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March 30, 2025
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March 30, 2025
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Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth review an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo ahead of their talks Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
In Tokyo, Pentagon chief provides assurances that Japan-U.S. alliance remains robust
By Jesse Johnson
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described Japan as an “indispensable partner” in confronting China and sought to dispel lingering unease in Tokyo.

More coverage

Pentagon chief joins war memorial ceremony on first visit to Japan
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth review an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo ahead of their talks Sunday.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
BUSINESS
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
By Francis Tang
The meeting came ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected announcement of a new round of tariffs on Wednesday.
Rescue workers search for victims trapped in the rubble of a damaged temple in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aid rushes into Myanmar after earthquake kills over 1,600
Japan said that it "is prepared to provide all possible support," and is "coordinating the swift provision of supplies."
A meeting of the Lower House Special Committee on Political Reform is held at the Diet in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
CDP urged to continue talks over corporate donations
Officials from the LDP, Komeito and the DPP are stressing the need for continued interparty talks over the issue.
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.
BUSINESS / Tech
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
By Tim Hornyak
At a Tokyo Fail Club gathering, speakers share candid talks about ventures gone wrong, bankruptcy and depression, touting a message of persistence in the face of adversity.
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.

JAPAN

Yoshiharu Kanai speaks during an interview in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, on March 6.
Son of soldier killed on Iwo Jima continues collecting remains
Yoshiharu Kanai, 80, has been working to collect remains for over 20 years, wishing to return them to mainland Japan swiftly.
Shinmoedake, a volcano located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, in November 2019
Alert raised for volcano in southwestern Japan
The agency warned that large volcanic rocks could reach areas within 4 kilometers of the crater of the volcano, which is located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures.
Lantern festival lights up skies in Taiwan with Japanese flair
By Shoko Miyake
Former sex worker records Tokyo's red-light history
By Caroline Gardin
Experts start talks on proposals for NPT review conference
Japan's biggest beef bowl chain Sukiya to shut nearly 2,000 stores after rat and bug contamination

BUSINESS

Oil pipelines in Alaska. U.S. President Donald Trump wants Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to join a $44 billion natural gas export project.
Alaska governor to brief Trump on Asia gas push as tariffs bite
By Tim Kelly and Katya Golubkova
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is winding up a trip through Asia where he has been seeking investors and long-term buyers.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions are rekindling long-simmering discussions about whether overseas governments will accelerate efforts to less reliance on the dollar.
Trump is eroding the dollar’s dominance in world markets
By Carter Johnson and Naomi Tajitsu
The U.S. president's escalating fusillade of tariffs and bid to roll back decades of globalization is shaking confidence in the U.S. currency.
Rapidus to launch pilot line for advanced chips on Tuesday
Musk’s xAI startup swallows up X social network in surprise deal
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance to merge with Aioi Nissay Dowa
Japan seeking securities disclosures before shareholders' meetings

WORLD

A pagoda that was damaged after a strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Saturday.
A question in quake-wracked Myanmar: Does this augur the end of the junta?
By Hannah Beech
The earthquake, known to have killed at least 1,000 and probably many more than that, struck a day after Myanmar’s military regime celebrated the country’s 80th Armed Forces Day.
An 81-year-old apple farmer who lost her crop walks past the remains of her neighbors' homes after a wildfire swept through the area, in Andong, South Korea, on Thursday.
South Korea's 'heartbreaking' wildfires expose superaged society
By Anthony Wallace and Claire Lee
The inferno has also laid bare South Korea's demographic crisis and regional disparities.
In Bangkok, grim vigils as people seek word of relatives at collapsed building
By Muktita Suhartono and Richard C. Paddock
Trump drama drowns out Canadian Conservatives’ election message
By Thomas Seal and Brian Platt
WHO must cut budget by a fifth after U.S. pullout
Myanmar quake toll passes 1,000 as rescuers dig for survivors

Sports

Ilia Malinin celebrates after winning gold at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston on Saturday.
Malinin retains world title as Kagiyama stumbles
With a dazzling performance, Malinin put the world on notice less than a year to go before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Dodgers remain perfect on the back of powerful bats
Maeda hits 30 as Celtic bounces back against Hearts
'Special' to equal Ronaldo's Real Madrid goal record, says Mbappe
Yankees make MLB history with homers on first three pitches

Opinion

Palestinians take part in an anti-Hamas protest calling for an end to the war with Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. 
Israel must not ignore the anti-Hamas protests in Gaza
Konstanty Gebert
Though still relatively small in scale, the anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza clearly indicate a shift in opinion.
In the EV race, China's BYD is leading the pack
Inside Turkey’s executive coup
By Umut Ozkırımlı
An Asian democracy collapse amid the new world order
By Joshua Kurlantzick
The art of the deal meets a four-power axis
By Andreas Kluth

ENVIRONMENT

Fluffy, low-hanging clouds generally have a cooling influence. They are big and bright, blocking and bouncing back incoming sunlight.
Clouds changing as world warms, adding to climate uncertainty
By Nick Perry
Cloud behavior is notoriously complex to predict and remains a great unknown for scientists trying to accurately forecast future levels of climate change.
Trump can't stop 'sustainability revolution': Al Gore
Without new countermeasures, Japan’s temperature could rise 4.5 C by 2100
By Jessica Speed
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

CULTURE

A figurine of the character Link from the Nintendo video game series The Legend of Zelda is displayed inside the Nintendo Tokyo store in the Japanese capital in November 2019.
Nintendo announces Legend of Zelda film for 2027
Nintendo made the announcement on "Nintendo Today!", a new app for fans that was launched on Thursday.
Yuki Tejima's metamorphosis from bookworm to literary translator
By Kris Kosaka
Cherry blossom-themed art to see this weekend in Tokyo
By Zoria Petkoska
‘Ravens’: Tadanobu Asano plays troubled photographer with scapegrace charm
By Mark Schilling
‘Boy’: An ambitious portrait of alienated youth
By James Hadfield

LIFE

Graduation ceremonies in Japan will usually include a performance of the Japanese national anthem, “Kimigayo.”
Attempting the classics: The world of waka poetry
By Eric Margolis
The origins of this poetry style stretch back to at least the seventh century, when one of the emperor's wives composed it at court ceremonies.
The cold complexity of 'pure' Japanese cocktail ice
By Phoebe Amoroso
Feast your eyes on 'The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Cooking'
By Simon Daly
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
By Owen Ziegler
'Better than real life': In China, virtual boyfriends are emotional aids
By Luna Lin

COMMUNITY

Shogo Yamaguchi shares his love of traditional Japanese culture with an audience of nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers.
Shogo Yamaguchi: ‘Traditional culture thrives in a peaceful society’
By Laura Pollacco
The Kyoto-based content creator shares travel tips and reminisces on the path that led him to where he is today.
A tawny Kai Ken discovers his courage
A community of stories: Making space for reflection and dialogue in Tokyo and beyond
By Megumi Koiwai
Edanoshin Katsura: ‘Rakugo and techno are both about rhythm and groove’
By Wakaba Oto
A shy cat looking for a new start

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Hanami season to have record ¥1.39 trillion economic impact on Japan
By Yukana Inoue
Cherry blossoms along a road in Tokyo on Tuesday. The 2025 cherry blossom season is expected to have an economic impact of around ¥1.39 trillion on Japan.
CULTURE
Rise and shine with ‘The Wakey Show’
By Patrick St. Michel
“The Wakey Show” is NHK’s first new daily children’s program in three years, and it carries on the station’s storied past in youth-centric educational entertainment.
BASEBALL
Tokyo Series proves to be big business for MLB — and Japanese companies
By Sam Byford
An advertisement featuring Shohei Ohtani in Tokyo.
JAPAN
New SDF command will be key for contingency planning, Australian commander says
By Gabriel Dominguez
A Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K "Super Auk" from JS Shiranui prepares to land on HMAS Brisbane during Exercise Malabar 2023 while off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

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

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Japan considers all possible options as Trump threatens new auto tariffs
By Francis Tang
Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Massive quake kills at least 150 in Myanmar and Thailand
Medical workers treat a earthquake survivor on a bed in the compound of a hospital in Naypyitaw on Friday, after an earthquake in central Myanmar.
JAPAN
School-age suicides in Japan hit all-time high
By Jessica Speed
A volunteer handles an incoming call at the Tokyo Befrienders call center, a suicide hotline center in Japan's capital.
JAPAN
Japan's biggest beef bowl chain Sukiya to shut nearly 2,000 stores after rat and bug contamination
Zensho Holdings, operator of fast-food chain Sukiya, said it will close all of its stores in Japan, except for a small number in shopping centers, between Monday and Friday following recent contamination incidents.
BUSINESS
Copyright questions loom as ChatGPT's Ghibli-style images go viral
By Thomas URBAIN
A screenshot of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Ghibli-style profile picture on X