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February 22, 2025
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February 22, 2025
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Japan is the world's No.2 LNG buyer, a major investor in energy infrastructure, and a trading hub with a glut of LNG that could help open new markets for U.S. gas in Southeast Asia.
WORLD / Politics
Trump seeks to reshape Asia's energy supplies with U.S. gas
By John Geddie, Tim Kelly and David Brunnstrom
While the Alaska LNG proposal faces hurdles, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and others are buying into the idea of increasing U.S. gas imports more broadly.

More coverage

How Trump’s tariffs could reorder Asia trade and exclude the U.S.
Japan is the world's No.2 LNG buyer, a major investor in energy infrastructure, and a trading hub with a glut of LNG that could help open new markets for U.S. gas in Southeast Asia.
Nissan in recent weeks has been searching for a strategic partner in the tech industry, with some board members suggesting Tesla and Apple as ideal targets, the Financial Times reported.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japan seeks Tesla investment in Nissan as Foxconn approaches Honda
Taiwan's Foxconn has reportedly proposed forming a partnership with Honda, aiming for a framework that would also include Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors.
Japanese investors are estimated to have increased holdings of Chinese bonds by 53% last year, the most among the markets that make up the World Government Bond Index, according to Bloomberg analysis of Japanese balance-of-payments data.
BUSINESS / Markets
Tokyo fund buys China bonds for first time on Japanification bet
By Masaki Kondo
"Our long-term view is that it’s inevitable for China to follow the path of Japan,” said Hikaru Tanaka, fund manager at Asset Management One.
Multinational victims of scam centers, who were allegedly trafficked into working in Myanmar and were sent to Thailand on Feb. 12 amid a mounting crackdown on scam centers operating along a porous border, queue to get food at a shelter in Tak province, Thailand, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japanese nationals returned from Myanmar as scam probe continues
By Yukana Inoue
The Japanese nationals are among hundreds of thousands of people who police say have been coerced into engaging in online scams.
Many Japanese companies like Toto have quietly shifted from consumer-facing products like toilets to specialized, high-value industries such as semiconductor materials, proving that Japan's innovation remains strong despite its lower global visibility.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Japan’s toilet jokes are on you. Innovation is flourishing.
Gearoid Reidy
One of the most surprising stories in corporate Japan in recent months has been the emergence of semiconductor materials as a significant profit driver at Toto.
Many Japanese companies like Toto have quietly shifted from consumer-facing products like toilets to specialized, high-value industries such as semiconductor materials, proving that Japan's innovation remains strong despite its lower global visibility.

JAPAN

NEC's safety confirmation system for local governments to use in the event of a disaster.
Japan eyeing IT to help those in need of assistance during disasters
By digitalizing operations previously done on paper, the country hopes to streamline efforts to help vulnerable people during disasters.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in parliament on Friday
LDP and opposition lock horns over Japan budget
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Mindful of how much the ruling coalition needs their support, Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People are digging their heels in.
Over 80% of Japanese say death penalty system is 'unavoidable'
By Francis Tang
Special website created 30 years after Tokyo subway sarin attack
Japan's Prince Hisahito to hold first news conference on March 3
War book for students gaining attention in Japan

BUSINESS

Nissan in recent weeks has been searching for a strategic partner in the tech industry, with some board members suggesting Tesla and Apple as ideal targets, the Financial Times reported.
Japan seeks Tesla investment in Nissan as Foxconn approaches Honda
Taiwan's Foxconn has reportedly proposed forming a partnership with Honda, aiming for a framework that would also include Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors.
A customer visits a store along the Togoshi Ginza shopping street in Tokyo on Jan. 23. Rising fresh food prices contributed to the acceleration in overall inflation in January, as vegetable prices, including cabbage, soared.
Japan’s inflation speeds up, keeping BOJ on rate hike path
By Toru Fujioka
Overall inflation accelerated to 4% from 3.6%, according to the internal affairs ministry, hitting that mark for the first time in two years.
Japan's Cat Day sees companies capitalize on 'a-meow-zing' economic boon
Japan yields fall as Ueda warns BOJ can step in to smooth market
By Toru Fujioka
Luxury cruise ship Asuka III to enter into service in July
'Stagflation' fears haunt U.S. markets despite Trump's pro-growth agenda
By Suzanne McGee and Davide Barbuscia

WORLD

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown speaks during annual Memorial Day in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in May 2024.
Trump fires top U.S. general in unprecedented Pentagon shakeup
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
The decision sets off a period of upheaval at the Pentagon, which was already bracing for mass firings of civilian staff and other dramatic shifts.
Israelis sit together in Tel Aviv on Thursday as the bodies of deceased hostages were handed over by Hamas under the terms of a ceasefire.
Hamas releases new hostage body after misidentification of Shiri Bibas
By James Mackenzie and Jana Choukeir
The failure to hand over the correct body and the staged public handover on Thursday caused outrage and drew a threat of retaliation from Netanyahu.
Associated Press sues White House officials to restore access
Ukraine promises swift deal for minerals as Trump cuts Kyiv out of peace talks
By Andrew E. Kramer
Echoing Musk, Bannon salute draws sharp criticism, including from French right
By Charles Homans, Emma Bubola and Michael Gold
Arab leaders scramble to counter Trump’s Gaza plans
By Ismaeel Naar

Sports

Roki Sasaki talks about his marriage announcement during an interview at the Los Angeles Dodgers' training camp in Glendale, Arizona.
Roki Sasaki surprises Dodgers teammates with marriage news
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki surprised teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday with the big news.
Canada beats U.S. to win 4 Nations tournament filled with political tension
Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of regular season with blood clot
Mina Tanaka scores twice as Japan crushes Australia in SheBelieves Cup opener
Swallows employee who portrayed popular mascot Tsubakuro dies
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

Many Japanese companies like Toto have quietly shifted from consumer-facing products like toilets to specialized, high-value industries such as semiconductor materials, proving that Japan's innovation remains strong despite its lower global visibility.
Japan’s toilet jokes are on you. Innovation is flourishing.
Gearoid Reidy
One of the most surprising stories in corporate Japan in recent months has been the emergence of semiconductor materials as a significant profit driver at Toto.
What Trump’s return could mean for Afghanistan
By Sadiq Amini
America's allies get a rude awakening
What is Trump’s foreign policy strategy, if there is one?
By Kuni Miyake
The new face of global protests
By Slavoj Zizek

ENVIRONMENT

The Chip Mong Insee cement factory in Kampot province, Cambodia, on Jan. 9. An investigation has shown that the plastic credits sector relies heavily on the polluting cement industry to burn collected waste, despite concerns about health risks and carbon emissions.
'What would you have us do?': The plastic credits problem
By Sara Hussein
Credits place no obligations on buyers to stop producing or using unrecyclable plastic that ends up in the environment.
Shipyards of Bangladesh brace as heavy emitting ships near end of life
By Md. Tahmid Zami
Sky not the only limit for JAL and ANA’s climate goals
By Chris Russell
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

CULTURE

Yamanote Jijosha has a long history of staging Shakespeare plays, and in celebration of its 40th anniversary, the company will present “Othello” and “Macbeth.” Previously, it toured productions like “Titus Andronicus,” which premiered in Tokyo in 1999, saw multiple revivals and had a homecoming in 2015.
Directing is never a monologue at the experimental Yamanote Jijosha theater company
By Kris Kosaka
To mark its four decades of existence, the company stages two Shakespearean tragedies for a triumph.
'A Hundred Years and a Day': Short stories unfold through the lives of structures and spaces
By Thu-Huong Ha
Fuji Rock’s biggest lineup surprise? The debut of Tatsuro Yamashita.
By Patrick St. Michel
‘Hypnosismic — Division Rap Battle — Movie' lets viewers remix the narrative
By Matt Schley
South Korean blockbuster 'Joint Security Area' strikes a chord 25 years on
By Claire Lee

LIFE

Tokoro Ruins Museum Director Yuuki Nakamura says that 'most Japanese people don’t know' the history of the Okhotsk culture, but he and others are betting that travelers might be intrigued enough to visit and find out more.
Bear skulls and pit dwellings: Hokkaido aims to sell ancient history
By Justin Randall
The Okhostk culture thrived in northern Hokkaido from the fifth to ninth centuries and may have provided the Ainu with some of their best-known rituals.
Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms
By Zoria Petkoska
Attempting the classics: Deciphering impermanence in ‘Hojoki’
By Eric Margolis
Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ‘unique to this land’
By Phoebe Amoroso
Chewing on race, culture and 'okonomiyaki' quesadillas
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Mike Sunda at a concert in Haikou, China
Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’
By Mike Fu
Creative strategist Mike Sunda talks about his influences and the filming of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi” music video.
Black History Month in 2025: The boundaries between 'us' and 'them'
By Baye McNeil
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

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
As Ukraine rift emerges, Kyiv's envoy says Japan must take on bigger global role
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Monday.
CULTURE
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
By Yukana Inoue
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
MORE SPORTS
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown ready to sprint past Paris disappointment
By Mai Yoshikawa
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (center) runs during a 100-meter heat at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3, 2024.
SUMO
What is the ceiling for sumo’s newest yokozuna?
By John Gunning
Newly promoted grand champion Hoshoryu (center) performs a dedication ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 31.
CULTURE
‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight
By Mark Schilling
“Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” centers on a real-life love triangle between poet Chuya Nakahara (Taisei Kido, left), actor Yasuko Hasegawa (Suzu Hirose, center) and literary critic Hideo Kobayashi (Masaki Okada).

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

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers
mission sustainability vol.14 : Unicharm Corp.Unicharm recycles diapers back into diapers

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Yen advances past ¥150 per dollar as BOJ rate-hike bets ramp up
By Mia Glass and Vassilis Karamanis
The Japanese currency climbed as much as 1% to ¥149.95 against the dollar on Thursday, a level it hasn’t touched since Dec. 9.
CULTURE
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
By Yukana Inoue
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
JAPAN
LDP and opposition lock horns over Japan budget
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in parliament on Friday
JAPAN
Japanese panel seeks to tighten screening of new universities
Education minister Toshiko Abe (right) receives a report on higher education from an advisory panel on Friday.
JAPAN
Over 80% of Japanese say death penalty system is 'unavoidable'
By Francis Tang
Former death row inmate Iwao Hakamata (left) and his sister, Hideko, attend a gathering of his supporters after his acquittal in a retrial over a 1966 murder case was finalized in October last year.