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April 23, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 23, 2025
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The yen strengthened dramatically this month — hitting ¥139.9 to the dollar on Tuesday — and could become a topic of conversation in trade talks between the United States and Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Yen on the march as Plaza Accord 2.0 debate grows
By Kazuaki Nagata
The U.S. has claimed that Japan's currency is undervalued, with some in the administration of President Donald Trump calling for a Plaza Accord 2.0.

More coverage

Tokyo insists defense issues and tariff talks must remain separate
The yen strengthened dramatically this month — hitting ¥139.9 to the dollar on Tuesday — and could become a topic of conversation in trade talks between the United States and Japan.
Japan has started discussing specific measures to expand liquefied natural gas imports from the United States to reduce its trade surplus, as demanded by Washington.
BUSINESS
Japan mulls expanding imports of LNG from the U.S. for tariff negotiations
In 2024, Japan imported ¥542.6 billion of LNG from the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, in June 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
IAEA chief calls for presidential-level reengagement with North Korea
By Gabriel Dominguez
Pyongyang’s atomic program has grown “exponentially” since 2009, warns Rafael Grossi, head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell holds a news conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington last September.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump says he has no intention of firing Fed chief Jerome Powell
Trump’s National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Friday said the president was studying the question of whether he’s able to sack Powell.
A man sprays paint graffiti against Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on a Tesla showroom in New York on Tuesday in this screen shot taken from video.
BUSINESS / Companies
Musk to reduce White House role as Tesla profits plunge
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he would cut back "significantly" the time he devotes to the Trump administration from next month.
A man sprays paint graffiti against Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on a Tesla showroom in New York on Tuesday in this screen shot taken from video.

JAPAN

Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito (right) and Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, in Beijing on Tuesday
Komeito leader Saito makes first visit to China
Carrying a letter from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saito will meet with senior Chinese officials before returning home on Thursday.
The logo of Jetstar Airways on an aircraft parked outside a maintenance hangar in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 27.
Jetstar Japan fined for failing to provide adequate cabin crew breaks
By Karin Kaneko
This is the first time a ruling has been handed down in Japan regarding flight attendants' rest time, according to the plaintiffs.
Second debris removal trial at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is completed
Sendai to host U.N. disaster reduction conference in 2027
Japan's new health institute gives first acute respiratory infection cases tally
Osaka District Court dismisses lawsuit against Morinaga Milk in arsenic case

BUSINESS

Japan has walked a delicate path — taking steps to hedge its dependence on China while distancing itself from the politics of Washington.
Trump’s trade war with China puts Japan in a tight spot
By River Akira Davis
Japan had long maintained deep economic ties with both China and the United States. Recent trade tensions may challenge that approach.
MUFG Bank, a unit of the nation’s biggest banking group, is among firms that recently scrapped a clerical job category that consisted almost exclusively of women, a sign that the financial sector is finally getting more serious about reducing gender inequalities.
Top Japanese firms scrap employment system that held women back
By Nao Sano
Abandoning the clerical job category may increase opportunities for women to advance to more senior positions.
Nomura bets big on U.S. market rebound with $1.8 billion deal
By Taiga Uranaka, Ryo Horiuchi and Joyce Koh
AI floods Amazon with strange political books before Canadian election
By Thomas Seal
Japan must correct Trump’s false data for trade talks, says Kono
By Shery Ahn and Sakura Murakami
Trump tariffs threaten to pile more pain on Thailand's rice sector
By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat

WORLD

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Task Force, at the Justice Department in Washington on Tuesday.
Hegseth delivers what Trump wants but with unwanted controversy
By Courtney McBride
Hegseth has done most everything so far that Trump hoped he would — and for now, that’s been enough to keep Trump on Hegseth’s side.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a news conference in Kyiv on April 4.
Zelenskyy says Chinese citizens working at drone production site in Russia
The Ukrainian president appears to be softening his tone toward China by suggesting Russia might have obtained Chinese technology without Beijing's knowledge.
China unlikely to fill void left by U.S. aid pullback, data shows
By Karoline Kan
Ukraine presses for ceasefire as Russia reported to offer concession
U.S. college presidents unite against Trump's higher education policies
Rubio plans to close offices in major State Department overhaul

Sports

Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo leads his team out onto the field prior to a match against Al-Riyadh on April 12.
Ronaldo hunts Asian Champions League glory in Saudi-hosted finals
First, Ronaldo's side must overcome last year's finalists, Yokohama F. Marinos, a club that is in a crisis after firing manager Steve Holland last week.
Cubs rally late, upend Dodgers in 10th for 11-10 win
NFL's smallest city ready to make big impact as Green Bay hosts the draft
By Amy Tennery
Australia's Gout Gout on track for World Championships debut at 17
Osaka out of Madrid Open after Bronzetti defeat

Opinion

Members of the clergy celebrate Mass in memory of Pope Francis, following the death of the pontiff, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, in La Paz, Bolivia, on Monday.
A conclave to test Pope Francis’ legacy
Howard Chua-Eoan
Francis unraveled many knots after his elevation in March 2013, leaving the question of whether he did enough to secure his legacy now that he’s passed.
All hail the rise of the humanoid robots
By Brad Glosserman
Google’s money-printing machine can be easily dismantled
By Dave Lee
The ambiguity of Japan’s message on nuclear weapons
By Ellis S. Krauss
Did I fall victim to Japan’s stealth productivity killer?
By Gearoid Reidy

ENVIRONMENT

A photo taken from a Norwegian surveillance aircraft shows Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in international waters off the coast of Norway in October 2016.
Global warming is a security threat and armies must adapt, experts say
Defense departments have already underscored that a warming planet poses major national security challenges, and militaries need to adapt to respond to these evolving threats.
Indonesia food plan risks 'world's largest' deforestation
By Marchio Gorbiano and Sara Hussein
Tentative tree planting 'decades overdue' in sweltering Athens
By John HADOULIS
Big bets on speculative carbon capture tech ignore today’s solutions
By Michelle Ma and Dave Merrill
Clean streets versus business woes: Pollution charge divides Londoners
By Akshata Kapoor

CULTURE

Takuro Tamayama’s sculpture “Models (Pair, 6 sets, 12 rings)” comes with a mathematical formation that scales it for different spaces.
The floor is art: Takuro Tamayama transforms mundanity
By Kim Kahan
With “Takuro Tamayama: Floor,” the artist, at 34, has become the youngest person to ever hold a solo show at the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
Japan wanted a cultural do-over. Ado gave it one.
By Patrick St. Michel
Kyotographie 2025 opts for laughter and levity in the face of global strife
By Thu-Huong Ha
Actor Hiroyuki Sanada among Time's 100 most influential people
‘Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie’: J-pop spectacle goes heavy on performances
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Crow meat, shaped into a ball and attached to a foot of the bird, is one of the peculiar offerings of game at Mauvaise Herbe.
Crow meat, goat tartare: Mauvaise Herbe raises its game
By Andrew Lee
Taking an unconventional approach to sourcing, chef Keiji Ojima is out to showcase the little-known wild flavors of Okinawa in his French-inspired Okinawan fare.
Thumbprint cookies with a tangy Japanese filling
By Simon Daly
Japan’s first Waldorf Astoria brings art deco luxury to Osaka
By Tan Pin Yen
Voicing intentions and a peek into a traditional Japanese engagement ceremony
By Yaeko Kabe
Dior shows fall fashion collection in gardens of ancient Kyoto temple
By Irene Wang

COMMUNITY

Customers line up patiently for some early-afternoon baked goods outside Truffle, which is located close to Hiroo Station on the Hibiya Line.
How to spend the perfect day in Hiroo, Tokyo’s expat enclave
By Eric Margolis
A stroll through Hiroo reveals both the comforts of expat luxury and the quiet intrusions of a changing Tokyo.
Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’
By Miikka J. Lehtonen
Tokyo Humanities Cafe feeds hungry minds
By Jessica Kozuka
Montessori head educates Tokyo’s children for life
By Louise George Kittaka
How to navigate Japan’s e-commerce platforms and online flea markets
By Jessica Speed

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Is Japan’s parliament ready to welcome more youth to its ranks?
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Lower House lawmaker Kai Odake in his Tokyo office on Wednesday
CULTURE
The floor is art: Takuro Tamayama transforms mundanity
By Kim Kahan
Takuro Tamayama’s sculpture “Models (Pair, 6 sets, 12 rings)” comes with a mathematical formation that scales it for different spaces.
JAPAN
Cases of epidural use in labor rise in Japan alongside concerns
By Yukana Inoue
Of the 721,000 childbirths reported in 2024 in Japan, 13.8% involved the use of an epidural, according to the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
BASEBALL
Nothing sells like Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s marketing megastar
By Mai Yoshikawa
People walk past an advertisement featuring Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani outside Tokyo Dome on March 18.
LIFE
Calling all Potterheads: ‘The Goblet of Fire’ comes to Tokyo
By Gendel Gento
The Tokyo version of the globe-trotting exhibition features a Ministry of Magic set, which includes an imposing replica of the Magic Is Might monument representing magical fascism.

Podcast

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

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.
By Tomoko Otake

JT Directory Service

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Social media helps fuel growing 'sex tourism' in Japan
By Caroline Gardin
People walk down a street in the red-light entertainment area of Kabukicho in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on March 31.
BUSINESS
Japan buys first South Korean rice in over two decades as prices surge
By Hyonhee Shin
Bags of rice at a warehouse in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Japan imported South Korean rice for the first time since 1999 this month amid soaring domestic prices for the staple grain.
BUSINESS
Nvidia CEO lobbies Japan to generate more power to fuel AI
By Mari Kiyohara
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang answers questions from reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Nvidia CEO urges LDP to build up Japan’s AI infrastructure
By Himari Semans
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba receives a gift from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the start of their meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Yen on the march as Plaza Accord 2.0 debate grows
By Kazuaki Nagata
The yen strengthened dramatically this month — hitting ¥139.9 to the dollar on Tuesday — and could become a topic of conversation in trade talks between the United States and Japan.