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TOKYO
April 19, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 19, 2025
Trump tariffs
Shigeru Ishiba
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Ryosei Akazawa (third from right), Japan's tariffs negotiator, in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent (second from right) and other senior government officials on Wednesday in Washington
BUSINESS
Trump reiterates opposition to Nippon Steel’s purchase of U.S. Steel
By Francis Tang
Whether there is interplay between the tariff negotiations and the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal has never been made clear.
Ryosei Akazawa (third from right), Japan's tariffs negotiator, in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent (second from right) and other senior government officials on Wednesday in Washington
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko, last May in Los Angeles
BASEBALL / MLB
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani placed on paternity list
The Japanese slugger's wife, Mamiko, is slated to give birth to the couple's first child.
People walk past a banner picturing Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 22. The banner reads: "The West doesn't need Russia, we need Russia!"
WORLD / Politics
U.S. open to recognizing Crimea as Russian in Ukraine deal
By Alberto Nardelli, Alex Wickham and Daryna Krasnolutska
The signal comes as the Trump administration said it is prepared to move on from its peace-brokering efforts unless progress is made quickly.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference, in Washington in January.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Trump goes to war with the Fed
The U.S. president has threatened to take the unprecedented step of ousting the head of the fiercely independent central bank.
Ado opened her Sunday night concert at the 2025 Osaka Expo with “Shin Jidai” (New Genesis)” after a rain-soaked lead-up to the show’s 7:45 p.m. start.
CULTURE / Music
Japan wanted a cultural do-over. Ado gave it one.
By Patrick St. Michel
The 22-year-old J-pop singer cast a spell on the first weekend of the Osaka Expo
Ado opened her Sunday night concert at the 2025 Osaka Expo with “Shin Jidai” (New Genesis)” after a rain-soaked lead-up to the show’s 7:45 p.m. start.

JAPAN

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani speaks to reporters in Tokyo on April 11.
Japan defense chief says 'no reason' to change current U.S. troop deal
By Jesse Johnson
Gen Nakatani said that spending “is appropriately shared between the Japanese and U.S. governments based on mutual agreement, with a set time frame.”
A revised child welfare bill passed the Upper House plenary session on Friday as cases of child abuse rise.
New bill blocks visitations for parents suspected of child abuse
By Yukana Inoue
The revision to the child welfare law is intended to protect children in cases where contact with their parents could cause emotional or physical harm.
Japan, U.S. patrol Okinawa streets after sexual assaults
‘I scud before the autumn wind’: Emperor Go-Daigo’s fall from grace
By Michael Hoffman
Magnitude 5.0 earthquake jolts Nagano
'Miss Sake India' contest held in New Delhi to promote the Japanese drink

BUSINESS

The head of Godzilla, a Japanese monster movie character, is seen on a building of Toho Cinema in Tokyo. Toho is one tariff-defensive stock being recommended by brokers.
Tokyo stock picker advises Trump-proofing portfolios with Godzilla-creator Toho
By Kazuaki Nagata
Investor sentiment may favor Japanese companies that continue to issue earnings forecasts, especially during this period of uncertainty and market volatility.
Mazda will halt production of CX-50 sport utility vehicles destined for Canada at its Alabama plant effective May 12.
Mazda to pause U.S. production of CX-50 cars destined for Canada
By Nicholas Takahashi
The Japanese automaker will halt production of CX-50 sport utility vehicles destined for Canada at its Alabama plant effective May 12.
Wholesaler rice prices in Japan see first drop in eight months
Major Japan life insurer to pile into domestic super-long bonds
By Mia Glass and Masahiro Hidaka
Japanese municipal bond deals fail to sell as rate swings surge
By Takahiko Hyuga and Issei Hazama
Weight-loss pill orforglipron shines in study, boosting Lilly and Chugai
By Madison Muller

WORLD

A U.S. aircraft, carrying Venezuelan migrants after being deported from the United States, lands at the Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on April 4.
Venezuelan migrants ask U.S. Supreme Court to halt 'imminent' deportations
The cases raise questions about the Trump administration's adherence to limits set by the Supreme Court, and risks a full-blown constitutional crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris on Thursday.
U.S. will abandon Ukraine peace push if no immediate progress, Rubio says
"We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term, because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on," he said.
U.S. steps up Houthi campaign with deadly strikes on Red Sea oil port
U.S. to withdraw some 1,000 troops from Syria
Ukraine bans China's firms for helping Russia make missiles
New White House website blames China for COVID-19 'lab leak'

Sports

People walk past an advertisement featuring Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani outside Tokyo Dome on March 18.
Nothing sells like Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s marketing megastar
By Mai Yoshikawa
The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player is at the peak of his stardom, and brands are rushing to cash in with huge sponsorship deals.
Yokohama F. Marinos fire Steve Holland as loss sends club to relegation zone
Refugee girls in Kenya find strength in taekwondo
Capitals great Alex Ovechkin seeks ultimate prize to cap historic season
USOPC says White House gave reassurances about visas for Los Angeles Olympics

Opinion

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol supporters gather on the side of a road as they wait for the arrival of the former South Korean president outside the Central District Court in Seoul on Monday.
New leadership in South Korea should stay the course on Japan ties
Democracy should be frustrating. It is intended to force compromise, a process that will inevitably be slow and exasperating.
Is this Canada’s moment?
By Thomas O. Falk
Will a 'low-altitude economy' make Chinese growth soar again?
By Hotaka Machida
What economists 'don’t get' about Trump tariffs
By Kuni Miyake
Can Trump’s tariffs restore U.S. manufacturing?
By Keun Lee

ENVIRONMENT

Microsoft is set to use energy from new reactors at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania.
AI surge to double data center electricity demand by 2030, report says
By Nathalie ALONSO
AI can also unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the International Energy Agency said in its first report on the technology's implications.
Clean streets versus business woes: Pollution charge divides Londoners
By Akshata Kapoor
Once-dying Mexican river delta slowly nursed back to life by conservationists
By Daniel Rook
As Chile revs up lithium plans, Indigenous people demand more control
By Daina Beth Solomon
Global temperatures at near-historic highs in March, says EU monitor

CULTURE

Palestinian American photographer Adam Rouhana’s exhibition at this year’s Kyotographie festival shows Palestinian life, not death and rubble.
Kyotographie 2025 opts for laughter and levity in the face of global strife
By Thu-Huong Ha
Artists at the 13th edition of the international photography festival find humor and heart in their portrayals of humanity.
Actor Hiroyuki Sanada among Time's 100 most influential people
‘Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie’: J-pop spectacle goes heavy on performances
By Mark Schilling
'Bullet Train Explosion’: High-speed disaster movie doesn’t get the pulse racing
By James Hadfield
Music, revolution and Y2K: Coachella 2025 takeaways
By Maggy Donaldson

LIFE

The Tokyo version of the globe-trotting exhibition features a Ministry of Magic set, which includes an imposing replica of the Magic Is Might monument representing magical fascism.
Calling all Potterheads: ‘The Goblet of Fire’ comes to Tokyo
By Gendel Gento
The grand scale and attention to detail is likely to impress — just make sure to withdraw some galleons at Gringotts before coming.
Japan’s first Waldorf Astoria brings art deco luxury to Osaka
By Tan Pin Yen
Voicing intentions and a peek into a traditional Japanese engagement ceremony
By Yaeko Kabe
Dior shows fall fashion collection in gardens of ancient Kyoto temple
By Irene Wang
A new tour of Tokyo’s most underground attraction
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Customers line up patiently for some early-afternoon baked goods outside Truffle, which is located close to Hiroo Station on the Hibiya Line.
How to spend the perfect day in Hiroo, Tokyo’s expat enclave
By Eric Margolis
A stroll through Hiroo reveals both the comforts of expat luxury and the quiet intrusions of a changing Tokyo.
Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’
By Miikka J. Lehtonen
Tokyo Humanities Cafe feeds hungry minds
By Jessica Kozuka
Montessori head educates Tokyo’s children for life
By Louise George Kittaka
How to navigate Japan’s e-commerce platforms and online flea markets
By Jessica Speed

Editors' Picks

BASEBALL
Nothing sells like Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s marketing megastar
By Mai Yoshikawa
People walk past an advertisement featuring Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani outside Tokyo Dome on March 18.
BUSINESS
Tokyo stock picker advises Trump-proofing portfolios with Godzilla-creator Toho
By Kazuaki Nagata
The head of Godzilla, a Japanese monster movie character, is seen on a building of Toho Cinema in Tokyo. Toho is one tariff-defensive stock being recommended by brokers.
JAPAN
LDP and CDP lawmaker groups propose 0% consumption tax on food
By Himari Semans
A vegetable stand displays prices at a supermarket in Tokyo in 2023. Some lawmakers are proposing lowering the consumption tax on food to 0%, which is expected to result in a loss of up to ¥5 trillion in tax revenue annually.
JAPAN
Tokyo hotel operators face possible warnings over suspected price cartel
By Karin Kaneko
Foreign tourists gather on a platform at Kyoto Station on Wednesday.
CULTURE
Kyotographie 2025 opts for laughter and levity in the face of global strife
By Thu-Huong Ha
Palestinian American photographer Adam Rouhana’s exhibition at this year’s Kyotographie festival shows Palestinian life, not death and rubble.

Podcast

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

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.
By Tomoko Otake

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

BOARDING & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DAY 2025 (Sunday, April 20)
BOARDING & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DAY 2025 (Sunday, April 20)

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
In a first, Japan issues cease-and-desist order against Google
By Yukana Inoue
The Google logo is seen at the company's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Japanese authorities on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order to Google over an alleged violation of the country's anti-monopoly law.
JAPAN
Tokyo hotel operators face possible warnings over suspected price cartel
By Karin Kaneko
Foreign tourists gather on a platform at Kyoto Station on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Japan and the U.S. begin tariff talks on good terms, but without breakthroughs
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, speaks to reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Magnitude 5.0 earthquake jolts Nagano
A map showing the location of an earthquake that hit Nagano Prefecture on Friday evening, with the numbers indicating the seismic intensity on the shindo scale to 7.
JAPAN
Parts of Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines to be suspended over weekend
By Jessica Speed
Sections of the outer loop of Tokyo's Yamanote Line and the Keihin-Tohoku Line will be shut down all day Saturday, and from the start of service through around noon on Sunday.