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February 02, 2025
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February 02, 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Trump says Ishiba will visit him next week
By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom
"They’re coming in to speak to me and I’m looking forward to it," the U.S. president told reporters in the Oval Office.

More coverage

Japan weighs Alaska LNG pipeline pledge to win Trump's favor
Ishiba aims to get assurances from Trump over Senkaku Islands
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Friday.
Technicians at work in the clean room of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Ibaraki Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Tech
Japan plans to curb exports of chips and quantum-computing tech
By Mayumi Negishi
The government is expanding its list of export-controlled items to include advanced chips, lithography equipment and cryocoolers needed for the manufacture of quantum computers.
Government officials and energy executives from countries such as India, Kuwait and Japan have been holding talks about procuring more U.S. gas, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
BUSINESS / Economy
From India to Japan, specter of Trump tariffs spurs interest in U.S. gas
By Stephen Stapczynski, Anna Shiryaevskaya and Ruth Liao
Trump’s tactics, however, are pushing away some other buyers, like those in China, the world’s top importer.
Snow falls as cars and pedestrians cross an intersection in Tokyo. The meteorological agency is warning of possible traffic disruptions caused by snow and icy roads.
JAPAN
Snow may disrupt traffic in Tokyo area from Sunday
Delays and cancellations may occur on some train lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, according to JR East.
The first official government survey of Hokkaido backcountry skiing could spell changes for trails in the northern prefecture.
LIFE / Lifestyle
First official survey set to change backcountry Hokkaido skiing
By Justin Randall
From October 2024, the land ministry has been gathering opinions on Hokkaido’s alpine adventurers with an eye toward increased support and safety for off-piste enthusiasts.
The first official government survey of Hokkaido backcountry skiing could spell changes for trails in the northern prefecture.

JAPAN

A slope (left) is built at the intersection of a sunken road in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture on Saturday.
Slope built to reach man trapped in sinkhole in Saitama
Firefighters will now launch a full-scale effort to find the 74-year-old driver as soon as preparations are made.
Bereaved family members join hands at a memorial service for the Chousei coal mine accident in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture on Saturday.
Victims of 1942 Yamaguchi underwater mine disaster remembered
The memorial event was held near the former site of the Chosei coal mine and was attended by about 450 people.
Japan to ease foreign worker rules for hotel restaurants
Japan Times 1925: Tokyo factions ready to fight over manhood suffrage bill in Diet
Lower House speaker wants early conclusion on imperial family talks
Aging sewer systems could create sinkholes anywhere in Japan, experts warn
By Tomoko Otake

BUSINESS

Tourists at a viewpoint near the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal.
Here’s the few foreign markets set to win on Trump’s return
By Vinícius Andrade and Zijia Song
As some countries are rattled by tariff fears, assets of nations seen as benefiting from close ties with the U.S. leader are getting an extra lift
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Datroway breast cancer treatment, which the companies expect will eventually become a blockbuster, was recommended for approval in the European Union.
AstraZeneca and Daiichi’s breast cancer drug gets EU backing
The green light from the European Medicines Agency is the first backing in the EU for the medicine, following its approval in the U.S. and Japan.
Mario Kart may help Nintendo rally outlast flight from AI tech
By Alice French
Japan's spring wage talks begin with labor-management forum
Honda and Nissan to unveil integration outline in mid-February
BOJ's Ueda voices confidence conveying rate hike message to market
By Yoshiaki Nohara

WORLD

A Hamas militant releases Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual national who was held hostage in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, as part of a ceasefire deal, in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
Hamas stages Gaza beach handover as Israeli hostages freed
The arrangements for Saturday's hostage release appeared in stark contrast with scenes during Thursday's exchange in Khan Yunis, which was condemned by Israel.
Olaf Scholz beside a Lockheed Martin F-35 jet.
Germany rethinks separation of civilian and military research
By Laura Alviz
The debate centers on civil clauses — widely used policies at major research institutions that restrict collaboration with the defense industry.
Horst Koehler, former German president and IMF chief, dies at 81
TikTok influencers leverage power of gossip to thwart ICE raids
By Max Rivera
Elon Musk's aides block access to federal personnel database, sources say
By Tim Reid
Why the U.S. is claiming China’s presence violates the Panama neutrality treaty
By Marianna Parraga and Elida Moreno

Sports

Kei Nishikori pumps his fist during his Davis Cup match against Britain's Billy Harris on Saturday in Miki, Hyogo Prefecture.
Japan fights back to beat Britain in Davis Cup qualifiers
Kei Nishikori clinched the victory by topping Billy Harris 6-2, 6-3.
Sliding center for 2026 Winter Games in Italy on track, IOC says
By Karolos Grohmann
Manchester City faces Real Madrid in pick of Champions League playoff ties
By Andy Scott
Formula One champion is confronting changes off the track and on
By Luke Smith
Barkley set to be difference maker in Super Bowl rematch
By Simon Evans

Opinion

Donald Trump’s rapid use of tariffs, disregard for conventional diplomacy and fixation on strength risk undermining the global economic order, isolating the U.S. and triggering widespread economic harm.
The Trump test begins: Tariffs, power plays and economic risk
The speed with which the U.S. president reached for this tariff tool — against an ally no less — is proof that his threats are not empty words.
Why Chinese tech keeps surprising the West
By Catherine Thorbecke
Ishiba nudges his ‘little Japan’ closer to China
By Gearoid Reidy
Adjusting to the new normal in Japanese politics
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Trump’s bigger China cyber threat isn’t TikTok
By Catherine Thorbecke

ENVIRONMENT

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.
The global climate order teeters under a second assault from Trump
By Akshat Rathi, Ewa Krukowska and Alfred Cang
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

CULTURE

In addition to the commercial benefits from Ginza Sony Park's music-centered exhibition — such as promoting Sony's artists and products — there is a real effort to put music in focus.
At the new Ginza Sony Park, listening is an art form
By Patrick St. Michel
“Sony Park Exhibition 2025” features installations created in collaboration with six music artists: Vaundy, Yoasobi, Hitsujibungaku, Creepy Nuts, Babymonster and Kensuke Ushio.
Louvre opens first fashion exhibition after shock memo about decay
By Sandra Biffot-Lacut and Adam PLOWRIGHT
'Cute and murderous': How the iconic killer doll in 'Squid Game' came to life
By Minwoo Park and Hyunsu Yim
Indie animator Gensho Yasuda paves his own way with a DIY spirit
By Matt Schley
‘The Rose of Versailles’ opts for empty opulence
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Dress-up games and dating sims were once forgotten genres, but now expanded player bases are helping to generate major profits.
Gaming’s feminine side is starting to make big bucks
By Samantha Low
Two recent releases — a sci-fi dating sim and a souped-up dress-up simulator — are starting to change the conversation around previously dismissed genres.
Mind the gap — and the shoulder checking: Dealing with pushy people in Japan's crowded spaces
By Yuko Tamura
How Tokyo taught a French architect the power of colors
By Ran Kawai
Of sake and spirits: Indulging in Yamanashi’s best
By Kimberly Hughes
Where to begin when it comes to Japanese wine
By Weiwen Lin

COMMUNITY

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.
Fanta-stic cuddler seeks new home
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

Editors' Picks

BUSINESS
Fuji TV’s go-big PR strategy wins grudging praise globally
By Elizabeth Beattie
Fuji TV executives take questions during a news conference on Monday in Tokyo in which some participants became unruly.
CULTURE
Two decades of unparalleled access into the world of Hayao Miyazaki
By Erik Augustin Palm
Documentary director Kaku Arakawa’s filming style — naturalistic, intimate and unobtrusive — proved essential to portraying anime powerhouse Hayao Miyazaki as a man as flawed and human as he is a visionary artist in “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.”
LIFE
For two weeks only, cold-water yellowtail can give you chills
By Elizabeth Andoh
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.
ENVIRONMENT
In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback
By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey and Joseph Winters
Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
JAPAN
Who are the key figures involved in the growing Fuji TV scandal?
By Yukana Inoue
Fuji TV adviser Hisashi Hieda in 2005

Podcast

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

Longform

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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WHAT’S TRENDING

WORLD
From anguish to aggression: Trump goes on offense after midair collision
By Peter Baker
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a briefing on Thursday about the midair crash in Washington.
LIFE
Mind the gap — and the shoulder checking: Dealing with pushy people in Japan's crowded spaces
By Yuko Tamura
Tokyo’s notoriously crowded trains and train stations can be stressful for many. Unfortunately, the ぶつかり男 (butsukari otoko, bumping man) takes his stress out on others through shoving, elbowing and shoulder checks.
BUSINESS
AstraZeneca and Daiichi’s breast cancer drug gets EU backing
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Datroway breast cancer treatment, which the companies expect will eventually become a blockbuster, was recommended for approval in the European Union.
JAPAN
Japan scrambles jets as Russian bombers fly over high seas
Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers perform a flypast during the victory day parade in Moscow in June 2020.
JAPAN
Trump says Ishiba will visit him next week
By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Friday.