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February 20, 2025
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February 20, 2025
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Ryuji Kimura in the city of Wakayama in April 2023
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Kishida attacker sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder
Kimura maintained through the trial that he did not intend to harm anyone, adding that he threw the explosive to draw attention to his 2022 lawsuit.
Ryuji Kimura in the city of Wakayama in April 2023
DPP tax chair Motohisa Furukawa speaks during a meeting of the party's tax committee in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Debate over income tax threshold reform hits roadblock with new LDP proposal
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Neither Komeito, the ruling coalition's junior partner, nor the opposition Democratic Party for the People supported the LDP's new income tax plan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday that the Japanese government has raised the issue of auto tariffs with the U.S. government, given the importance of Japan’s automobile industry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan raises auto tariff issue with U.S. as Trump threatens hike
By Yoshiaki Nohara
The U.S. president's threat to impose a 25% levy on car imports would likely deliver a big blow to Japan’s economy.
Vehicles bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama. Japan's auto exports to the United States surged 21.8% in January as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats continued to mount.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan’s exports rise again ahead of Trump’s tariff measures
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Exports measured by value increased 7.2% from a year earlier, led by shipments of cars and ships.
Director Park Chan-wook (center) and his cast hit commercial gold with “Joint Security Area,” a film about North and South Korean friendship.
CULTURE / Film
South Korean blockbuster 'Joint Security Area' strikes a chord 25 years on
By Claire Lee
Park Chan-wook's tale of inter-Korean friendship was a risky undertaking at the time of filming, but it has since become a celebrated cinematic masterpiece.
Director Park Chan-wook (center) and his cast hit commercial gold with “Joint Security Area,” a film about North and South Korean friendship.

JAPAN

Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki (left) meets Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito (right) in Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, in December.
Japan not to attend meeting on nuclear ban treaty for third time
The decision may draw criticism from many members of the public and Komeito, with both calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
A visitor feeds the deer at Nara Park in Nara on Jan. 27. The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record high in January.
Monthly number of visitors to Japan hits record high in January
The number of inbound visitors is estimated to have risen 40.6% from a year before to 3,781,200, exceeding 3 million for the fourth consecutive month.
Accountant's testimony on LDP slush fund scandal postponed
Osaka court jails former hospital employee for life for raping 10 girls
Japanese boy says he was forced to assist with phone scams fraud in Myanmar
Japan's justice minister admits to giving mooncakes to staff

BUSINESS

Toyota agreed to transfer an existing order with LG Energy Solution to LG's battery plant in Michigan, sources said, after General Motors backed out of the project amid a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicle sales.
Toyota is backing LG battery plant with $1.5 billion order
By Gabrielle Coppola and David Welch
GM said in December it would sell its $1 billion stake in the Lansing, Michigan, plant, leaving LG scrambling to find new customers.
Murata Manufacturing President Norio Nakajima
IPhone parts maker Murata eyes supply chain shift toward India
By Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa
The company sees growing demand in India and is running simulations for what it would take to dial up its pace of investment there.
Resonac explores deal structures for possible JSR takeover
By Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa
Major Japanese automakers wary of Trump tariffs
Mitsui to buy stake in Australian iron ore mine for $5.3 billion
By Martin Ritchie and Paul-Alain Hunt
CDP eyes BOJ’s exchange-traded funds to pay for free schooling
By Sakura Murakami and Akemi Terukina

WORLD

An undated handout photograph released on Jan. 11 from the from the Telegram account of V_Zelenskiy_official shows an alleged soldier presented as North Korean detained by Ukrainian authorities at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, following his capture by Ukrainian authorities.
South Korea willing to take North Korean POWs from Ukraine
By Soo-hyang Choi
South Korea’s comments came after a captured soldier said in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper that he wants to seek asylum in South Korea.
A Ukrainian serviceman in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Nov. 29
European forces would struggle to guarantee Ukraine peace without U.S.
By Sabine Siebold
Deterrence in the form of U.S. medium-range missiles and ultimately nuclear weapons will remain crucial, experts say.
Islanders keen to return to Santorini even as quakes continue
By John HADOULIS
Top South Korean judge faces disinformation deluge as Yoon impeachment looms
By SHIM Kyu-Seok
How a Moscow-linked exhibit tried to erode German support for Ukraine
By Mari Saito, Tassilo Hummel, Anton Zverev, Polina Nikolskaya and Maria Tsvetkova
Talks on next phase of Gaza ceasefire to begin this week: Israeli minister
By James Mackenzie

Sports

Newly promoted grand champion Hoshoryu (center) performs a dedication ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 31.
What is the ceiling for sumo’s newest yokozuna?
By John Gunning
The ceremonies are complete, the celebrations are done, and now it’s time for Hoshoryu to get down to the daily task of leading Japan’s national sport.
Eddie Jones hails Japan 'tour of a lifetime' with Ireland and Wales games
Arsenal defender Tomiyasu undergoes knee surgery
By Shifa Jahan
Mets owner says he overspent to get 'best team I can'
Team USA's McAvoy ruled out for 4 Nations final against Canada

Opinion

Taiwan worries that Donald Trump’s dealmaking with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine signals uncertainty for its own security, and the island democracy is boosting efforts to strengthen U.S. ties and defense spending.
Trump’s phone call with Putin is causing a stir in Taiwan
KARISHMA VASWANI
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te’s government should consider what it can offer Trump to avoid becoming a pawn in the U.S.-China rivalry.
The new face of global protests
By Slavoj Zizek
Does humanity have a future in the virtual and AI age?
By Ross Douthat
Starmer offers Ukraine a defense check it can't cash
By Rosa Prince
Trump’s Gaza plan is a crazy answer to a valid question
By Thomas L. Friedman

ENVIRONMENT

Laborers at a shipyard on the outskirts of Dhaka. Worker deaths, injuries and exposure to hazardous substances are common in the ship-breaking industry, as is environmental harm with toxic chemicals seeping into the beach and water, harming marine life.
Shipyards of Bangladesh brace as heavy emitting ships near end of life
By Md. Tahmid Zami
Worker deaths and environmental harm are common in yards where vessels that have supplied richer nations are dismantled for scraps that can be used in manufacturing.
NOAA told to make list of climate-related grants, setting off fears
By Christopher Flavelle, Austyn Gaffney and Raymond Zhong
It’s ‘virtually certain’ the world has already breached 1.5 C
By Kendra Pierre-Louis
Trump’s freeze on climate money sows fear and confusion
By Zahra Hirji and Danielle Bochove
Top climate scientist declares 2 degrees Celsius climate goal 'dead'

CULTURE

Netflix reality series “Offline Love” follows five men and five women as they spend 10 days in Nice, France, finding romance.
‘Offline Love’ ditches digital dating and puts old-school romance to the test
By Patrick St. Michel
Netflix Japan's new reality series whisks its participants to a picturesque seaside city in France and leans into nostalgia for a simpler time.
'Mornings Without Mii': A cozy cat memoir that gets down in the muck
By Thu-Huong Ha
Kunichika's vibrant ukiyo-e gets a chance to shine at anniversary exhibit
By Martin Laflamme
Nariaki Obukuro found his groove — just not on the dance floor
By Patrick St. Michel
'Laugh, Everyone!’: A wonky but endearing double act
By James Hadfield

LIFE

No South American fare is complete without empanadas, one of the traditional recipes in Kiera Wright-Ruiz's cookbook.
Chewing on race, culture and 'okonomiyaki' quesadillas
By Simon Daly
Kiera Wright-Ruiz’s debut cookbook serves up deep thoughts on her biracial heritage alongside delicious recipes.
Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ‘unique to this land’
By Phoebe Amoroso
Cut and dried daikon: A time-tested frugal treat
By Makiko Itoh
Alpha Takahashi: ‘The world of video games was tied to my upbringing’
By Samantha Low
New street patrol helps Nara's deer clean up their act
By Tomohiro Osaki

COMMUNITY

Kendrick Lamar performs at the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Black History Month in 2025: The boundaries between 'us' and 'them'
By Baye McNeil
Our columnist reflects on the fraught ideologies of race from both sides of the Pacific.
John Davis: ‘At its core, indie is about creative freedom’
By Gendel Gento
Home away from home: My first time at a Tet festival in Japan
By Nguyen Bao Anh
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

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Can Ishiba's 'joyful Japan' policy revitalize the nation's rural regions?
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba receives fruit from tangerine farmers of Shizuoka Prefecture in Tokyo on Jan. 22. The government's new regional revitalization plan focuses on convincing younger workers to choose a career and life somewhere other than a major urban center such as Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Japan’s English-language education doesn’t pass the test
By Yuko Tamura
One-third of elementary school students in Japan do not like learning English, according to a 2021 poll, an 8% rise since 2013. The pressure of taking proficiency tests is eroding children's engagement with studying English and its benefits.
COMMUNITY
Black History Month in 2025: The boundaries between 'us' and 'them'
By Baye McNeil
Kendrick Lamar performs at the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana.
ENVIRONMENT
Sky not the only limit for JAL and ANA’s climate goals
By Chris Russell
All Nippon Airways aircraft at Haneda Airport in Tokyo in August 2024. ANA has staked a lot on greener kinds of jet fuel, with 70% of the emissions reductions under its net-zero emissions plan coming from them.
CULTURE
The different faces of ‘Asura’ through the generations
By James Hadfield
Netflix series “Asura,” directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is a remake of a classic TV drama (known as “Like Asura” in English), created by Kuniko Mukoda and broadcast by NHK between 1979 and 1980.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tokyo Koon stands at the forefront of tackling the so-called 2025 issue, also known as the “Magnetic Tape Alert.”
The race to save 20th-century history
By Alex K.T. Martin

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COMMENTARY
Japan’s English-language education doesn’t pass the test
By Yuko Tamura
One-third of elementary school students in Japan do not like learning English, according to a 2021 poll, an 8% rise since 2013. The pressure of taking proficiency tests is eroding children's engagement with studying English and its benefits.
JAPAN
Japan's Iwaya vows to push ahead with sanctions against Russia
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya meets with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and counterparts from other countries at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 21.
JAPAN
Japan backs nuclear power in climate plan criticized as insufficient
By Eric Johnston
The government has made a shift toward nuclear amid predictions of higher electricity demand stemming from semiconductor production and data centers for AI in the decades to come.
JAPAN
Kishida attacker sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder
Ryuji Kimura in the city of Wakayama in April 2023
JAPAN
Japanese nationals thought to be held captive at Myanmar-Thailand border
By Yukana Inoue
The Thai Royal Police held a meeting on Monday in Bangkok with representatives from 18 countries, including Japan, as well as international organizations like the United Nations regarding the transnational scam operation.