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February 11, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
February 11, 2025
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On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that U.S. Steel would remain American.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nippon Steel goes quiet after U.S. Steel deal seemingly nixed for good
By Kazuaki Nagata
Comments over the weekend by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba point to the U.S. steelmaker remaining American.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that U.S. Steel would remain American.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to the White House in Washington on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Ishiba builds inroads with Trump, but challenges still loom
By Jesse Johnson and Francis Tang
Ishiba won praise for his deft handling of Trump, squelching critics’ predictions that the president would walk all over the bookish Japanese leader.
Investors believe the amicable atmosphere of the first summit between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday has the potential to help support Japanese stocks in the medium term.
BUSINESS / Markets
Japan markets wobble as Trump talks of new steel tariffs for 'everyone'
By Hideyuki Sano
The U.S. president's talk of reciprocal tariffs for "everyone” has provided a reminder of the risks that face America’s trading partners.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe during a news conference in December
BUSINESS / Companies
Honda and Nissan results will highlight flaws as deal set to fail
By Nicholas Takahashi
The likely fallout of Honda’s short-lived alliance with Nissan spells trouble for both companies, but probably one more than the other.
The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sails in the front of a formation with the Philippine Navy Jose Rizal-class frigate BRP Jose Rizal (center), the Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart (left) and the Maritime Defense Force Akizuki-class destroyer Akizuki, during a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity exercise in the South China Sea last Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Calls grow louder for joint maritime patrols near Philippine hot spots
By Gabriel Dominguez
Some want Manila to consider joint coast guard and naval patrols near Chinese government vessels operating in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sails in the front of a formation with the Philippine Navy Jose Rizal-class frigate BRP Jose Rizal (center), the Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart (left) and the Maritime Defense Force Akizuki-class destroyer Akizuki, during a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity exercise in the South China Sea last Wednesday.

JAPAN

Giving out courtesy chocolates to coworkers on Valentine's Day is becoming obsolete.
How giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day is evolving in Japan
By Yukana Inoue
One change is fewer people are handing out chocolates to others at work, which had been a widespread practice over the past few decades.
The first trial of Ryuji Kimura, who is accused of attempted murder and other charges for throwing an explosive at then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023, at the Wakayama District Court on Jan. 4. The court will issue its ruling on Feb. 19.
Prosecutors seek 15 years' jail for man who attacked Kishida
Ryuji Kimura, 25, is accused of attempted murder and other charges for throwing an explosive at then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during an election campaign trail in 2023.
Saitama sewer rupture expected to take years to repair
China complains to Japan about 'negative' references in joint statement
Japan to help roadside stations install portable containers for disaster use
Nonprofit continues to care for pets displaced by Noto earthquake

BUSINESS

Debt servicing costs are estimated to increase, reflecting the Bank of Japan's interest rate hikes.
Japan's government debt climbs to record ¥1.32 quadrillion
The combined balance of Japanese government bonds, borrowings and financing bills swelled by ¥7.2 trillion from the end of September 2024.
Bulk food dispensers at a new 7-Eleven store in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. Opened a year ago, Seven & I Holdings conceived it as a prototype to test the synergies between the company’s retail supermarket chain and its more-successful convenience-store business.
Blended 7-Eleven-and-supermarket concept proves a tough sell
By Koh Yoshida
It is unclear if higher customer numbers have been sustained, and Seven & I has no plans right now to open more such outlets.
Fuji Media shares rise to 17-year high on Rheos’ 5% stake
By Momoka Yokoyama
Cab driving becoming an increasingly popular job in Sendai
Japan's current account surplus hits record high in 2024
Bitcoin hoarder’s stock soars 4,000% in Japan on crypto rally
By Alice French

WORLD

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump, at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka in 2019.
Trump's plan for U.S. to own Gaza provokes rebuke from Middle East
By Jeff Mason
Trump's idea to take over and redevelop Gaza faces mounting opposition, with Jordan's King Abdullah calling it a dangerous plan that could destabilize the region.
Trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, in Canada in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
Betrayed: How Trump’s tariff threats tore the U.S.-Canada bond
By Matina Stevis-Gridneff and Ian Austen
Donald Trump’s menacing rhetoric seems to have fractured the fraternal trust that has been the core of the relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Abuse and coercion rife in Philippines drugs rehab, rights groups say
By Mariejo Ramos
At a draft site in Ukraine, an anguished wait for a chance to say goodbye
By Cassandra Vinograd and Oleksandr Chubko
Trump says U.S. making progress on talks with Russia to end war
By Jeff Mason, Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly
Pakistan to force tens of thousands of Afghan refugees out of the capital
By Zia ur-Rehman

Sports

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (left) and head coach Nick Sirianni celebrate after winning Super Bowl LIX at the New Orleans Superdome on Sunday.
Eagles dominate Chiefs to capture Super Bowl title and prevent three-peat
The game was played before a crowd that included U.S. President Donald Trump and pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Steve Holland set to begin life with Yokohama in AFC Champions League
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts silences critics with Super Bowl title and MVP award
Injured Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss NBA All-Star Game
Choi Min-jeong grabs three golds for South Korea at Asian Winter Games

Opinion

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to the U.S. for talks with Donald Trump yielded moderate success, highlighting the strategic focus of the American presidents second administration.
So far, so good for Ishiba — at least for now
Kuni Miyake
It's safe to say, Ishiba’s visit to the U.S. went well. But we mustn't become complacent.
Trump keeps up his ‘Sharpiegate’ attack on science
By Mark Gongloff
The Marquis de Sade’s guide to cancel culture
By Howard Chua-Eoan
Russia’s nostalgia machine works for strongman Putin
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
‘America First’ in action
By Peter Singer

ENVIRONMENT

A climate change demonstrator takes part in a protest to denounce the impact of U.S. politics on climate change, outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Jan. 11.
Top climate scientist declares 2 degrees Celsius climate goal 'dead'
A stark new analysis concludes that Earth's climate is more sensitive to rising greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought.
Trump’s freeze on climate money sows fear and confusion
By Zahra Hirji and Danielle Bochove
These roads aren’t built for wilder weather driven by climate change
By Kendra Pierre-Louis
Mitsubishi reviews Japanese offshore wind after economic changes
By Shoko Oda
Brazil's carbon trade takes off, but agribusiness escapes scrutiny
By Andre Cabette Fabio

CULTURE

“Light Court” (2024) is based on the “Lightcourt” space at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by metabolist architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007).
Yuki Harada's contemplative artworks ponder vanishing
By Jennifer Pastore
The artist spent time researching Japanese migrants who left Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures for Hawaii, and the U.S. island state often features in his art.
Miniatures bring hidden worlds to life at Tokyo cultural site
By Sakurako Nakagawa
‘The Hot Spot’: Close encounters of the mundane kind
By Patrick St. Michel
Kendrick Lamar promises 'storytelling' at Super Bowl show
‘Kisspeptin Chronicles’: Quirky rom-com dances through the pain of heartache
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Together, Shinsuke Yamagai (right) and his younger brother, Ryota, have elevated the cuisine at Shintaku, putting it on the map as one of Niigata Prefecture’s premier gastronomic destinations.
Brothers’ local focus lifts Shintaku to Niigata’s highest rank
By Robbie Swinnerton
From the ashes of a devastating 2005 fire, Shinsuke and Ryota Yamagai have remade their family’s historic Niigata restaurant into a beacon of Japanese gastronomy.
DEI, woke and 'forest bathing': When a direct translation just won't cut it
By Yuko Tamura
Hay fever beauty: The aesthetics behind Japan’s allergy products
By Carol R.H. Malasig
Making sense of Nintendo’s tight-lipped Switch 2 reveal
By Owen Ziegler
Novel seafood noodles become flavor of the moment in Tokyo

COMMUNITY

After starting out as a games journalist, John Davis found opportunities in marketing and consulting that led him to work in the Japanese gaming industry.
John Davis: ‘At its core, indie is about creative freedom’
By Gendel Gento
The co-founder of BitSummit, Japan’s biggest indie gaming showcase, shares how he pivoted from journalism to gaming after moving here.
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
Namnam reborn: A queer, anarchist space resettles in Tokyo's Koenji
By Aku Owaka-Haigh

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
How giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day is evolving in Japan
By Yukana Inoue
Giving out courtesy chocolates to coworkers on Valentine's Day is becoming obsolete.
CULTURE
Yuki Harada's contemplative artworks ponder vanishing
By Jennifer Pastore
“Light Court” (2024) is based on the “Lightcourt” space at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by metabolist architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007).
LIFE
Some traditional Japanese culinary rules are meant to be broken
By Simon Daly
Arranging your dish in this checkerboard pattern is said to bring good luck, but if that holds true for eating this to start the year, what's stopping you from cooking in a bit of good fortune whenever you need it?
JAPAN
A 'joyful' Japan? Ishiba's slogan sparks the opposite feelings
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enters his office in Tokyo on Jan. 27.
LIFE
Brothers’ local focus lifts Shintaku to Niigata’s highest rank
By Robbie Swinnerton
Together, Shinsuke Yamagai (right) and his younger brother, Ryota, have elevated the cuisine at Shintaku, putting it on the map as one of Niigata Prefecture’s premier gastronomic destinations.

Podcast

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

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Ishiba says Trump didn't push defense spending hike or discuss tariffs
By Jesse Johnson
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday.
JAPAN
Trump targets U.S. trade deficit in first meeting with Ishiba
By Jesse Johnson
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS
How Sam Altman sidestepped Elon Musk to win over Donald Trump
By Cecilia Kang and Cade Metz
Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, speaks at a White House event with President Donald Trump, left; Softbank chief executive Masayoshi Son, third from left; and Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle, at the White House on Jan. 21.
BASKETBALL
Anthony Davis dominant in Dallas debut
Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (right) and guard Klay Thompson celebrate after Davis dunked the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Trump aware and supportive of AUKUS pact, U.S. defense secretary says
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks as he welcomes Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles to the Pentagon for talks in Washington on Friday.