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January 30, 2025

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A police car drives away from Reagan Washington National Airport after a collision between a passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter on Wednesday.

Breaking News

WORLD

Passenger jet collides with U.S. Army helicopter near Washington's Reagan Airport

American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard the jet — including 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the 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.

The Lower House Budget Committee vote for summoning 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.

Efforts continued Thursday to rescue a 74-year-old truck driver trapped in a massive sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture.

JAPAN

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.

A U.S. soldier walks past a razor wire-topped fence at the "Camp X-Ray" detention facility at the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2014.

WORLD / Politics

Trump to prepare facility at Guantanamo for 30,000 migrants

By Jeff Mason, Idrees Ali and Ted Hesson

U.S. border czar Tom Homan said the facility in Cuba would be used to hold the 'worst of the worst.'

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura said measures against U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women "will show the government's position more clearly," in relation to the Imperial House Law.

Japan hits back at U.N. panel over imperial law review recommendation

The law allows only male descendants from the paternal line of the imperial family to become emperor.

Hideko Hakamata (second from left), Iwao Hakamata's sister, in the city of Shizuoka on Sept. 26 following a Shizuoka District Court retrial verdict finding Iwao Hakamata not guilty

Hakamata seeks ¥217 million in state compensation after acquittal

Under the criminal compensation law, those found not guilty in a retrial can claim compensation of up to ¥12,500 per day.

Japan's emperor and empress will likely visit Mongolia in July

Japanese food makers step in to preserve sake breweries' legacy

Shared concerns could bring LDP and Nippon Ishin together on 2025 budget

By Eric Johnston

'Doctor Yellow' train completes final shinkansen track inspection

Japanese banks are enjoying bumper earnings as they begin to benefit from rising interest rates following more than a decade of ultraeasy monetary policy.

Sumitomo Mitsui profit beats estimates as rate hikes bolster earnings

By Taiga Uranaka and Hideki Suzuki

Net income at Japan’s second-largest bank rose 54% from a year earlier to ¥410.8 billion for the three months ended Dec. 31, calculations show.

The Bank of Japan's phasing out of its fund-provisioning program underscores Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s determination to slowly but steadily proceed with the normalization of policy after more than a decade of radical monetary easing.

BOJ to shrink balance sheet by around ¥77 trillion with end of loan program

By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito

All outstanding loans from the central bank's fund-provisioning program to stimulate bank lending are expected to be wiped off its books by March 2028.

Red tape and rare earths: EU 'compass' charts economic future

By Daniel ARONSSOHN

Trump’s nine-hour economic war on Colombia rattles markets

By Nicolle Yapur and Maria Elena Vizcaino

Alibaba releases AI model it says surpasses DeepSeek-V3

By Eduardo Baptista

Renault seeks takeover premium from Honda for Nissan stake

U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Monday.

Trump reverses spending freeze order that sparked chaos

By Riley Griffin, Skylar Woodhouse and Gregory Korte

The abrupt move — only two days after the freeze was first announced — quickly drew parallels to the chaotic policy rollouts that unfolded during Trump’s first administration.

A protester holds a flag as he shouts slogans during a demonstration to mark the anniversary of Myanmar's 2021 military coup, outside the United Nations office in Bangkok, on Feb. 1, 2024.

Risk of violence escalates in Myanmar's civil war as election looms

By Shoon Naing and Devjyot Ghoshal

With many forces opposing the junta and the election, tensions are set to rise ahead of the ballot.

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

Chinese online operation called for toppling Spain's government: report

Syria's Sharaa declared president for transition, consolidating his power

By Timour Azhari and Tom Perry

Hoshoryu (front, second from left) celebrates after being promoted to yokozuna on Wednesday in Tokyo.

Sumo’s newest yokozuna is all smiles — but major challenges await

By John Gunning

For all the feel-good energy that has surrounded Hoshoryu the past few days, the Mongolian will need to take his sumo to another level if he is to last in the rank.

Rob Gronkowski says Patriots' legacy secure as Chiefs chase history

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain stay alive in Champions League

NFL enhances Super Bowl security after New Year's Day attack in New Orleans

Kirsty Coventry hopes to make waves in IOC presidential race

By Pirate IRWIN

With China's growing military threat against Taiwan, experts argue that real deterrence — such as increased training ties with Japan, the U.S. and other nations — may be necessary to prevent an invasion and protect regional stability.

How to secure Taiwan as drumbeats of a looming invasion grow louder

Edo Naito

It is high time to get creative for real deterrence to protect the democratic island.

A pop-star sex scandal shows the death throes of old Japan

By Gearoid Reidy

New era for U.S.-Japan depends on adapting to Trump’s America

By Joshua W. Walker

When big countries wave their big economic sticks

By Brad Glosserman

The Bank of Japan’s communication challenges

By Sayuri Shirai

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

Aside from purely aesthetics, the flowers in Mika Ninagawa’s art carry deep cultural and spiritual meaning.

Mika Ninagawa transforms the Kyocera Museum into a vibrant dreamworld

By Erik Augustin Palm

The artist’s most expansive exhibition in the Kansai region to date is an experience that straddles the boundaries of photography, film and installation art.

The cartoon chaos of ‘Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi’ was ahead of its time

By Patrick St. Michel

'Emilia Perez' tops Oscar nominations in fire-hit Hollywood

By Paula Ramon and Andrew Marszal

‘Missing Child Videotape’: Subtle chiller may leave J-horror fans underwhelmed

By James Hadfield

‘Teki Cometh’ slides in and out of a hypnotic dreamworld

By Mark Schilling

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.

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

Why tatami is going from the floor to the dining table

By Phoebe Amoroso

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.

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

Kaz Shiomi: ‘I want to show people … how to color outside the lines’

By Laura Pollacco

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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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