Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 15℃
TOKYO
March 24, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
March 24, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
BOJ
Tokyo Series
Latest News
Deep Dive
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
The head of the Self-Defense Forces' new Joint Operations Command, Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo, inspects an honor guard Monday morning at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Japan launches new Joint Operations Command to unify SDF branches
By Jesse Johnson
The new command will allow for the smoother integration of operations across domains to prepare for and respond to possible emergencies.
The head of the Self-Defense Forces' new Joint Operations Command, Gen. Kenichiro Nagumo, inspects an honor guard Monday morning at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
A photo posted on the X account for the transport ministry's Matsuyama branch in Ehime Prefecture shows a wildfire in the city of Imabari on Sunday night.
JAPAN
Firefighters and SDF battle wildfires spreading in Okayama and Ehime
By Yukana Inoue
This is the second time the country has seen an unusually large wildfire in recent weeks, following one in Iwate Prefecture last month.
The latest results are likely to increase doubts within the party about Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s leadership going into the Upper House election in the summer.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba’s approval ratings continue to fall amid gift voucher backlash
By Eric Johnston
The latest results are likely to increase doubts within the party about Ishiba’s leadership going into the Upper House election.
New Japanese passports will be printed using laser technology based on banknote printing techniques, making forgery more difficult.
JAPAN
Applications for forgery-proof passports start in Japan
By Karin Kaneko
Passports issued for applications submitted from Monday onward will feature a new design.
Workers at the Cosco Shipping Holding shipyard in Qidong, Jiangsu province, China, on Oct. 8, 2024
BUSINESS / Economy
Billion-dollar U.S. levies on Chinese ships risk ‘trade apocalypse’
By Laura Curtis, James Attwood and Weilun Soon
The levies could theoretically generate between $40 billion and $52 billion for U.S. coffers.
Workers at the Cosco Shipping Holding shipyard in Qidong, Jiangsu province, China, on Oct. 8, 2024

JAPAN

Blooms are seen on the Meteorological Agency's sample cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Monday.
Cherry blossom season kicks off in Tokyo after warm weekend
By Jessica Speed
At approximately 2 p.m. Monday, the Meteorological Agency announced that its reference Somei-Yoshino cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine was officially in bloom.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center left) at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Friday.
Japan protests China’s description of Ishiba and Wang meeting
Japan’s protests come amid increased tension in the region as countries brace for the impact of additional U.S. tariffs.
Brazil's Lula to build trade ties with Japan during state visit
Japan protests China’s description of Ishiba and Wang meeting
Battle of Okinawa survivor passes down memories of war
Japan's first non-Japanese swordsmith opens Hiroshima workshop

BUSINESS

A commercial fishing boat leaves the port in Point Judith, Rhode Island, on March 13, as cuts by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration imperil key fishing data and research.
Trump’s regulatory freeze throws U.S. fishing industry into chaos
By Valerie Volcovici, Leah Douglas and Gloria Dickie
The freeze allowed overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna in waters off North Carolina.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with C.C. Wei, chief executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., at a news conference in Washington on March 3.
Tariff threats spur TSMC’s Taiwan peers to seek U.S. expansion
By Jane Lanhee Lee and Debby Wu
Taiwanese electronic firms' migration of manufacturing to the U.S. has accelerated from previous years as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens more trade barriers.
India set to ditch $23B plan to rival China factories after it disappoints
By Sarita Chaganti Singh and Shivangi Acharya
Elliott said to have built up significant stake in Sumitomo Realty
China promotes business potential to Apple and others from U.S.
By Liz Lee
Houthi attacks forcing 75% of U.S.-flagged ships to take longer route, U.S. says

WORLD

A firefighter works at a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv on Sunday.
Ukraine and U.S. teams hold talks in Saudi Arabia, with U.S. envoy hopeful on ending war
By Pavel Polityuk and Pesha Magid
Moscow agreed to a U.S. proposal to stop attacks on energy infrastructure but both Russia and Ukraine have reportedly continued strikes.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney gestures as he boards an aircraft, after calling for an election, in Ottawa on Sunday.
Carney calls snap election, saying Trump wants to break Canada
By David Ljunggren and fergal smith
In calling the election now, Carney is hoping to capitalize on a remarkable recovery by his Liberal Party in the polls since January.
U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine begin in Saudi Arabia
By Sofiane Alsaar
Thousands of agents diverted to Trump immigration crackdown
By Brad Heath, Joshua Schneyer, Marisa Taylor, Sarah N. Lynch and Mike Spector
South Korean court reinstates PM Han Duck-soo as acting president
By Joyce Lee and Jihoon Lee
Xi must stop fentanyl flow before tariff talks, Trump ally says

Sports

Onosato celebrates after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on Sunday.
Ozeki Onosato on doorstep of yokozuna promotion after latest title
By John Gunning
The Nishonoseki stable star was the class of the field once again in Kansai.
Mauricio Pochettino says U.S. has time to get on track before World Cup
Viktor Hovland ends PGA title drought Valspar Championship
Lando Norris excited about prospect of battling teammate Oscar Piastri for title
Wild card Alexandra Eala stuns Australian Open champion Madison Keys in Miami

Opinion

At the inauguration of a factory owned by Japanese power electronics manufacturer TMEIC in Tumakuru, India, in 2017. Although Japanese companies have become a significant presence in India, the flow of fresh investment has slowed down.
Japan-India business ties can go the extra mile
Chitrali Parashar
After remarkable growth, Japan-India business ties are plateauing. Companies on both sides need help from their governments to promote more understanding and, hence, opportunities.
I don’t believe a single word Trump and Putin say about Ukraine
By Thomas L. Friedman
Cutting the department of education is theater, not a plan
By Mary Ellen Klas
Thirty years later, Aum Shinrikyo’s horrors are ever-present
Europe’s risk aversion comes with consequences
By Allison Schrager

ENVIRONMENT

Ice is seen on the Pastoruri glacier in the Peruvian Andes, Peru, in May 2024.
World's glaciers are losing record ice as global temperatures climb, U.N. says
By Alexander Villegas
Glaciers are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record.
Why we should worry when whales stop singing
By Todd Woody
What the $660 million Greenpeace verdict means for U.S. activism
By Olivia Raimonde and Zahra Hirji
In the remote Amazon, midwives care for women stranded by drought
By Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni
Extreme weather in 2024 forced most people to flee in 16 years
By Aaron Clark

CULTURE

AMKK’s latest exhibition, “X-Ray Flowers,” is the culmination of seven years of work aided by CT technologists, who help with the highly specialized imaging techniques.
Avant-garde botanists AMKK illuminate the inner worlds of flowers
By Kim Kahan
The punk florists' latest exhibition immerses visitors in darkness, bathed only in the glow of X-rays and CT scans of plants and flowers.
'One Hundred Flowers': A moving exploration of loss, love and living with dementia
By Kris Kosaka
Osaka’s kabuki fan culture fueled an elusive figure of the ukiyo-e scene
By Martin Laflamme
Virtual idols, real fans: Hololive’s bet on the future of pop
By Patrick St. Michel
‘My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999’ shows that even stoic gamers can fall in love
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

A sign at Tokyo's Haneda Airport shows users the way to the monorail in four different languages.
Can we make it official? Language in the age of Trump.
By Peter Backhaus
The United States made English its main language, but in Japan things seem to be heading in a different way.
World’s first public bonsai museum reopens after renovations
By Erik Augustin Palm
Now is the time to discover this Japanese mountain vegetable
By Elizabeth Andoh
At Osaka's Haraiso Sparkle, curry with a side of city pop
By Eric Millman
Assassin’s Creed Shadows puts samurai style over substance
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Megumi Koiwai (left) found refuge in writing and storytelling that allowed her to reconcile with her heritage and upbringing.
A community of stories: Making space for reflection and dialogue in Tokyo and beyond
By Megumi Koiwai
Through conversations with an international writing workshop, a writer of mixed heritage finds steadier footing and a sense of self.
Edanoshin Katsura: ‘Rakugo and techno are both about rhythm and groove’
By Wakaba Oto
A shy cat looking for a new start
From abandoned houses to ‘creative communities’: An Ishinomaki entrepreneur's vision for rural Japan
By Florentyna Leow
A shy Shiba mix is ready to bloom

Editors' Picks

BUSINESS
Japanese wages likely to rise more than 5% again this year
By Kazuaki Nagata
Wages are set for another big increase this year as annual negotiations secure generous agreements.
JAPAN
Stay at home if Mount Fuji erupts, government panel says
By Yukana Inoue
Mount Fuji in November. For the first time, the government has released specific guidelines on how residents should act in the event that Mount Fuji erupts.
BASEBALL
In pictures: Tokyo's weeklong celebration of baseball's best
Shohei Ohtani belts a home run in the fifth inning of the second game of the Tokyo Series between the Dodgers and Cubs.
JAPAN
What's the fuss over Ishiba's gift vouchers?
By Himari Semans and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waits for a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee to begin in Tokyo on Friday.
BASEBALL
At Tokyo Dome, a stage so big that even Shohei Ohtani felt nervous
By Jason Coskrey
Shohei Ohtani tips his batting helmet during the opening game of the MLB season between the Dodgers and Cubs on Tuesday at Tokyo Dome

Podcast

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

Longform

The sun shines from behind a waving Philippine flag at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Eighty years after the Battle of Manila, old foes forge new ties
By Anton L. Delgado

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Ex.Portal By Synergy Media Specialists

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Yamagata’s Zao Onsen Ski Resort is a classic beauty
Yamagata’s Zao Onsen Ski Resort is a classic beauty

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Trump plans his tariff ‘Liberation Day’ with more targeted push
By Josh Wingrove
U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, on Saturday.
BUSINESS
OpenAI study finds links between ChatGPT use and loneliness
By Rachel Metz
San Francisco-based OpenAI sees the new studies as a way to get a better sense of how people interact with, and are affected by, its popular chatbot.
JAPAN
Stay at home if Mount Fuji erupts, government panel says
By Yukana Inoue
Mount Fuji in November. For the first time, the government has released specific guidelines on how residents should act in the event that Mount Fuji erupts.
BUSINESS
China's restaurants race to the bottom in deflation-hit economy
By Laurie Chen, Tingshu Wang and Xiaoyu Yin
A kitchenware recycling team collects equipment at a closed hotpot restaurant in Beijing last month.
JAPAN
Japan, China and South Korea agree to promote peace and cooperation
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left), Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (center) and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul pose for the cameras during a trilateral meeting in Tokyo on Saturday.