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December 10, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
December 10, 2024
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The government is preparing to set Japan’s new Nationally Determined Contribution, an emissions reduction commitment made by members of the United Nations climate framework's Paris Agreement.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Critics question process behind Japan's next climate goal
By Tomoko Otake and Chris Russell
Critics say the process is not intended to facilitate genuine debate, and that those who support the energy status quo are overrepresented on policy panels.
The government is preparing to set Japan’s new Nationally Determined Contribution, an emissions reduction commitment made by members of the United Nations climate framework's Paris Agreement.
The leader of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, address a crowd at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque on Monday.
WORLD
Syria rebel leader discusses 'transfer of power' after Assad's fall
Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali "to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of services" to Syria's people.
The exterior of a blast furnace building is seen during a media tour by Nippon Steel at their East Nippon Works Kashima Area facility in Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nippon Steel makes final push to win over U.S. workers
Nippon Steel said it made new commitments with regards to where and when a previously announced $1.4 billion capital expenditure commitment would be spent.
Dining habits have changed since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, with alcohol consumption experiencing a drop.
BUSINESS / Economy
Hundreds of izakaya going bust as prices rise and customers change
By Elizabeth Beattie
In the first 11 months of this year, 203 of these establishments went out of business, more than the entire year of 2020 when COVID-19 became a pandemic.
Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch during the first inning of the World Baseball Classic semifinal against Mexico in Miami in March 2023.
BASEBALL / MLB
45-day negotiation window begins as Marines post Roki Sasaki
By Jason Coskrey
The right-handed flamethrower has until 10 p.m. (JST) on Jan. 24 to sign with an MLB team.
Roki Sasaki delivers a pitch during the first inning of the World Baseball Classic semifinal against Mexico in Miami in March 2023.

JAPAN

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Nihon Hidankyo's representative Terumi Tanaka attends a news conference ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Monday.
Nuclear weapons must never be used, hibakusha tells Putin before Nobel ceremony
Terumi Tanaka was referring to threats made by Putin and others to use nuclear bombs if necessary to counter what they see as a hostile West in the Ukraine war.
The Liberal Democratic Party proposed abolishing the system of political activities funds — criticized as a hotbed for slush funds — and obligating party members to submit balance reports to a publicly accessible online database.
LDP submits bill banning most political funding but leaves 'loophole'
By Himari Semans
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hopes to pass the bill this year, but that may not be possible with opposition parties holding out for a further ban on corporate donations.
Japan to tighten regulations for electronic devices scrap yards
VR used to stir young people's interest in fishing industry
Ishiba eyes visit to Indonesia and Malaysia in early January
Ex-principal gets 9 years for raping middle school students in 2010
By Karin Kaneko

BUSINESS

A smartphone with a displayed Nvidia logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023.
Nvidia hit with China probe in global tech war escalation
By Amy Thomson
The move against Nvidia is Beijing’s latest riposte to escalating U.S. technology curbs.
The number of bankruptcies in Japan is likely to exceed 10,000 for the first time since 2013.
Japan's bankruptcies set to hit 11-year high in 2024, data shows
841 Japanese companies went bankrupt in November, bringing the January-November tally to 9,164, already exceeding last year's total.
Options giant Optiver bets Japan’s market is about to boom
By Yasutaka Tamura
CEO killing and rage over insurance plunges UnitedHealth into crisis
By Riley Griffin, Michelle Fay Cortez and John Tozzi
Murdoch loses 'Succession' battle for son's control of media empire
By Huw Griffith
Huawei suppliers to face further U.S. limits under defense bill
By Debby Wu and Steven T. Dennis

WORLD

A Taiwanese Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jet prepares to take off at an air force base in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Tuesday.
Taiwan sees the most Chinese military aircraft around it in two months
By Jesse Johnson
Taiwan said it detected 47 Chinese military aircraft around the democratic island over the last 24 hours, amid speculation Beijing had launched large-scale war games.
Abed, an asylum-seeker from the Syrian city of Raqqa uses his mobile phone to talk to a relative at the arrival center in Berlin's Reinickendorf district in October 2023.
European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad's fall
While Berlin and others said they were watching developments in the war-ravaged nation, Austria signaled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.
Trump plays 'shadow president' on world stage
By Danny Kemp
Trump's Musk-led efficiency drive may spur defense-tech partnerships
By Mike Stone and Joe Brock
Trump is on collision course with EU over big tech crackdown
By Samuel Stolton
Syria rebels say found dozens of tortured bodies in hospital near Damascus

Sports

Vissel Kobe players celebrate after clinching the J1 league title for the second straight season, on Sunday at Noevir Stadium Kobe.
Vissel Kobe defends J1 championship after roller-coaster title race
By Sean Carroll
The defending champions cruised past Shonan Bellmare 3-0 at home thanks to goals from Taisei Miyashiro, Yoshinori Muto and Takahiro Ogihara.
Ohtani 'very unlikely' to pitch when Dodgers open 2025 season in Tokyo
'Humanizing' Saudi soccer': Netflix show paves way for World Cup
By Robbie COREY-BOULET
Real Madrid heading for Champions League playoffs, says Ancelotti
Perez knows his F1 future is uncertain ahead of talks

Opinion

Filipino housekeepers undergo training to work for a Japanese staffing company. By applying the same criteria when hiring overseas and local workers, Japanese firms tend to underutilize the unique skills that foreign nationals can bring.
Firms should quit turning foreign workers into Japanese ones
Takashi Kumon
Many foreign nationals struggle with the idiosyncrasies of Japan's employment system. Firms tend to assimilate overseas personnel rather than utilize their unique skills.
DOGE's best idea yet is permanent daylight saving time
By Mary Ellen Klas
Does a savage war of partition await Ukraine?
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
South Korea's impeachment battle is democracy in action
By Aziz Huq
Yoon’s incoherent, incompetent coup defies logic and reason

ENVIRONMENT

No new turbines have been ordered in Sweden since the first quarter, according to the latest data from industry group Svensk Vindenergi, the longest such stretch in two years.
Free green power in Sweden is crippling its wind industry
By Lars Paulsson
The country has one of the greenest grids in the world. But even more is needed to electrify the rest of its economy.
Tokyo Gas eyes wind power projects in Southeast Asia
Scientists behind ‘net zero’ concept say nations are getting it wrong
By Eric Roston
Barbados completes world's first debt swap for climate resilience
By Virginia Furness
Glittering dreams: India's big push for solar power
By Philippe Alfroy

CULTURE

Mindy Kailing announces the nominees for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on Monday.
'Emilia Perez,' 'The Brutalist' lead Golden Globe film nominations
By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway
Representing Japan at the awards will be "Shogun," with three nods for acting and one for best TV drama.
'Squid Game' premieres in Seoul after martial law declaration
By Claire Lee
Documentarian praises the positives of stricter schooling
By Mark Schilling
Miho Nakayama, known for 'Love Letter' and her music, dies at 54
By Yukana Inoue
Korean coup movie hits No. 1 on Netflix after martial law chaos
By Sohee Kim

LIFE

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?
By Thu-Huong Ha
Japan’s suspect remedies make up 20% of the world’s market for hangover cures, but their success lies more in marketing than science.
Did Kanye West really discover Tokyo’s best jerk chicken spot?
By Patrick St. Michel
Beyond beeps and boops: Video game music has grown up
By Samantha Low
Japan's honorific language can be challenging for native speakers, too
By Yaeko Kabe
It’s Japan versus China for 2024’s game of the year
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Timeleft uses an algorithm to match its users with five or six strangers in an effort to prompt “human connection” over dinner at a restaurant. It determines the attendees with the help of a simple personality quiz available when you sign up for the service.
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
By Phoebe Amoroso
An app called Timeleft hopes to combat big-city alienation through a simple meal with a diverse group of people.
Yurie Collins: ‘Everyone seems sedated, fed-up … that’s why they turn to comedy’
By Zoria Petkoska
President of L’Oreal Japan leverages innovation
By Louise George Kittaka
Kumiko Shichijo: ‘Living abroad helped me appreciate Japanese etiquette’
By Ansel Swindells
How a solo yoga teacher built a wellness community in the Japanese Alps
By Samantha Mythen

Editors' Picks

LIFE
Welcome to Yama, Japan’s first Michelin-starred dessert restaurant
By Haru Beaufort
Koichi Katsumata is the first chef to receive a Michelin star in Japan for an 'assiette dessert' (dessert course) restaurant
LIFE
Futaba pivots to 'hope tourism' to revive its fortunes
By Mike Fu
The town of Futaba is still dealing with the effects of 3/11, but that isn't stopping some residents from looking forward.
CULTURE
2024 was the year Japanese TV found its prestige
By Patrick St. Michel
“Shogun,” created by American channel FX and made by a joint American-Japanese team, utilized the strengths of both Japan and Hollywood to create a bona fide smash that critics adored. 
JAPAN
What constitutes fatal dangerous driving in Japan?
By Kanako Takahara
Critics have said that drivers who were speeding well over the speed limit or those who were extremely drunk were not indicted for dangerous driving because of its vague definition.
CULTURE
Japan's soft power soared to new heights in 2024
By Alyssa I. Smith
Japanese creatives, athletes and activists saw their efforts recognized on the world stage in various ways this year. At the Oscars (left) Takashi Yamazaki and his team took a prize for “Godzilla Minus One,” while later in the year Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada (center) took Emmys for their work in “Shogun.” Shohei Ohtani (right) was arguably the biggest Japanese star of the year.

Podcast

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

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?
By Thu-Huong Ha

JT Directory Service

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WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
Firms should quit turning foreign workers into Japanese ones
By Takashi Kumon
Filipino housekeepers undergo training to work for a Japanese staffing company. By applying the same criteria when hiring overseas and local workers, Japanese firms tend to underutilize the unique skills that foreign nationals can bring.
BUSINESS
Nissan boss Uchida races to save the automaker — and his job
By Norihiko Shirouzu, David Dolan and Maki Shiraki
Makoto Uchida, President and CEO of Nissan, holds a press briefing at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2023. Uchida is under presser to deliver a turnaround and to keep his job at the troubled carmaker.
JAPAN
Japan to scrap ¥1.06 million employee pension threshold in 2026
The government's pension reform plan under consideration will make it easier for part-timers to join the kosei nenkin employee pension program.
ASIA PACIFIC
South Korea martial law fallout deepens as prosecutors close in
By Hyunjoo Jin and Josh Smith
South Korea Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (left) and the ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon speak at a news conference after their meeting to discuss plans for President Yoon Suk Yeol's "orderly retreat" at the People Power Party headquarters in Seoul on Sunday.
CULTURE
Miho Nakayama, known for 'Love Letter' and her music, dies at 54
By Yukana Inoue
Miho Nakayama rose to stardom in 1985 after the release of her first single “C,” which established her popularity as an idol.