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February 02, 2025
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February 02, 2025
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Trucks wait in line at the Zaragoza-Ysleta border crossing into the U.S. on Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a day ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's order to impose tariffs on Mexican imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump launches trade war with tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on goods from China starting Tuesday.

More coverage

From India to Japan, specter of Trump tariffs spurs interest in U.S. gas
To Trump, tariffs are not a means but an end
Japan wary of taking another hit if Trump slaps tariffs on China
Trucks wait in line at the Zaragoza-Ysleta border crossing into the U.S. on Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a day ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's order to impose tariffs on Mexican imports.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato holds a virtual meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan to closely monitor impact on yen of Trump tariffs, Kato says
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Kato spoke as the world braces for first salvo in Trump's tariff war, with general levies of 25% on Canada and Mexico and 10% on China.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a Lower House plenary session last week.
JAPAN / Politics
LDP conservatives frustrated by Ishiba's diplomacy with China
As Ishiba's foothold within the LDP remains precarious, one misstep could spark moves to undermine his administration.
Philippines Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo poses for a photo at the Foreign Ministry in Manila during a recent interview with The Japan Times.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Manila expects continuity in critical ties with Washington, top Philippine diplomat says
By Gabriel Dominguez
Washington’s backing remains crucial, particularly as tensions with Beijing over territorial and maritime disputes remain high.
Billed as a “cultural bridge that connects Japan and Vietnam,” Tet Viet Saitama drew tens of thousands of attendees from across the Kanto region.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Home away from home: My first time at a Tet festival in Japan
By Nguyen Bao Anh
A longtime resident of Japan attends Saitama’s first public celebration of Vietnam’s most important holiday.
Billed as a “cultural bridge that connects Japan and Vietnam,” Tet Viet Saitama drew tens of thousands of attendees from across the Kanto region.

JAPAN

Yoshihiko Noda, the head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, attends a news conference last week.
CDP to present 'full package' of budget revisions in mid-February
The opposition party's upcoming revisions will include a gasoline tax cut, free school lunches and tuition-free high school education regardless of parents' income levels.
Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 92, delivers a speech in Tokyo on Saturday.
Nihon Hidankyo urges nuclear weapon ban as it reports on Nobel Prize ceremony
Nihon Hidankyo held a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday to report on its reception of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize at the award ceremony in Norway in December.
Residents near Japan sinkhole urged to evacuate
Fifth H-3 rocket with Michibiki No. 6 satellite successfully launched
Slope built to reach man trapped in sinkhole in Saitama
Victims of 1942 Yamaguchi underwater mine disaster remembered

BUSINESS

Supply ships that service the offshore oil rigs on Canada's east coast load cargo in in St. John's, Newfoundland, on Saturday.
To Trump, tariffs are not a means but an end
By David E. Sanger
What makes U.S. President Donald Trump’s move against Mexico, Canada and China different compared with past uses of tariffs is that he seems uninterested in pursuing deals.
Branded bags are displayed at a secondhand store in Tokyo in December.
Secondhand shops rush for branded goods in Japan
Some operators have partnered with department stores, while others have use AI to determine the value of vintage luxury goods.
China vows measures against U.S. tariffs, threatens WTO action
‘Complete betrayal’: Canada reels as Trump tariffs rattle major trading relationship
By Thomas Seal, Laura Dhillon Kane, Brian Platt and Randy Thanthong-Knight
Trump stretches trade law boundaries with tariffs
By David Lawder
Japan plans to curb exports of chips and quantum-computing tech
By Mayumi Negishi

WORLD

More than two dozen news organizations operate out of the Pentagon reporting on the daily activities of the U.S. military.
Trump's Pentagon says it will 'rotate' out some media from offices
The memo said that the New York Times, National Public Radio, NBC News and Politico must vacate their spaces by Feb. 14
Destroyed buildings and houses in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday
Arab nations reject Trump’s suggestion to ‘clean out’ Gaza
By Matt Surman and Aaron Boxerman
For Palestinians, even the suggestion of such a mass exile evokes painful historical memories.
Seeking light in dark times four years after Myanmar coup
Small plane crash in Philadelphia leaves seven dead, 19 injured
U.S. wants Ukraine to hold elections following a ceasefire, says Trump envoy
By Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay
Crashed U.S. Army Black Hawk unit was responsible for doomsday readiness

Sports

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic drives to the basket past Lakers forward Anthony Davis during a game in December 2023. Early Sunday, the two superstars were traded for one another in a blockbuster deal.
Lakers reportedly land Luka Doncic in blockbuster that sends Anthony Davis to Mavs
The Lakers and Mavericks have sent the NBA world into a frenzy with the deal involving the two superstars.
Reigning champion Al-Ain faces must-win clash as Asian Champions League resumes
By Michael Church
Japan fights back to beat Britain in Davis Cup qualifiers
Sliding center for 2026 Winter Games in Italy on track, IOC says
By Karolos Grohmann
Manchester City faces Real Madrid in pick of Champions League playoff ties
By Andy Scott

Opinion

Many attribute the far right’s recent global rise to “anti-incumbency” bias, but this overlooks how the COVID-19 crisis fostered division and distrust, turning voters against their governments. 
Confronting the pandemic’s toxic political legacy
Jan-Werner Mueller
Libertarian resentment over past restrictions and mandates is one thing; an abiding distrust of scientists is quite another.
Bollywood’s dark past is threatening to return
By Andy Mukherjee
The Trump test begins: Tariffs, power plays and economic risk
Why Chinese tech keeps surprising the West
By Catherine Thorbecke
Ishiba nudges his ‘little Japan’ closer to China
By Gearoid Reidy

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.
The global climate order teeters under a second assault from Trump
By Akshat Rathi, Ewa Krukowska and Alfred Cang
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

CULTURE

In addition to the commercial benefits from Ginza Sony Park's music-centered exhibition — such as promoting Sony's artists and products — there is a real effort to put music in focus.
At the new Ginza Sony Park, listening is an art form
By Patrick St. Michel
“Sony Park Exhibition 2025” features installations created in collaboration with six music artists: Vaundy, Yoasobi, Hitsujibungaku, Creepy Nuts, Babymonster and Kensuke Ushio.
Louvre opens first fashion exhibition after shock memo about decay
By Sandra Biffot-Lacut and Adam PLOWRIGHT
'Cute and murderous': How the iconic killer doll in 'Squid Game' came to life
By Minwoo Park and Hyunsu Yim
Indie animator Gensho Yasuda paves his own way with a DIY spirit
By Matt Schley
‘The Rose of Versailles’ opts for empty opulence
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Dress-up games and dating sims were once forgotten genres, but now expanded player bases are helping to generate major profits.
Gaming’s feminine side is starting to make big bucks
By Samantha Low
Two recent releases — a sci-fi dating sim and a souped-up dress-up simulator — are starting to change the conversation around previously dismissed genres.
Sipping down the rabbit hole at Craft Sake Shoten
By Melinda Joe
Mind the gap — and the shoulder checking: Dealing with pushy people in Japan's crowded spaces
By Yuko Tamura
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

COMMUNITY

Billed as a “cultural bridge that connects Japan and Vietnam,” Tet Viet Saitama drew tens of thousands of attendees from across the Kanto region.
Home away from home: My first time at a Tet festival in Japan
By Nguyen Bao Anh
A longtime resident of Japan attends Saitama’s first public celebration of Vietnam’s most important holiday.
Fanta-stic cuddler seeks new home
Ken Rodgers, a fixture of the Kyoto literary scene, dies at 72
By Eric Johnston
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

Editors' Picks

LIFE
First official survey set to change backcountry Hokkaido skiing
By Justin Randall
The first official government survey of Hokkaido backcountry skiing could spell changes for trails in the northern prefecture.
BUSINESS
Fuji TV’s go-big PR strategy wins grudging praise globally
By Elizabeth Beattie
Fuji TV executives take questions during a news conference on Monday in Tokyo in which some participants became unruly.
CULTURE
Two decades of unparalleled access into the world of Hayao Miyazaki
By Erik Augustin Palm
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.”
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.

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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WHAT’S TRENDING

WORLD
From anguish to aggression: Trump goes on offense after midair collision
By Peter Baker
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a briefing on Thursday about the midair crash in Washington.
JAPAN
Slope built to reach man trapped in sinkhole in Saitama
A slope (left) is built at the intersection of a sunken road in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on Saturday.
LIFE
Mind the gap — and the shoulder checking: Dealing with pushy people in Japan's crowded spaces
By Yuko Tamura
Tokyo’s notoriously crowded trains and train stations can be stressful for many. Unfortunately, the ぶつかり男 (butsukari otoko, bumping man) takes his stress out on others through shoving, elbowing and shoulder checks.
BUSINESS
AstraZeneca and Daiichi’s breast cancer drug gets EU backing
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Datroway breast cancer treatment, which the companies expect will eventually become a blockbuster, was recommended for approval in the European Union.
BUSINESS
Japan plans to curb exports of chips and quantum-computing tech
By Mayumi Negishi
Technicians at work in the clean room of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Ibaraki Prefecture.