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January 15, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
January 15, 2025
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Cleveland-Cliffs is reportedly in talks with North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor to acquire U.S. Steel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japan avoids commenting on Cleveland-Cliffs CEO's provocative comment
By Francis Tang and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Lourenco Goncalves’ remarks over Nippon Steel’s takeover bid for U.S. Steel and description of Japan as being "evil" stunned many in Tokyo.

More coverage

Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor consider joint bid for U.S. Steel
Ishiba urges Biden to dispel concern about investment in U.S.
Cleveland-Cliffs is reportedly in talks with North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor to acquire U.S. Steel.
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.
JAPAN / Explainer
Miyazaki quake falls short of triggering Nankai Trough megaquake advisory
By Yukana Inoue
Though Monday's temblor struck a similar area to one in August that sparked the first advisory, no such alert was issued.
Epidurals during childbirth have long been uncommon in Japan, though they have been growing more popular in recent years.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Tokyo plans to subsidize epidurals, but are hospitals ready?
By Tomoko Otake
If all goes to plan, Tokyo will be the first to offer prefecture-level financial support for epidurals.
The streets of Susukino district in the city of Sapporo, Hokkaido, in February 2020. Osamu Tamura, 61, is on trial to determine whether he was aware of the alleged actions of his daughter when he drove her to and from the hotel where a 62-year-old man was found dead and beheaded in July 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Father of suspected killer pleads not guilty to aiding Sapporo murder
By Karin Kaneko
Osamu Tamura, 61, is on trial to determine whether he was aware of his daughter's alleged actions.
Staff Sgt. Akihiro Yamamoto reflects on the Great Hanshin Earthquake while looking at materials at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Itami base in city of Itami, Hyogo Prefecture in December.
JAPAN / Society
How the SDF has earned trust through disaster relief efforts
Public sentiment toward the SDF was markedly colder during the Great Hanshin Earthquake, service personnel recall.
Staff Sgt. Akihiro Yamamoto reflects on the Great Hanshin Earthquake while looking at materials at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Itami base in city of Itami, Hyogo Prefecture in December.

JAPAN

Members of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army were visiting their Japanese counterparts and senior Japanese defense officials from Monday through Friday, Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office.
Japan hosts Chinese military delegation in rare visit
The trip was organized after the Japanese and Chinese defense ministers met in November in Laos.
A research team from Nagoya University and other institutions hopes that further testing on humans involving the antioxidant luteolin will lead to the development of a drug for preventing or reducing gray hair.
Antioxidant found in broccoli, celery suppresses gray hair in mice
Researchers hope that further testing on humans could lead to the development of a drug that would prevent or reduce gray hair.
LDP executive urges China to resume fishery imports from Japan
North Korea incited anti-Japan sentiment in the South
Mahjong enjoys new wave of players that spans generations
20-year-olds celebrated in Kobe 30 years after earthquake

BUSINESS

Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino has said that the central bank will raise rates if its outlook continues to be realized.
BOJ deputy chief signals chance of rate hike next week
By Toru Fujioka
Most BOJ watchers see an interest rate hike coming in either January or March.
Toyota is one of many large employers in the U.S. ordering workers to their desks in recent months, ending policies implemented during the COVID pandemic.
Toyota wants salaried staff back in office four days a week
By Jeff Green and Matthew Boyle
Toyota denied the move is designed to reduce headcount but warned failure to comply could lead to "termination of employment.”
Japan business failures top 10,000 in 2024, worst in 11 years
Mitsubishi Corp. quits China metal trading after copper fraud
By Alfred Cang and Koh Yoshida
SoftBank's chip designer Arm considers acquiring Ampere Computing
By Liana Baker, Ryan Gould and Ian King
White House unveils new curbs on exporting Nvidia AI chips
By Mackenzie Hawkins and Jenny Leonard

WORLD

Smoke plumes rise from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday.
Final draft of Gaza truce deal shown to sides after 'breakthrough'
By Andrew Mills and Nidal al-Mughrabi
Both sides are "closer than we've ever been" to a deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Monday.
Oil tanker crew were poised to cut more cables when caught, Finland says
The Eagle S vessel carrying Russian oil is suspected of damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed.
Baltic Sea cables damage can’t be accident, EU tech chief says
By Andrea Palasciano and Oliver Crook
Earthquake shakes Tibetan monasteries; casualties among clergy unknown
By Joe Cash and Ryan Woo
Special counsel report says Trump would have been convicted in election case
By Alan Feuer and Charlie Savage
How China is erasing Tibetan culture, one child at a time
By Chris Buckley

Sports

International Gymnastics Federation chief Morinari Watanabe in Tokyo on Thursday
IOC long shot Watanabe hopes 'crazy' Olympic idea sparks debate
By Andrew MCKIRDY
Morinari Watanabe is proposing to host the Games simultaneously in five cities across five continents.
Rams dominate Vikings in NFL playoff game moved because of LA fires
Medvedev destroys net camera in huge scare against Thai wildcard
By Ian Ransom
'Mind of its own': Raducanu advances despite wayward serve
By Shrivathsa Sridhar
Manchester City mood lifted by three wins, says Guardiola

Opinion

A man stops at a site near a sports center in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, where a deadly car attack in November killed 35 people.  
China's rising violence that could lead to foreign aggression
Irene Chou
While China does have social welfare programs, the current economic system provides insufficient resources for the working class and unemployed individuals.
Japan’s energy plans endanger real climate solutions
By Kimiko Hirata
Trump’s trash talk revives the worst of world politics
By Andreas Kluth
Equitable marriages could save lives (and love)
By Sarah Green Carmichael
Trump 2.0 presents new challenges for Japanese companies
By Jean-Marc F. Blanchard and C. Lawrence Greenwood

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

In season two of "Squid Game," protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returns to put an end to the deadly competition.
The unnervingly timed return of ‘Squid Game’
By Erik Augustin Palm
The show’s themes of wealth disparity and exploitation of power resonate far beyond South Korea, tapping into a universal vein of unease about the unstable systems we live under.
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
‘Unbound’ breaks NHK period drama tradition with a hero of the common folk
By Mark Schilling
‘The Solitary Gourmet’: Palatable movie adaptation may leave you wanting more
By James Hadfield

LIFE

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
Amid a push to digitalize, some experts believe citizens should have the right to stay offline.
The case for Japan-ifying everything you cook
By Simon Daly
Can an international makeover help Tokyo salons meet foreign demand?
By Laura Pollacco
American stationery nerds are fueling a Japanese notebook boom
By Thu-Huong Ha
Japanese ski vocabulary: Hit the books before you hit the slopes
By Eric Margolis

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

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.
MORE SPORTS
30 minutes with Yuzuru Hanyu
By Mai Yoshikawa
Yuzuru Hanyu smiles during an interview in his hometown of Sendai in between performances of his latest tour, Ice Story.
CULTURE
The unnervingly timed return of ‘Squid Game’
By Erik Augustin Palm
In season two of "Squid Game," protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returns to put an end to the deadly competition.
ENVIRONMENT
Disaster-hardened Japan faces enormous costs from climate change
By Anton L. Delgado
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.
LIFE
‘Dorayaki’ creators say flavors trump the dessert’s murky origins
By Cassandra Lord
'Dorayaki' (red bean paste-filled pancakes) are humble treats with delicate sweetness — and the two Tokyo shops who may have created the treat are similarly light-handed in the way they pursue their claims as the originator of the morsel.

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

JAPAN
Strong quake strikes southwestern Japan
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck southwestern Japan at 9:19 p.m. on Monday evening
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
Osaka Expo kicks off pavilion reservation lottery amid sales concerns
The mascot character of the Osaka Expo promotes the event at Tokyo's Haneda Airport last week.
JAPAN
Japan top diplomat visits South Korea amid political turmoil in Seoul
By Jesse Johnson
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, shake hands during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday.
JAPAN
Japan farm ministry aims to dispatch corporate workers to rural areas
To counter the impact of aging rural demographics, the agriculture ministry is introducing a new initiative to dispatch corporate personnel to rural areas to increase the number of people engaged with farming communities.