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January 11, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
January 11, 2025
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A busy street in Tokyo on Dec. 30. The number of influenza patients per clinic, on average, in the final week of December was the highest since health ministry records began in 1999.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japan's health ministry reports record-high flu cases
By Yukana Inoue
In the week through Dec. 29, the total number of reported flu cases was nearly three times the number from the same period in 2023.
A busy street in Tokyo on Dec. 30. The number of influenza patients per clinic, on average, in the final week of December was the highest since health ministry records began in 1999.
Airmen from the U.S. Air Force's 104th Fighter Wing complete post-flight checks on four F-15C fighter jets at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, in October 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC
U.S. falling behind on aircraft shelters in Asia as China’s missile arsenal grows
By Gabriel Dominguez
Beijing has also been making substantial investments to defend, expand and fortify its air bases.
A portion of the Grand Ring at the site of the Osaka Expo during a media tour late last month
JAPAN
Race circuit and resort among post-event proposals for Osaka Expo site
By Yukana Inoue
One proposal envisages an entertainment complex housing a circuit and a large arena.
"This is a year of elections," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center) told peer LDP executives at a party meeting held Tuesday to mark party members' start of work for this year, at LDP headquarters in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Talk of summer double election persists in Japan
The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have agreed to begin preparations for the next Lower House election.
Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada with the countdown clock for the launch of the startup's lunar lander, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Thursday
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japanese space startup readies for second lunar lander launch
By Jessica Speed
Ispace's Resilience lander will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada with the countdown clock for the launch of the startup's lunar lander, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Thursday

JAPAN

A meteorite from Mars found in Antarctica will be shown to the public for the first time at the Japan Pavilion during this year's World Exposition in the city of Osaka.
Japan pavilion to exhibit Mars meteorite at Osaka Expo
The meteorite, collected by an Antarctic research expedition in 2000, will be shown to the public for the first time at the expo.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya speaks at the Foreign Ministry in December.
Japan's top envoy to visit the Philippines next week
The Philippines and Japan are longtime allies of the United States, which has been strengthening its alliances with regional partners in recent years.
In Kuala Lumpur, Ishiba vows to promote security cooperation with Malaysia
Woman apprehended after wielding hammer at university campus in Tokyo
Japan announces new national security adviser
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Japan expands its sanctions against Russia

BUSINESS

A visitor holds a ¥1,000 banknote to offer a prayer on the first business day of the year at the Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo on Monday. The yen has declined against the dollar for four straight years amid a wide gap between interest rates in Japan and the United States.
Yen intervention risk creeps higher as U.S. jobs report approaches
By Mia Glass and Masaki Kondo
The yen is within reach of ¥160 per dollar, a breach of which would increase concern about the weak currency’s impact on business and consumers.
A government minister has said the acquisition of 7-Eleven by foreign capital is majorly related to economic security.
Japan to consider 'economic security' in 7-Eleven takeover
Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa highlighted the role Japan's convenience stores can play in times of crisis, such as after major earthquakes.
Apollo weighs $9.5 billion stake in Seven & I management buyout
By Hideki Suzuki and Taro Fuse
Japan to step up efforts to increase food exports
BlackRock quits climate group as Wall Street lowers environmental profile
By Ross Kerber
Japan’s household spending falls, weighing on BOJ rate hike path
By Yoshiaki Nohara

WORLD

A water bomber flies over houses burned down by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday.
Los Angeles wildfires devour thousands of homes even as fierce winds ease
The fires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west devoured nearly 10,000 homes and other structures.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
U.S. Supreme Court lets Trump sentencing proceed in hush money case
By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel
The court turned down Trump's last-minute bid to prevent his sentencing, scheduled for Friday in New York state court in Manhattan.
Greenland eyes the benefits in Trump’s proposed land grab
Israeli military tightens media rules over legal action concern
U.S. court declines to block release of special counsel report on Trump
Gaza death toll 40% higher than recorded, peer-reviewed study estimates
By Daniel Lawler

Sports

Kotozakura is in position to fight his way to a promotion to yokozuna going into the New Year Basho.
Stage set for action-packed New Year Basho with yokozuna promotion battle
By John Gunning
Few years in recent sumo history have begun with a landscape of possibilities as wide as 2025.
Six players tied for first-round lead at Sony Open; Hideki Matsuyama 26th
Jannik Sinner declares innocence in doping case ahead of Australian Open
Lamar Jackson counting on experience to help Ravens fly far in postseason
Novak Djokovic claims he was poisoned during 2022 detention in Melbourne

Opinion

Japan aims for nuclear power to make up 20% of its energy mix by 2040. However, the restart of the country's reactors is complicated by issues such as local opposition, as is the case for the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture.
Robust new nuclear target for Japan is shrouded in uncertainty
Parul Bakshi
A new plan envisions nuclear power making up 20% of Japan's energy mix by 2040. But hurdles to reactor restarts and rising electricity demand cast a shadow on such ambitions.
Be ready for the new Cold War, under the sea
What if Reagan's vision had been more like Carter's?
By Thomas L. Friedman
What you think you know about Ukraine is probably wrong
By Marc Champion
Media coverage and political tensions color reactions to Nippon Steel's U.S. acquisition
By Kuni Miyake

ENVIRONMENT

A beach house is engulfed by the flames of the Palisades fire as seen along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on Wednesday.
Extreme weather and suburban sprawl fuel LA's wildfires
By Issam AHMED
A prolonged dry spell and strong winds played key roles, though experts say it's too soon to say how much climate change contributed.
Record heat pushed 2024 above global warming threshold of 1.5 C
By Eric Roston
Japanese researchers connect rise in glass eels to climate change
Where the smart climate tech venture money is going in 2025
By Brian Kahn
After a year of hard climate talks, ‘minilateralism’ is an alternative
By Aaron Clark

CULTURE

On Dec. 31, rock duo B’z appeared on NHK's year-end "Kohaku Uta Gassen" music extravaganza for the first time in a career spanning more than three decades.
An explosive B’z set on ‘Kohaku’ hints at a strategy to win over viewers
By Patrick St. Michel
Japan’s best selling act delivered one of the biggest moments of the year-end music blowout and reinforced the importance of catering to a more middle-aged market.
Isekai anime offers a key to understanding globalization
By Stevie Suan
‘The Solitary Gourmet’: Palatable movie adaptation may leave you wanting more
By James Hadfield
‘Mending Cracks’: A muddled drama about brotherly discord
By Mark Schilling
'The Brutalist,' 'Emilia Perez' take home Golden Globes' top film honors
By Lisa Richwine, Danielle Broadway and Dawn Chmielewski

LIFE

Hobonichi's 'techō' notebooks come in both set and customizable formats, and a thriving community of enthusiasts means there are even extensive guides on how to make the journal even more unique to your individual approach to journaling.
American stationery nerds are fueling a Japanese notebook boom
By Thu-Huong Ha
A Japanese-made paper planner from the 1980s has reblossomed in the post-COVID era.
Can an international makeover help Tokyo salons meet foreign demand?
By Laura Pollacco
Japanese ski vocabulary: Hit the books before you hit the slopes
By Eric Margolis
Now in Osaka, Yannick Alleno wants ‘flavors people have never experienced’
By Melinda Joe
Japan’s ‘quiet revolution’ of luxury travel nears fruition
By Tan Pin Yen

COMMUNITY

Kaz Shiomi is looking forward to the Osaka Expo this year, which will be held from April 13 to Oct. 13.
Kaz Shiomi: ‘I want to show people … how to color outside the lines’
By Laura Pollacco
Producing toys under her kiko+ & gg* brand, the business owner hopes to encourage children to find their own unique paths in life.
And Bingo was her name-o
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

CULTURE
‘Unbound’ breaks NHK period drama tradition with a hero of the common folk
By Mark Schilling
NHK’s latest taiga period drama, “Unbound,” centers on Tsutaya Juzaburo (Ryusei Yokohama), a commoner who becomes a successful bookseller and publisher.
JAPAN
Emanuel leaves reform legacy amid historic shifts in U.S.-Japan alliance
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Rahm Emanuel professes that the biggest thing he has brought to the U.S.-Japan relationship might be a fresh injection of vitality.
BUSINESS
Real wages fall for a fourth month, squeezing Japanese households further
By Kazuaki Nagata
Prices continue to outpace wage increases in Japan.
JAPAN
Hair removal for kids — boosting confidence or preying on insecurities?
By Karin Kaneko
Beauty salon Dione, which has over 100 branches nationwide, offers hair removal treatments for children as young as 3 years old. It uses hair removal equipment that emits a special light heated to around 38 degrees Celsius, unlike conventional equipment that involves temperatures of 60 to 80 C.
SUMO
Sumo’s brotherhood gets latest inductee
By John Gunning
Chugo Saito at Isenoumi stable on Friday. Saito has joined his older brother, Seigo, at the stable.

Podcast

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

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake
By Kathryn Wortley

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high
Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan to convene parliament for ordinary session starting Jan. 24
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
JAPAN
Emanuel leaves reform legacy amid historic shifts in U.S.-Japan alliance
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Rahm Emanuel professes that the biggest thing he has brought to the U.S.-Japan relationship might be a fresh injection of vitality.
ASIA PACIFIC
Impeached South Korean president's party sees signs of revival
A supporter of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol holds South Korean and U.S. flags in front of flower wreaths bearing messages of support near his residence in Seoul on Thursday.
WORLD
Musk takes slash-and-burn style to Europe after bolstering Trump
By Alex Wickham, Michael Nienaber, Joshua Green and Arne Delfs
Billionaire Elon Musk speaks during an election rally for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5.
JAPAN
Japan's health ministry reports record-high flu cases
By Yukana Inoue
A busy street in Tokyo on Dec. 30. The number of influenza patients per clinic, on average, in the final week of December was the highest since health ministry records began in 1999.