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January 16, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
January 16, 2025
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Self-Defense Forces members search for victims in Kobe's Nagata Ward on Jan. 28, 1995, in the wake of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
JAPAN / Politics
Hanshin quake sparked changes to Japan's disaster response policies
By Eric Johnston
Having outlined the Self-Defense Forces' active role and support for victims, the government now aims to set up a new central agency for disaster relief.

More coverage

Man born on day of Kobe quake strives to brighten lives
Self-Defense Forces members search for victims in Kobe's Nagata Ward on Jan. 28, 1995, in the wake of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Fuji TV in the Odaiba waterfront area in Tokyo in 2021
JAPAN
Fuji TV scrutinized over handling of allegations against ex-SMAP member Nakai
By Karin Kaneko
The scandal has sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning Fuji TV’s corporate governance and crisis management.
A map of the hypocentral region of an anticipated Nankai Trough earthquake
JAPAN / Science & Health
Possibility of Nankai Trough megaquake now 80%, government panel reports
By Yukana Inoue
Last year, the likelihood of an earthquake in the zone had been projected at “between 70% and 80%.”
A police officer stands guard near a McDonald's outlet in Kitakyushu on Dec. 15, a day after two teens were stabbed inside the restaurant, one fatally.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Kitakyushu stabbing suspect claims targeted teens 'mocked' him
Fukuoka Prefectural Police are investigating the murder case, suspecting that the anger was triggered by a one-sided grievance.
Akutagawa Prize winners (from left) Jose Ando, author of "Dtopia" and Yui Suzuki, author of "Goethe wa Subete o Itta," and Naoki Prize winner Shin Iyohara, author of "Ai o Tsugu Umi."
CULTURE / Books
Japan's most prestigious literary awards go to a trio of contemporary voices
By Alyssa I. Smith
Jose Ando and Yui Suzuki take home Akutagawa honors, while Shin Iyohara nabs the Naoki Prize.
Akutagawa Prize winners (from left) Jose Ando, author of "Dtopia" and Yui Suzuki, author of "Goethe wa Subete o Itta," and Naoki Prize winner Shin Iyohara, author of "Ai o Tsugu Umi."

JAPAN

U.K. Secretary of State for Defence John Healey (center left) shakes hands with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (center right) at the Ministry of Defence in London on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. defense chiefs talk of deepening ties as fighter program progresses
By Gabriel Dominguez
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his British counterpart backed the quick formation of a joint venture for developing their new fighter jet with Italy.
MUFG Bank's Nerima branch in Tokyo, where a former employee allegedly stole customer assets from safe deposit boxes
MUFG Bank punishes execs over customer asset thefts
President Junichi Hanzawa will take a 30% cut in monthly pay for three months.
Ishiba Cabinet approval inches up to 28.2%
Ex-nursery worker ruled not guilty over girl's death in 2017
U.S. approves sale of air-to-surface missiles to Japan
Mission of Japan to NATO separates from the Japanese Embassy in Brussels

BUSINESS

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket streaks into orbit after launching from the Kennedy Space Center on its maiden flight, at Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday.
Blue Origin rocket lifts off in major test in SpaceX rivalry
By Loren Grush
The firm's new flagship rocket thundered off the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida at 2:03 a.m. local time on Thursday.
KKR is discussing investing several hundred billion yen for an equity stake in the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores.
KKR considers joining Seven & I management buyout after Apollo
By Taro Fuse and Hideki Suzuki
The U.S. firm is discussing investing several hundred billion yen for an equity stake in the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores.
TikTok allies close to Trump and Biden race to delay ban
By John Harney
Japan's producer price index hit record high in 2024
Hino Motors reaches $1.6 billion U.S. diesel emissions settlement
By David Shepardson
Webtoon invests in Japanese webcomic studio No. 9 as manga booms
By Sohee Kim

WORLD

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House in Washington in November last year.
Biden to hand unfinished agenda to Trump for a chaotic Middle East
By Matt Spetalnick
Joe Biden's Middle East record is likely to be remembered not so much for how conflicts ended on his watch, but mainly for how they unfolded.
Firefighters battle flames during the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 7
Hundreds of firefighters 'just get up and go' to aid Los Angeles
By Lisa Richwine
"We all got into this as a service, to make somebody's day better at the worst time."
Los Angeles wildfires test how Democrats aim to counter Trump
By Justin Sink
Biden warns U.S. faces oligarchy as Trump looms over legacy
By Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal
South Korean president’s arrest shows peril as Trump returns
By Soo-hyang Choi
How many Palestinians has Israel's Gaza offensive killed?
By Emma Farge and Nidal al-Mughrabi

Sports

Ichiro Suzuki had 1,278 hits and a .353 batting average in nine seasons with the BlueWave in NPB.
Ichiro voted into Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
By Jason Coskrey
Former players Hitoki Iwase and Masayuki Kakefu and former Central League umpire Hiroya Tomizawa were also voted into the Hall.
Coffee lovers find grounds for complaint at Australian Open
Chiefs set to begin quest for three-peat with matchup against Texans
Dominant Iga Swiatek sets up clash against Emma Raducanu at Australian Open
Tiger Woods has no news on status of Genesis Invitational amid wildfires

Opinion

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October. India's outreach to China may be a strategy to gain leverage over the U.S. and secure support amid domestic and international challenges.
As Trump returns, Sino-Indian relations are changing
Debasish Roy Chowdhury
The shift in relations stems from America’s declining leadership and China and India’s bid for leverage.
Elon Musk won’t save TikTok
By Catherine Thorbecke
Trump’s immigration crackdown will be swift and ugly. Here’s how.
By Patricia Lopez
Hong Kong-dollar peg makes less sense than ever
By Shuli Ren
There is no place for ‘madmen’ in international diplomacy
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

Rescue workers search a flooded area during the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which caused severe floods at the Chikuma River, in the city of Nagano in October 2019.
Disaster-hardened Japan faces enormous costs from climate change
By Anton L. Delgado
The total cost in climate damages for the country through 2050 could amount to ¥952 trillion if more ambitious action isn't taken.
Europe threatens to trigger a global scramble for natural gas
By Anna Shiryaevskaya, Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Stephen Stapczynski and Ruth Liao
In Brazil, an Amazon reforestation project seeks to redeem carbon markets
By Anna PELEGRI
The 'climate archive': How scientists study the ancient past
By Benjamin Legendre
Study documents extinction threats to world's freshwater species
By Will Dunham

CULTURE

Akutagawa Prize winners (from left) Jose Ando, author of "Dtopia" and Yui Suzuki, author of "Goethe wa Subete o Itta," and Naoki Prize winner Shin Iyohara, author of "Ai o Tsugu Umi."
Japan's most prestigious literary awards go to a trio of contemporary voices
By Alyssa I. Smith
Jose Ando and Yui Suzuki take home Akutagawa honors, while Shin Iyohara nabs the Naoki Prize.
‘Muromachi Outsiders’: Yo Oizumi commands attention in rebellion tale
By James Hadfield
The unnervingly timed return of ‘Squid Game’
By Erik Augustin Palm
Isekai anime offers a key to understanding globalization
By Stevie Suan
An explosive B’z set on ‘Kohaku’ hints at a strategy to win over viewers
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

It's taken Takuma Watanabe little time to establish himself as one of New York's hottest bartenders.
From Tokyo to Manhattan, Takuma Watanabe stirs up a stiff drink
By Mike Fu
Tokyo native Takuma Watanabe offers a formidable addition to New York’s pantheon of cocktail bars.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?
By Tomoko Otake
‘Dorayaki’ creators say flavors trump the dessert’s murky origins
By Cassandra Lord
The case for Japan-ifying everything you cook
By Simon Daly
Can an international makeover help Tokyo salons meet foreign demand?
By Laura Pollacco

COMMUNITY

Lantoko, a company operated by Taiwan native Ping-Fang Lan, offers drift ice walking tours and other exhilarating experiences in and around Shiretoko National Park.
Due north: Foreign-born guides introduce Hokkaido’s unique charms
By Justin Randall
With adventure tourism on the rise in Hokkaido, a new generation of foreign-born guides is eager to greet travelers.
Kaz Shiomi: ‘I want to show people … how to color outside the lines’
By Laura Pollacco
There were plenty of hot topics to opine on in 2024
By Gendel Gento, Kimberly Hughes, Ora Margolis, David McElhinney, Zoria Petkoska, Justin Randall, Himari Semans, Patrick St. Michel and Ansel Swindells
A holiday season built on creativity and care
By Baye McNeil
From the stage to the streets, make a difference this holiday season
By Kimberly Hughes

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
With new regional party, Shinji Ishimaru touts rebirth
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Shinji Ishimaru announces details of his new regional party at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Nippon Steel’s case against Biden probably unwinnable, attorneys argue
By Elizabeth Beattie
U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Braddock, Pennsylvannia, in 2019. Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel face significant legal challenges in their case against the United States.
BUSINESS
Japanese companies rush to up English-language disclosures in 2025
By Kazuaki Nagata
The Tokyo Stock Exchange will soon require some companies to publish their financials in English in addition to Japanese.
JAPAN
Tokyo plans to subsidize epidurals, but are hospitals ready?
By Tomoko Otake
Epidurals during childbirth have long been uncommon in Japan, though they have been growing more popular in recent years.
COMMUNITY
Due north: Foreign-born guides introduce Hokkaido’s unique charms
By Justin Randall
Lantoko, a company operated by Taiwan native Ping-Fang Lan, offers drift ice walking tours and other exhilarating experiences in and around Shiretoko National Park.

Podcast

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

Longform

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?
By Tomoko Otake

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Japan avoids commenting on Cleveland-Cliffs CEO's provocative comment
By Francis Tang and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Cleveland-Cliffs is reportedly in talks with North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor to acquire U.S. Steel.
JAPAN
Miyazaki quake falls short of triggering Nankai Trough megaquake advisory
By Yukana Inoue
A mirror reflects a collapsed house in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Dec. 10, nearly one year after a major earthquake struck nearby on New Year's Day in 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC
South Korean investigators question arrested President Yoon in insurrection probe
By Hyunsu Yim and Ju-min Park
A screen displays a news report on the arrest of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Wednesday. Investigators arrested Yoon after launching a pre-dawn operation to bring the impeached leader in for questioning over his short-lived martial law declaration.
BUSINESS
BlackRock quits climate group as Wall Street lowers environmental profile
By Ross Kerber
In November, BlackRock and rivals were sued by Texas and 10 other Republican-led states that claimed their activism cut coal production and boosted energy prices.
ASIA PACIFIC
Crashed Jeju jet’s black box failure shows decadeslong gap in power rules
By Allyson Versprille, Heejin Kim and Siddharth Philip
The flight data recorder retrieved from Jeju Air flight 2216, which crashed killing 179 people in December. Black boxes holding the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for the flight stopped recording four minutes before the disaster, South Korea's transport ministry said Saturday.