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January 31, 2025
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January 31, 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on Thursday about the midair crash between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter.
WORLD / Politics
Trump blames diversity programs over midair collision
By Akayla Gardner, Skylar Woodhouse and Allyson Versprille
The crash was nation's most deadly commercial airline accident in over a decade.

More coverage

World champion Russian skaters reportedly on plane involved in midair collision
No clear reason yet for Washington air disaster that killed 67, officials say
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on Thursday about the midair crash between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter.
Masayoshi Son's SoftBank Group is in talks to invest as much as $25 billion in OpenAI.
BUSINESS / Companies
SoftBank in talks to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI
By Rachel Metz
SoftBank has already committed $15 billion to Project Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI to build data centers and other AI infrastructure.
Shukan Bunshun published an editorial from the editor-in-chief on Thursday apologizing for the inaccuracy in its reporting on the Masahiro Nakai scandal.
JAPAN / Media
Shukan Bunshun criticized by former Osaka governor for not being upfront about correction
By Yukana Inoue
Toru Hashimoto has been critical of how the magazine had not been upfront about the change, despite it being a core issue of the scandal.
The Lower House Budget Committee vote to summon Jun Matsumoto, a former LDP faction's accountant, in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Budget Committee votes to summon former LDP faction accountant
By Himari Semans
The move ends a stalemate between the LDP and opposition parties, the latter of which had conditioned the start of budget deliberations on the inquiry.
Documentary director Kaku Arakawa’s filming style — naturalistic, intimate and unobtrusive — proved essential to portraying anime powerhouse Hayao Miyazaki as a man as flawed and human as he is a visionary artist in “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.”
CULTURE / Film
Two decades of unparalleled access into the world of Hayao Miyazaki
By Erik Augustin Palm
Documentary director Kaku Arakawa has spent years filming the anime powerhouse to reveal the man beyond the myth.
Documentary director Kaku Arakawa’s filming style — naturalistic, intimate and unobtrusive — proved essential to portraying anime powerhouse Hayao Miyazaki as a man as flawed and human as he is a visionary artist in “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.”

JAPAN

Efforts continued Thursday to rescue a 74-year-old truck driver trapped in a massive sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture.
74-year-old truck driver trapped in Saitama sinkhole for third day
By Jessica Speed
Witnesses reported that the ground collapsed moments before the truck drove over the area, sending the vehicle plummeting into the chasm.
Nippon Ishin no Kai leaders Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) and Seiji Maehara attend the party's executive meeting in the city of Osaka in December.
Shared concerns could bring LDP and Nippon Ishin together on 2025 budget
By Eric Johnston
Nippon Ishin's challenge is to get the LDP to secure free high school education and ensure support for the financially troubled Osaka Kansai Expo.
Smoother communication breaking barriers in Tokyo with Transparent Display
By Alexandra Gray
Addressing dementia through a human-centered approach in Tokyo and beyond
By Kimberly Hughes
Court nixes Finance Ministry decision against document disclosure
Dentsu Group ordered to pay ¥300 million over Tokyo Games bid-rigging

BUSINESS

Chief among the worries surrounding DeepSeek is the fact that it collects and stores data in servers in China.
DeepSeek’s AI restricted by ‘hundreds’ of companies in days
By Julie Haoning Zhu and Debby Wu
Companies have worked to block access due to concerns about potential data leaks to the Chinese government and what they view as weak privacy safeguards.
Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino speaks during an interview in June 2023.
BOJ deputy signals more room to hike given negative real rates
The deputy governor cemented the BOJ’s message that the central bank is looking to hike rates further in the future.
Companies race to ship goods to the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs
By Arriana McLymore, Helen Reid and Emma Rumney
Rakuten scraps plan to list securities unit on Tokyo bourse
Takeda picks first female CEO of centuries-old drugmaker
JPX and TSE cut executives' pay over 'unprecedented' insider trading case

WORLD

An attendee records a virtual address by U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23.
Trump threats risk stretching Europe's fragile unity to breaking point
By Jorge Valero, Alberto Nardelli, Shawn Donnan and Michael Nienaber
The European Commission urged member states in a private meeting last week to remain united, with some comparing the situation to the Brexit negotiations.
Phishing and its social-engineering cousin "pretexting" together accounted for more than 20% of almost 10,000 data breaches worldwide last year.
Age of deepfakes means internet users must be more alert than ever
By Tom Barfield
AI chatbots powered by large language models save attackers time and allow for more elaborate fake messages.
Trump to hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs on Saturday
By Akayla Gardner and Josh Wingrove
Analysts are skeptical about U.S. and Russia's nuclear talks
By Mathieu RABECHAULT
Trump issues orders to promote school choice, end 'anti-American' teaching
By Helen Coster and Nathan Layne
Trump’s transactional foreign policy leads to flurry of pledges
By Iain Marlow

Sports

A memorial for the Skating Club of Boston members killed in a midair collision between a passenger plane and a U.S. military helicopter on Wednesday, is seen at Tenley E. Albright Performance Center, in Boston on Thursday.
Tight-knit U.S. figure skating community mourns skaters lost in plane crash
The athletes, coaches and family members on board the flight were returning from the National Development Camp in Kansas.
McLaren boss envisions four-way battle for title during 2025 Formula One season
No. 1 Scheffler ready to go in season debut at Pebble Beach
NBA Commissioner floats idea of move 10-minute quarters
Rob Gronkowski says Patriots' legacy secure as Chiefs chase history

Opinion

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and members of the Liberal Democratic Party take a group photo at the party's headquarters in Tokyo during the Oct. 27 Lower House elections.
Adjusting to the new normal in Japanese politics
Michael MacArthur Bosack
The upheaval of the past year has forced a fundamental rethinking of how political watchers must observe things in Tokyo
Trump’s bigger China cyber threat isn’t TikTok
By Catherine Thorbecke
A pop-star sex scandal shows the death throes of old Japan
By Gearoid Reidy
How to secure Taiwan as drumbeats of a looming invasion grow louder
By Edo Naito
New era for U.S.-Japan depends on adapting to Trump’s America
By Joshua W. Walker

ENVIRONMENT

Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback
By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey and Joseph Winters
Tourism, climate goals and animal rights concerns are sparking a plant-based renaissance in a country famous for sushi and pork ramen.
Dead Sea an 'ecological disaster,' but no one can agree how to fix it
By Ruth EGLASH
Oceans are warming faster and faster as the Earth traps more energy
By Danielle Bochove
Rubbish roads: Nepal explores paving with plastic
By Paavan MATHEMA
South Africa's patchwork climate plans risk widening inequality
By Kim Harrisberg

CULTURE

Gensho Yasuda’s “Make a Girl” follows an inventor whose relationship with the robot girlfriend he builds becomes increasingly complicated as she develops an unexpected sense of independence.
Indie animator Gensho Yasuda paves his own way with a DIY spirit
By Matt Schley
With “Make a Girl,” the young Japanese creator takes the leap from short videos to full-length films.
'Cute and murderous': How the iconic killer doll in 'Squid Game' came to life
By Minwoo Park and Hyunsu Yim
‘The Rose of Versailles’ opts for empty opulence
By Matt Schley
‘Welcome to the Village’: Tradition takes a twisted turn in the countryside
By Mark Schilling
Mika Ninagawa transforms the Kyocera Museum into a vibrant dreamworld
By Erik Augustin Palm

LIFE

Yellowtail caught during the coldest period of the year is delicious enough — but paired with a classic method of marinade and pan-searing, it's divine.
For two weeks only, cold-water yellowtail can give you chills
By Elizabeth Andoh
According to Japan’s hyperseasonal calendar, January brings with it the chance for yellowtail at the peak of flavor.
How Tokyo taught a French architect the power of colors
By Ran Kawai
Of sake and spirits: Indulging in Yamanashi’s best
By Kimberly Hughes
Where to begin when it comes to Japanese wine
By Weiwen Lin
Japan’s love affair with Dragon Quest spreads worldwide
By Oliver Jia

COMMUNITY

Rodgers (right) was a longtime managing editor of Kyoto Journal and, alongside colleagues like Susan Pavloska (left) and John Einarsen (center), helped make it one of Japan’s leading English-language publications.
Ken Rodgers, a fixture of the Kyoto literary scene, dies at 72
By Eric Johnston
Hailing from Australia, Rodgers made a home and community for himself in Japan’s ancient capital across more than four decades.
Fanta-stic cuddler seeks new home
Kenny Colvin: ‘Work hard, drink hard, eat hard … relax hard’
By Mike Fu
Namnam reborn: A queer, anarchist space resettles in Tokyo's Koenji
By Aku Owaka-Haigh
Due north: Foreign-born guides introduce Hokkaido’s unique charms
By Justin Randall

Editors' Picks

LIFE
For two weeks only, cold-water yellowtail can give you chills
By Elizabeth Andoh
Yellowtail caught during the coldest period of the year is delicious enough — but paired with a classic method of marinade and pan-searing, it's divine.
ENVIRONMENT
In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback
By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey and Joseph Winters
Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
JAPAN
Who are the key figures involved in the growing Fuji TV scandal?
By Yukana Inoue
Fuji TV adviser Hisashi Hieda in 2005
JAPAN
What we learned at Fuji TV's marathon Nakai scandal news conference
By Yukana Inoue
Members of the media raise their hands for questions as outgoing Fuji TV President Koichi Minato attends a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
MORE SPORTS
Kanoa Igarashi dreams big as surfing championship tour gets underway
By Jason Coskrey
Kanoa Igarashi surfs in the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach competition in Oahu, Hawaii, on Feb. 18.

Podcast

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

Longform

Ayumi Matsuki, a priestess at Yoshiwara Shrine, shows off some "o-mamori" charms. She says visitors to the shrine have increased since the NHK drama “Unbound” began airing this month.
Tracing Tsutaya Juzaburo, Edo’s media maverick
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Japan begins feeling the pain of BOJ rate hikes more concretely
By Akemi Terukina and Erica Yokoyama
People were more concerned about the direct and specific impact of the Bank of Japan's latest rate hike on their personal lives, according to an artificial intelligence-driven analysis of various platforms, including social media.
SUMO
Sumo’s newest yokozuna is all smiles — but major challenges await
By John Gunning
Hoshoryu (front, second from left) celebrates after being promoted to yokozuna on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Japanese man ends his 6,000 kilometer Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town
Yuji "Gump" Suzuki, the Japanese runner and social media sensation, runs with supporters while pushing his rickshaw as he nears his goal in Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday.
WORLD
No clear reason yet for Washington air disaster that killed 67, officials say
By David Shepardson and Steve Holland
Search and rescue teams work in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, as seen from Virginia, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Cherry blossom season predicted to begin in Tokyo on March 21
By Jessica Speed
Tokyo is expected to lead the season with its first cherry blossoms on March 21, followed by Fukuoka, Kochi and Hiroshima prefectures as well as the city of Yokohama on March 22.