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December 21, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
December 21, 2024
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2024 in review
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U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
By Alexandra Alper
The accusation was made in a Dec. 17 letter, signed by counsel for Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel, to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling environmental activist Paul Watson, who was released from prison in Greenland's capital Nuuk after five months in detention, arrives with Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, near Paris, on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Freed anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrives in France
Watson, 74, was released after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over a 2010 clash with whalers.
Three political parties' secretaries-general sign a confirmation letter in Tokyo on Friday regarding the tax-free income threshold.
JAPAN / Politics
Ruling camp approves tax reform proposal
By Himari Semans
The ruling bloc agreed to “continue talks in good faith” with the DPP, which wants to further raise the tax-free income threshold.
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
By Tomoko Otake
The inspection follows a reported leak in August of water containing "forever chemicals" outside the U.S. base in western Tokyo.
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
By Tomoko Otake
This year’s health and wellness fads point to a Japan that desires more wholesome lifestyles but doesn’t have the time or resources to go about it in traditional ways.
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.

JAPAN

The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The poll found that people worry most about their own health, plans for life after retirement, and the outlook for future income and assets.
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
The arrest marked the culmination of an intensive investigation to apprehend the suspect in the fatal stabbing.
77-year-old man arrested in connection with fatal stabbings and arson in Chiba
Japan improves public relations for Nankai Trough megaquake alert
Sapporo arson suspect dies in hospital
By Jessica Speed
Finnish PM seeks boosted military tech ties with Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez

BUSINESS

A limited edition of PlayStation 5 (PS5) Pro video game console
Sony’s record climb makes investors more bullish on gaming boom
By Alice French and Winnie Hsu
Sony Group’s long-awaited rise to record highs has emboldened bullish investors and analysts, who see gains extending into 2025 on a robust outlook for video games.
Toshiba's Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Koji Ikeya speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Monday.
A year after going private, structural reforms bearing fruit for Toshiba
Before going private last December, Toshiba had long struggled to deal with activist investors, from whom the company accepted investments to stabilize its finances.
Foxconn's interest in Nissan said to be on hold amid Honda merger talks
Japan says overall economy recovering, but cuts view on corporate profits
Japan warns on yen after BOJ’s dovish messaging extends slide
By Erica Yokoyama
Losses from crypto hacks jump to $2.2 billion in 2024, report finds
By Medha Singh

WORLD

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters following the passage of spending legislation to avert a government shutdown, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Friday.
U.S. bill to avert midnight shutdown sent to Senate after House approval
The Republican-controlled House also defied President-elect Donald Trump's demand to green light trillions of dollars in new debt.
Emergency personnel work at a Christmas market after a car drove into a group of people in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing at least two.
Driver kills at least two after ramming into crowd at German Christmas market
The attacker was described as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he had lived for almost two decades.
Fade out: Biden disappears into background
By Danny Kemp
Luigi Mangione’s 15-day path from New York to Altoona McDonald’s
U.S. drops bounty for Syria's new leader after Damascus meeting
A decade on, Malaysia renews search for vanished MH370
By Kok Leong Chan

Sports

National team great Michael Leitch participates in the Japan Rugby League One season-opening news conference on Dec. 9.
Japan Rugby League One plays leading role through tough days in Japanese rugby
By John Gunning
At the JRLO’s official 2024-25 season kickoff press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 9, the mood could only be described as festive and upbeat.
Carmelo Anthony and Sue Bird among first-time Hall of Fame nominees
Tyson Fury all business ahead of rematch with Oleksandr Usyk
Chiefs star Mahomes set to face Texans after injury scare
Spurs' Ange Postecoglou defends style after reaching League Cup semifinals

Opinion

Greenpeace activists protest next to a fake whale's tail in front of the Japanese Embassy in Berlin in 2010. The real motivation behind Japan's whaling may lie in asserting its maritime sovereignty, as the country defends its exclusive economic zone amid territorial disputes.
For Japan, whaling is intertwined with maritime sovereignty
Maxime Polleri
While Japan has an undeniable culture surrounding seafood, the current generation of people do not show much interest in whale meat.
Why Trump can’t just end birthright citizenship
By Barbara McQuade
Europe’s militaries make their presence known in the Indo-Pacific
An OPEC for solar power isn’t going to work
By David Fickling
India’s budding chip industry: A cause for cautious optimism
By Eri Ikeda

ENVIRONMENT

The entrance of the Sodegaura LNG Terminal, operated by Tokyo Gas, in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture
Japan's draft climate strategy spurs calls for bolder cuts in carbon emissions
By Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu
The government last month presented a draft plan to aim for a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 from 2013 levels.
Japanese study links heavy Hokkaido snowfall in 2021 to climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Companies challenged by fewer weeks of winter
By Ethan M Steinberg
Indigenous people in Canada weigh costs of a gas windfall
By Max Bearak
World falls short of drought deal at Saudi-hosted talks
By Robbie COREY-BOULET

CULTURE

Tokyo Comic Con took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
Comic cons are far more than just cosplay
By Howard Chua-Eoan
The conventions allow fans of comics to meet their heroes — both actors and authors — with manga and anime playing an increasingly bigger role each year.
‘The Hotel of My Dream’: A literary comedy that never really gels
By James Hadfield
‘More Than Words’: A morally gray melodrama about sexual assault
By Mark Schilling
Zakir Hussain, peerless Indian tabla player, dies at 73
By Yan Zhuang
Jay Rubin takes us back to Haruki Murakami's world
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
By Tomoko Otake
This year’s health and wellness fads point to a Japan that desires more wholesome lifestyles but doesn’t have the time or resources to go about it in traditional ways.
Make the Yuletide gay: Tokyo’s LGBTQ+ Christmas events
By Kat Joplin
Silent night? Not if you want to impress your Christmas Eve date.
By Yuko Tamura
Glass half full: Japan’s sake industry celebrates a brighter 2024
By Phoebe Amoroso
From Florence to Osaka, Gucci’s newest concept bar oozes style
By Melinda Joe

COMMUNITY

Tokyo Union Church volunteers prepare food for unhoused individuals. The church helps people regardless of religion, race or sexuality.
From the stage to the streets, make a difference this holiday season
By Kimberly Hughes
Discover the joy of giving back through a variety of charitable efforts. Helping others helps you, too.
A green-eyed cutie who loves to eat
Yurie Collins: ‘Everyone seems sedated, fed-up … that’s why they turn to comedy’
By Zoria Petkoska
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
By Phoebe Amoroso
Kumiko Shichijo: ‘Living abroad helped me appreciate Japanese etiquette’
By Ansel Swindells

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
By Mark Schilling
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
LIFE
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
By Patrick St. Michel
A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
ASIA PACIFIC
With rare Asia carrier deployment, France seeks greater interoperability
By Gabriel Dominguez
The flight deck of the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier during a stop at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in May 2019
BUSINESS
Taiwan’s bullet train a testament to shinkansen’s export potential
By Kazuaki Nagata
A Taiwan High Speed Rail bullet train arrives at Nangang Station in the city of Taipei.
LIFE
Looking for ways to be charitable in Japan? Give the gift of reading.
By Yuko Tamura
Book Santa is a program that delivers books to children in need for Christmas, but it also operates year-round.

Podcast

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

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs
The Kabukicho district in Tokyo, where the daughter of a woman in her 60s fell deeply into the host club culture.
JAPAN
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
JAPAN
Couple stabbed to death near Tokyo
Two people were found stabbed on the premises of a private home and were later confirmed dead at hospital, the Chiba Prefectural Police have said.
JAPAN
43-year-old man arrested over Kitakyushu McDonald's stabbings
By Jessica Speed
A McDonald's outlet in Kitakyushu where two teens were stabbed, one fatally, on Saturday. Police arrested a 43-year-old suspect on Thursday morning.
JAPAN
Ride-hailing restrictions to be eased during 2025 Osaka Expo
A venue for the 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka