with foreign firms.
Japan is no island when it comes to semiconductors. Rightly so.
Andrew Capistrano
To achieve a stable supply chain and propel semiconductor innovation, Japan's government and chipmakers are increasingly building bridges with foreign firms.
In chip renaissance, Japan is learning from past mistakes
By Kazuto Suzuki
You might have plastic in your brain. Don’t panic — yet.
By F.D. Flam
The Oval Office meeting that damaged America’s standing
By Bret Stephens
Trump’s Oval Office clash with Zelenskyy was a win for Putin
By Andreas Kluth

ENVIRONMENT

Nauru is selling citizenship to fund its retreat from rising seas as other climate finance runs dry.
Nauru sells citizenship to fund climate change mitigation
By Laura Chung
The island nation of around 13,000 residents is planning a mass inland relocation as creeping seas start to eat away at its fertile coastal fringe.
Turning waste into wealth with insect-based biotech
By Angelyn Labadan
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

CULTURE

Kumi Takiuchi plays a prostitute talking about her life’s pains and pleasures in detail to a psychiatrist in “Reveal.”
‘Reveal’: Kumi Takiuchi’s performance stuns in one-woman film
By Mark Schilling
Kazuyoshi Okuyama’s powerful drama about a sex worker baring her soul features its lead actor emoting nearly nonstop with no cuts.
Small-budget sex worker romp 'Anora' triumphs at Oscars
By Huw Griffith
South Korean fans soak up nostalgia with vintage Japanese superheroes
By Kang Jin-kyu
‘Demon City’: Live-action manga adaptation is ultra-violent — and ultra-dull
By James Hadfield
Actor Gene Hackman and wife found dead alongside dog at home

LIFE

Yarn shortages are a sign that hobbies like knitting and crochet are gaining in popularity.
‘Granny hobbies’ are the new self-care
By Yuko Tamura
Pastimes long associated with Japanese grandparents are booming on social media as young people look for new (old) ways to relax.
Stories from behind the bar at Shinjuku's Golden Gai
By Mika Inoue
Toyama’s finest seafood underpins Ebitei Bekkan’s return to greatness
By Robbie Swinnerton
A French shepherd’s pie that's Japanese on the inside
By Simon Daly
Brats, rebels and rascals: Finding the right word for mischievous kids
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
Stakeholders in Suginami Ward have been fighting against a road development plan for some years — but economic forces are already transforming the neighborhood.
How a Canadian missionary found spiritual transformation in Shikoku
By Suzanne Kamata
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

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Why the latest Iwate wildfire is so difficult to extinguish
By Yukana Inoue
Firefighters work to extinguish the forest fire in the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in this screenshot of a video footage from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency on Friday.
ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s climate heroes show potential and limits of local initiatives
By Tomoko Otake
Hidetaka Ishii, an official at the Chiba Municipal Government, says close coordination with private-sector operators is key for regional decarbonization efforts.
LIFE
Aboard Japan’s most luxurious train, the journey is the destination
By Erik Augustin Palm
The luxury Seven Stars in Kyushu train trades the hyper-efficiency of typical rail travel in Japan for a slower, more decadent version.
CULTURE
Taiwan comics on the rise: Local storytellers, global aspirations
By Mike Fu
Taiwanese comic artist Rishiazao and interpreter Yun-wen Huang greet an attendee at the 2025 Angouleme International Comics Festival in France.
LIFE
Not even Japan is safe from counterfeit luxury goods
By Carol R.H. Malasig
While Japan's luxury goods market remains strong, its seconhand resale market is proving just as much a draw for tourists searching for great bargains — as long as they can manage to get their hands on the real deal.

Podcast

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

Longform

Pedestrians commute through Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, an area that is almost never devoid of people.
As the rest of Japan shrinks, Tokyo grows
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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Cainz enriches lives and communities through DIY

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Seven & I and Nissan deal fallout leaves Japan companies vulnerable
The rapid collapse of the plan to take Seven & I private reflects how personal egos and domestic competitiveness ultimately outweighed the nationalistic desire to fend off Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard, whose pursuit of the Japanese retailer emerged last August.
ASIA PACIFIC
China’s military puts Pacific on notice as U.S. priorities shift
By Chris Buckley and Damien Cave
A photo released by the Australia Defense Force showed an Australian Navy ship in the foreground and two Chinese navy ships in the Tasman Sea in February.
LIFE
Not even Japan is safe from counterfeit luxury goods
By Carol R.H. Malasig
While Japan's luxury goods market remains strong, its seconhand resale market is proving just as much a draw for tourists searching for great bargains — as long as they can manage to get their hands on the real deal.
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
7-Eleven owner to appoint first foreign CEO, report says
By Kanoko Matsuyama
Seven & I Holdings CEO Ryuichi Isaka is stepping down from his position, the Nikkei newspaper has reported.