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TOKYO
October 11, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
October 11, 2024
Shigeru Ishiba
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Ishiba addresses the ASEAN-Japan Summit meeting in Laos on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba keeps low profile as he makes diplomatic debut
By Gabriel Dominguez and Francis Tang
The prime minister made pledges to strengthen maritime security and promote decarbonization during his first international trip since taking office.
Ishiba addresses the ASEAN-Japan Summit meeting in Laos on Thursday.
The Bank of Japan's surprise rate increase on July 31 led to Japanese stocks plummeting into bear-market territory, with the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei average falling 12.4% on Aug. 5 alone.
BUSINESS / Economy
Bank of Japan vows better messaging to avoid more market turmoil
By Kazuaki Nagata
There is "strong will" within the central bank to learn from what had happened during its last rate increase, BOJ Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino.
Nobuyo Oyama
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Long-time Doraemon voice actor Nobuyo Oyama dies at 90
By Yukana Inoue
Oyama voiced the nation's beloved blue cat-robot with her iconic drawl from the time the show debuted in 1979 until 2005.
Yuri Kondo (center), who filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Japan's ban on dual nationality, speaks at a news conference in the city of Fukuoka in December 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Ban on dual nationality is constitutional, Fukuoka High Court rules
By Karin Kaneko
The court dismissed a claim filed by a woman who lost her Japanese citizenship after she became a naturalized American citizen.
Annual festival Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! was born a decade ago when Barakan (left) decided to create a platform to share his love of roots music, which he attributes to growing up in 1960s England.
CULTURE / Music
Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! takes its final bow
By Matt Schley
The 11th edition of the annual blues, jazz and roots festival will also be its last, at least in its current form, but the core concept of the event will live on.
Annual festival Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! was born a decade ago when Barakan (left) decided to create a platform to share his love of roots music, which he attributes to growing up in 1960s England.

JAPAN

People engage in discussions during a program of School for Life Compath in Biei, Hokkaido, in August 2021.
Danish-style 'schools for life' gaining popularity in Japan
The schools promote personal growth and lifelong learning, covering topics such as self-discovery, societal exploration, modern art and forest adventures.
Masakazu Tokura
2025 Expo head expects ticket sales to speed up
Around half of the 14 million advance tickets that the organizer aims to sell by the start of the Expo have been sold.
Ex-Daiichi Sankyo employee faces 18 years for allegedly poisoning wife
Police chief wants key election personalities fully protected
Nagoya man arrested after death of couple believed to be his parents
Yakuza member arrested over insurance fraud after cutting off own finger

BUSINESS

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk rides in Tesla's robotaxi at an unveiling event in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Tesla CEO Musk unveils Cybercab and Robovan as focus shifts to automation
By Abhirup Roy and Akash Sriram
Musk said Cybercab production will start in 2026, with the autonomous taxis available to buy for less than $30,000.
Infcurion offers technology powering a range of payments services such as digital wallets and credit cards.
Japanese payments company Infcurion says planning IPO in 2025
By Makiko Yamazaki and Sam Nussey
Infcurion, founded in 2006, offers technology powering a range of payments services such as digital wallets and credit cards.
Daiichi Sankyo eyes newer cancer drugs to stave off rivals
By Natsuko Katsuki and Shery Ahn
Risks from possible contested U.S. election appear on market's radar
By Lewis Krauskopf and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed
Seven & I to split in two to fend off Couche-Tard takeover bid
By Koh Yoshida
World Bank board approves new Ukraine fund, sources say
By Andrea Shalal

WORLD

Roof damage at Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday. Almost 3 million people were without power Thursday after Milton made landfall and crossed the state.
Hurricane Milton’s surprise was the damage unleashed by powerful winds
By David R Baker and Lauren Rosenthal
Much of the worst damage from the hurricane, like the shredded roof of the Tropicana Field sports stadium, came from wind rather than water.
A destroyed part of a building stands at Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces withdrew from the hospital and the area around it in Gaza City in April.
U.N. inquiry accuses Israel of crime of 'extermination' in Gaza
By Emma Farge
Israel has not cooperated with the inquiry, which it says has an anti-Israel bias.
Zelenskyy outlines 'victory plan' to allies, discusses long-range weapons
By Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout and John Irish
Hezbollah official survives Israeli assassination attempt: sources
By Maya Gebeily and Alexander Cornwell
Disinformation stirred by Musk and Trump adds strain to hurricane recovery
By Michael Shepard, Daniel Zuidijk and Jennifer Epstein
'Mood change' on migration puts deportation hubs on EU table
By Umberto Bacchi

Sports

Rafael Nadal bites the trophy after winning the French Open in Paris on June 5, 2022. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, said he will retire following this year's Davis Cup.
Rafael Nadal to retire at end of season
"It has been some difficult years, these last two especially," the 38-year-old, who won a record 14 French Open titles, said in a video.
Japan looks to Australia and beyond after beating Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifier
Natalie Nakase named as inaugural head coach of expansion Valkyries in WNBA
Rafael Nadal leaves behind legacy as role model and inspiration for fellow players
Australian Open chief confident Nick Kyrgios will compete

Opinion

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, awards Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh (left), the commander of the Aerospace Force, with the Fath badge in Tehran on Sunday for the missile attack on Israel. 
Today's Tehran looks a lot like the Tokyo of the 1930s
Kuni Miyake
Current tensions between Iran and Israel have parallels to historical events in 1930s Japan.
Geoengineering can save the planet — if we demystify it
By Lara Williams
'The Quad’ shows concern over climate change as security threat
By Robert Mizo
To win back audiences, put more Asians behind the camera
By KARISHMA VASWANI
Capitalizing on the weakening of Hezbollah and Hamas
By Dennis Ross

ENVIRONMENT

Coal-fired power plants in Bataan, the Philippines, in June 2023. A third of the 158 agreements signed under the Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community are linked to fossil fuel technologies, a recent study by a climate research group has found.
Japan pushes fossil fuel tech in Asia carbon neutrality initiative
By Tomoko Otake
A third of the 158 agreements signed under the Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community are linked to fossil fuel technologies, according to a report.
How climate change is contributing to the intensity of hurricanes
By Todd Woody
Top of the COPs: The key U.N. climate summits
By Laurence COUSTAL
Europe’s urban dilemma: Saving the past from a warming future
By Sonja Wind
Environment takes center stage as global summits loom
By Julien MIVIELLE

CULTURE

Annual festival Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! was born a decade ago when Barakan (left) decided to create a platform to share his love of roots music, which he attributes to growing up in 1960s England.
Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! takes its final bow
By Matt Schley
The 11th edition of the annual blues, jazz and roots festival will also be its last, at least in its current form, but the core concept of the event will live on.
In Tokyo, the Taro Nasu gallery focuses on conceptual art
By Vivian Morelli
Hold history in your hands at this triennial antiques fair in Tokyo
By Zoria Petkoska
‘The Young Strangers’: A tough watch but thrillingly alive
By James Hadfield
‘Happyend’ tests teen friendship with authoritarian dystopia
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

The Specialty Coffee Association of Japan's World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition runs through Oct. 12 at Tokyo's Big Sight convention center, where Ogawa Coffee Laboratory is one of many companies showing off advances in coffee roasting and brewing.
On the ground at Japan's biggest coffee conference
By Zoria Petkoska
The biggest impact the java-centric event will have on most people might be how their local brewers make their lattes and pour-overs in the near future.
Studying Japanese is like exercise: The more you do it, the better you'll feel.
By Yuko Tamura
Sega's ninja game Shinobi to get the movie treatment
Man behind Persona games flips to fantasy in latest release
By Kilian Fichou
Starbucks cafes in Tokyo almost alone in keeping Princi baked goods
By Daniela Sirtori

COMMUNITY

Surfing near the Shiretoko Peninsula, Jonathan Dunnett says he noticed a lot of netting, something that might negatively affect the beautiful wildlife there.
Jonathan Dunnett: ‘The ocean is far bigger than we are, and it will humble us.’
By Justin Randall
With his bright orange sail, windsurfer Jonathan Dunnett is pretty visible out on the water. This means he draws attention from other boaters and the odd shark.
What’s a mother to do when your non-Japanese child is bullied in school?
By Harriet Ocharo
Duane Levi: 'Once you are able to create something that has sustainability … you’re going to get help and support.'
By Patrick St. Michel
Saying good riddance to what bugs me about a Japanese summer
By Jordan Allen
‘The people I’d seen in kimono didn’t have as much melanin as I do’
By Baye McNeil

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
South Korean author Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in literature
By Thu-Huong Ha
Han Kang is the first South Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
SUMO
Spate of sumo tour dropouts highlights need to rethink wrestlers' health
By John Gunning
Shonannoumi hits the dirt at the hands of Kotozakura during a bout in Tokyo in May. Shonannoumi is among the many top wrestlers who have dropped out of this month's regional tour due to injury.
ENVIRONMENT
Japan pushes fossil fuel tech in Asia carbon neutrality initiative
By Tomoko Otake
Coal-fired power plants in Bataan, the Philippines, in June 2023. A third of the 158 agreements signed under the Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community are linked to fossil fuel technologies, a recent study by a climate research group has found.
COMMUNITY
The forgotten Japanese naturalist who created a U.S. national park
By Drew Damron
Without Japanese outdoorsman George Masa, America might not have the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — so why do so many people in Japan not know he existed?
JAPAN
Experts move to allay replicon COVID shot fears in Japan amid backlash
By Tomoko Otake
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Tokyo on Oct. 1. Experts say fears over the newly approved replicon vaccine are unwarranted.

Podcast

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

Longform

Dul Saroth (left) and Soeum Samrach, deminers with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, practice using the Advanced Landmine Imaging System in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province in August.
The Japanese tech that could one day make Southeast Asia landmine-free
By Anton L. Delgado

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sasakawa works for a sustainable blue economy
Sasakawa works for a sustainable blue economy

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
By Karin Kaneko
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
JAPAN
University of Tokyo moves up a spot to 28th in World University Rankings
By Himari Semans
The University of Tokyo is ranked 28th in the latest World University Rankings, advancing one place from the previous rankings.
JAPAN
Chinese nationals in Japan testify to harassment by Beijing, report says
By Himari Semans
Chinese residents living in Japan take part in a “white paper” protest in solidarity against China's COVID-19 lockdowns, in Tokyo in November 2022.
SUMO
Spate of sumo tour dropouts highlights need to rethink wrestlers' health
By John Gunning
Shonannoumi hits the dirt at the hands of Kotozakura during a bout in Tokyo in May. Shonannoumi is among the many top wrestlers who have dropped out of this month's regional tour due to injury.
JAPAN
Japan still pushing China for explanation over killing of schoolboy
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya asked his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to provide a proper accounting of the facts in the stabbing death of a schoolboy in China last month during their telephone talks on Wednesday.