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September 07, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 07, 2024
Shohei Ohtani
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A water tower at a U.S. Steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Nippon Steel's U.S. setback a wake-up for Japan Inc.'s foreign forays
By Kane Wu, Yantoultra Ngui and Miho Uranaka
Buyers and sellers of assets were taking more time analyzing political trends and scrutinizing whether a target is in an industry that might trigger intervention.
A water tower at a U.S. Steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday
A Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, launcher with the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force arrives in the Philippines on April 8, in the capability’s first deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.
JAPAN
U.S. eyeing midrange missiles in Japan for drills, U.S. Army secretary says
By Jesse Johnson
U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said deploying the unit that hosts the missile system had been discussed during her visit to Japan last month.
Komeito, the junior partner in Japan's ruling bloc, has begun preparations to replace Natsuo Yamaguchi as its leader, in what would be the first change in party leadership since 2009.
JAPAN / Politics
Komeito chief Natsuo Yamaguchi set to be replaced as leader
Yamaguchi, whose term expires on Sept. 28, will likely be succeeded by Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii, in the first change in party leadership since 2009.
Four members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan who filed their candidacies for the main opposition party's Sept. 23 leadership election — Lower House lawmaker Harumi Yoshida (left), current chief Kenta Izumi (second left), former party leader Yukio Edano (second right) and former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda — attend a joint news conference in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Main opposition CDP kicks off leadership race
The candidates are former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, ex-party leader Yukio Edano, current chief Kenta Izumi and Lower House lawmaker Harumi Yoshida.
Inside a gallery influenced by famed architect Kengo Kuma, Nakamura Ningyo's Hakata dolls represent a little-seen side of Japanese crafts.
LIFE / Style & Design
From Godzilla to martyrs, Hakata doll-making knows no bounds
By Erik Augustin Palm
Since its establishment in Fukuoka in 1917, Nakamura Ningyo has been a cornerstone of the Hakata doll tradition.
Inside a gallery influenced by famed architect Kengo Kuma, Nakamura Ningyo's Hakata dolls represent a little-seen side of Japanese crafts.

JAPAN

Digital transformation minister Taro Kono speaks at a news conference on Thursday.
LDP leadership hopefuls campaign across Japan
Six LDP members have declared their bids for the party presidency so far, with more expected in the coming days.
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi declares his candidacy in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
Shinjiro Koizumi promises immediate snap election if elected LDP president
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
The former environment minister said he will turn to the electorate to allow voters to judge his plan to transform Japan.
Japan to enhance evacuation system for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant
Kishida and Yoon reaffirm importance of sustained cooperation
By Hyonhee Shin and Hyunsu Yim
21-year-old gets 23 years over robbery-murder in western Tokyo
Okinawa governor condemns alleged sexual assault by U.S. Marine

BUSINESS

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election.
U.S. opposition to Nippon Steel deal 'very unsettling,' PM hopeful Ishiba says
By Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo
Some experts say blocking the deal could undermine U.S.-Japan cooperation on national security, and put the lie to the notion of "ally shoring."
An investor sits in front of a board showing stock information at a brokerage office in Beijing.
China bulls getting tired of waiting for elusive stock recovery
By Abhishek Vishnoi and Winnie Hsu
Weakness in Chinese equities is eroding the confidence of some of Wall Street’s staunchest supporters, with hopes for a turnaround fading in the world’s No. 2 economy.
Biden aides working on proposal for U.S. sovereign wealth fund
By Josh Wingrove
Kuroda indicates that BOJ is still a long way from neutral rate
Japan to provide new subsidies for domestic EV battery output
Sumitomo Chemical sells hybrid bond at widest spread this year
By Ayai Tomisawa

WORLD

Ukrainian men carrying a dead Russian soldier at a border crossing near Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 12. The Ukrainian offensive over the border last month caught Moscow's intelligence agencies by surprise, experts say.
Distracted and divided, Russian security service misses threats
By Michael Schwirtz
The Ukrainian offensive over the border caught Moscow’s intelligence agencies by surprise, experts say. It wasn’t the first time that has happened during the war.
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft can be seen pulling away from the International Space Station for its unmanned return to the surface of Earth on Friday in this screenshot.
Boeing's beleaguered Starliner back home empty
The gumdrop-shaped capsule touched down softly at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, its descent slowed by parachutes and cushioned by airbags.
Super Typhoon Yagi hits Vietnam after casualties in China's Hainan
Lawmakers want U.S. to address risks posed by Chinese agriculture drones
Israeli troops shoot Turkish American woman dead at West Bank protest
How the fight to define Harris will shape her debate with Trump
By Shane Goldmacher

Sports

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits his 45th home run of the season on Friday in a game against the Guardians at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani becomes first to hit 45 homers and steal 45 bases in a season
Ohtani, batting first as designated hitter, slammed his 45th homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians.
More sponsors and better marketing top agenda for new Asian Games chief
Fritz tops Tiafoe to set up U.S. Open final with Sinner
By Dave James
Japan's Kamiji takes Paralympic gold in wheelchair tennis singles
Onosato poised to shine at Autumn Basho with ozeki rank in sight
By John Gunning

Opinion

Predicting the winner of the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris remains exceptionally challenging as the the current landscape is highly fluid.
Election predictions are too noisy to tell if Trump or Harris will win
Aaron Brown
There’s a lot of campaigning to go, a lot of events that could turn the election into a landslide for either candidate.
A flood of hydro is washing coal from China's grid
By David Fickling
Never take Japan-South Korea relations for granted
The Western world's stealthy assault on democracy
By Brahma Chellaney
Is Japan’s involvement in Africa’s development outdated?
By Robert Bociaga

ENVIRONMENT

A construction worker in Tokyo's Akasaka district on Aug. 21. With 886 cases, 54 of them fatal, during the period from 2019 to 2023, the construction industry leads Japan’s tally for occupational heatstroke.
Clocking off: Japan’s hotter summers put limit on outdoor work
By Annelise Giseburt
Climate change is forcing businesses to sacrifice productivity in the name of safety in industries ranging from construction to transportation.
As the Amazon’s biggest champion approaches 100, he’s still fighting
By Olivia Rudgard
Japan's record heat in July 'almost impossible' without climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Kimchi no more? Climate change puts South Korea's beloved cabbage dish at risk
By Sebin Choi and Hyun Young Yi
How climate change made Shanshan more likely and more devastating
By Tomoko Otake

CULTURE

In Hiromi Kawakami’s novel “The Third Love,” modern-day Tokyoite Riko travels between life in 19th-century Edo (old Tokyo) and the courts of the Heian Period, examining her relationship with her husband in the process.
'The Third Love' is a time-bending meditation on romantic love
By Kris Kosaka
Hiromi Kawakami's novel draws from “The Tales of Ise" and “Takaoka’s Travels” to immerse readers in an intertextual exploration of who we are in and out of love.
‘There Is a Stone’ finds beauty in the inconsequential
By James Hadfield
'Desert of Namibia' makes its difficult protagonist hard to hate
By Mark Schilling
'Under the Eye of the Big Bird': Hiromi Kawakami's speculative future sets civilization adrift
By Thu-Huong Ha
Yoko Ogawa's 'Mina’s Matchbox' sparkles with quiet intimacy
By Eric Margolis

LIFE

Get your dark blue suit out of the closet, job hunting season is once again upon us.
Those looking for jobs in Japan get another shot at it in September
By Yaeko Kabe
Hiring for new recruits usually takes place in time for an April start, but Japanese companies are increasingly looking to hire in the autumn.
Traveling to Germany is ‘worth the cost’ for Japan’s indie studios
By Samantha Low
Japan’s autumn eggplant: Too delicious for your daughter-in-law
By Elizabeth Andoh
To accompany your counter sushi, why not try a New World wine?
By Melinda Joe
Japan’s nasty summer has left you with a nastier sunburn. Now what?
By Kat Joplin

COMMUNITY

Jonah Ndeuludila (right) is studying at Tochigi Prefecture's Asian Rural Institute in order to bring skills back to his job at Namibia's Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust.
Over half a century, seeds of change grow at a Tochigi farm
By Madeleine Cuckson
Founded by Toshihiro Takami in 1973, ARI promotes organic, subsistence farming methods and the practice of servant leadership.
Philippine envoy highlights climate and smart farms
By Louise George Kittaka
Verdi is looking for a home as affectionate as him
Adrian Bianco: ‘Leaving your comfort zone keeps you alive’
By Ora Margolis
The American journalist ahead of the game on an ascendant Japan
By Bill Holstein

Editors' Picks

SUMO
No talking, no eating, no standing: Inside sumo's ring purification ceremony
By John Gunning
A sumo referee performs the dohyō matsuri, or ring purification ceremony, in January 2017 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Demand for Calrose rice rises amid Japanese rice shortage
By Himari Semans
Shuzo Fukushi, who heads Rice Meister Kojimachi in Tokyo, shows a bag of Calrose mixed with domestic rice at his store on Thursday.
CULTURE
Pasocom Music Club returns to the pure pleasures of the dance floor
By Patrick St. Michel
Pasocom Music Club’s “Love Flutter” marks an important moment for Japan’s electronic community as project members Aoi Shibata (left) and Masato Nishiyama step into a role other artists once held for them — scene veterans who are inspiring the next generation.
JAPAN
Typhoon-chaser's firsthand account of his pursuit of Shanshan
By Jessica Speed
A washed-up boat on the shore of the city of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday
BUSINESS
First lesson of Japan’s akiya gold rush: No such thing as a free house.
By Elizabeth Beattie
An abandoned house in Urayama, Saitama Prefecture. Buying an <i>akiya</i>, which means empty house in Japanese, can be a rewarding experience that yields a unique space and a livable home, competitively priced. Or it could turn out to be a money pit.

Podcast

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

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Shinjiro Koizumi promises immediate snap election if elected LDP president
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi declares his candidacy in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS
Seven & I pans value of offer as it rejects Canadian takeover bid
By Elizabeth Beattie and Yukana Inoue
Seven & I Holdings, operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, said on Friday it has rejected Alimentation Couche-Tard's takeover bid as not being in the interest of shareholders.
JAPAN
Japan's Prince Hisahito turns 18
Prince Hisahito observes in July narrow leaf cattail that he had planted at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
BUSINESS
Japan miffed but reaction muted after shocking twist to U.S. Steel deal
By Elizabeth Beattie and Gabriele Ninivaggi
Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel is opposed by politicians across the political spectrum, including both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
COMMENTARY
Japan’s second city can finally make Tokyo jealous
By Gearoid Reidy
Osaka is set to open Grand Green Osaka in the city’s Umekita area. It is a sprawling redevelopment that combines a park with mixed-use skyscrapers and is part of a push to rejuvenate the merchant city.