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January 26, 2025
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January 26, 2025
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A Nagano Prefectural Police official speaks during a news conference in the city of Nagano on Sunday following the arrest of a suspect in a deadly stabbing days earlier.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Police arrest suspect in deadly Nagano stabbings
The suspect, a man in his 40s, is believed to have fatally stabbed one person and injured two others in front of Nagano Station days earlier.
A Nagano Prefectural Police official speaks during a news conference in the city of Nagano on Sunday following the arrest of a suspect in a deadly stabbing days earlier.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends an event about the economy at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Trump’s frenzied debut delights base as thornier decisions await
By Josh Wingrove
The honeymoon is hardly assured to last, with the U.S. president so far avoiding drastic steps that would tempt backlash from his party, Wall Street or both.
Taeko Oshioka, a member of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) looks for visitors to sign a petition to call on the Japanese government to sign and ratify the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, in front of the preserved Atomic Bomb Dome in the city of Hiroshima last October.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan rules out participating in nuke ban treaty meeting as observer
Instead, the country is considering sending lawmakers from the ruling bloc to the meeting, officials have said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes a test of what state-run media said was a strategic cruise missile at an undisclosed location in this image released Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC
North Korea tests 'strategic' cruise missiles as it lashes out at U.S. and South Korea
By Jesse Johnson
The test of the weapons, believed to be nuclear-capable, were the first since U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Upon the release of Dragon Quest VII in 2000, hundreds of customers lined up outside stores in Tokyo to secure a copy of the new game. With a remake of a 1988 title, the rest of the world is understanding why Japanese gamers love the series so much.
LIFE / Digital
Japan’s love affair with Dragon Quest spreads worldwide
By Oliver Jia
The remake of a 1988 game serves as the latest chance for the rest of the world to learn why Japan loves Dragon Quest so much.
Upon the release of Dragon Quest VII in 2000, hundreds of customers lined up outside stores in Tokyo to secure a copy of the new game. With a remake of a 1988 title, the rest of the world is understanding why Japanese gamers love the series so much.

JAPAN

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
Discover the hometown of the Yoshiwara publisher who helped shape Japan’s artistic legacy and inspired NHK’s latest period drama.
The beach on Izu-Oshima island where Shizuka Takase's remains were found in October of last year.
Suspect says woman found dead on remote Tokyo island killed herself
The suspect, tatami store manager Sotatsu Yanase, 45, was arrested Friday on suspicion of abandoning and damaging the body of Shizuka Takase.
Giant rock salt posted on Mercari by Aichi town finally sold at ¥420,000
Fuji TV board to meet on Monday to discuss scandal
Chinese court gives death penalty to man who killed Japanese boy
By Gabriele Ninivaggi and Francis Tang
Japan plans to sell rice from emergency stockpiles to cut prices
By Eddy Duan

BUSINESS

The U.S. head office of TikTok in Culver City, California
White House in talks to have Oracle, U.S. investors take over TikTok
Under the deal, ByteDance would retain a stake in the company, but data collection and software updates would be overseen by Oracle.
The start date and production levels for battery-powered Nissan cars to be manufactured at a plant in Canton, Mississippi, will depend in large part on whether U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Congress follow through on vows to scrap a $7,500 tax credit and other incentives for buyers and makers of EVs.
Nissan looks to Trump-proof North American production plans
By Chester Dawson
Nissan Motor may slow a planned ramp-up of electric vehicles made in the U.S. after halting output at a joint venture in Mexico.
Chickens hatch across the Saudi desert in kingdom’s pivot from oil
By Kateryna Kadabashy and Agnieszka de Sousa
Central bank appears poised to break through 0.5% rate barrier this year
BOJ’s clear guidance on rate hike calms markets but may backfire
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Meta’s Threads to show ads for the first time in U.S. and Japan

WORLD

Displaced Palestinians who left the southern Gaza Strip run for cover from Israeli fire Friday northwest of Nuseirat in the central part of the strip at the nearest point possible to the Israeli-controlled Netzarim corridor, where they set up tents hoping to return to the north.
Trump floats plan to 'clean out' Gaza and move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan
U.S. President Donald Trump has floated a plan where Egypt and Jordan would take Palestinians from the territory in a bid to create Middle East peace.
The P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, in April 2020
CIA now favors China lab leak theory to explain COVID’s origins
By Julian E. Barnes
A new analysis that began under the Biden administration is released by the C.I.A.’s new director, John Ratcliffe, who wants the agency to get “off the sidelines” in the debate.
North Korea tests 'strategic' cruise missiles as it lashes out at U.S. and South Korea
By Jesse Johnson
Fragile Gaza truce enters second week
Pete Hegseth vote portends glide path for other Trump nominees
By Mario Parker
CIA now favors China lab leak theory to explain COVID’s origins
By Julian E. Barnes

Sports

Madison Keys celebrates with the trophy after winning the Australian Open title on Saturday in Melbourne.
Sparkling Keys stuns Sabalenka to claim maiden Grand Slam title
By Shrivathsa Sridhar
The 29-year-old became the fourth-oldest first-time Grand Slam champion in the professional era with an upset of the two-time defending champion.
Wembanyama's Spurs fall to Pacers in Paris homecoming
Liverpool and Arsenal both win as Nottingham Forest thrashed by Bournemouth
Madison Keys fulfills Grand Slam ambition after banishing doubts with therapy
By Ian Ransom
Crawford wins Kitzbuehel downhill for maiden World Cup victory, Odermatt sixth

Opinion

Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol protest in Seoul on Tuesday. The previous leaders of the U.S. and Japan, along with Yoon, focused on strengthening alliances and regional stability through cooperation whereas newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy may prioritize transactional relationships.
Japan and South Korea were stable U.S. allies. Not anymore.
KARISHMA VASWANI
Political paralysis in the U.S., Japan and South Korea has left a leadership vacuum in the Indo-Pacific.
Zuckerberg's newfound libertarianism is worrying Brazil
By Juan Pablo Spinetto
Japan should prioritize free trade as it adapts to Trump’s policies
'America First' didn't just return — it has always been there
By Kuni Miyake
Europe needs a defense production act
By Nicu Popescu

ENVIRONMENT

The A23a iceberg is seen in the waters of the Southern Ocean off Antarctica on Jan. 14.
Mega-iceberg drifts toward Antarctic penguin island
The gigantic wall of ice is moving slowly from Antarctica on a potential collision course with a crucial wildlife breeding ground in the South Atlantic.
Trump withdraws from Paris climate agreement — again
Amid rising world hunger, a Japan-inspired group in Kenya is making a big impact
By Joel Tansey
Europe threatens to trigger a global scramble for natural gas
By Anna Shiryaevskaya, Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Stephen Stapczynski and Ruth Liao
In Brazil, an Amazon reforestation project seeks to redeem carbon markets
By Anna PELEGRI

CULTURE

Aside from purely aesthetics, the flowers in Mika Ninagawa’s art carry deep cultural and spiritual meaning.
Mika Ninagawa transforms the Kyocera Museum into a vibrant dreamworld
By Erik Augustin Palm
The artist’s most expansive exhibition in the Kansai region to date is an experience that straddles the boundaries of photography, film and installation art.
'Emilia Perez' tops Oscar nominations in fire-hit Hollywood
By Paula Ramon and Andrew Marszal
‘Missing Child Videotape’: Subtle chiller may leave J-horror fans underwhelmed
By James Hadfield
‘Teki Cometh’ slides in and out of a hypnotic dreamworld
By Mark Schilling
‘Sunset Sunrise’: Rom-com finds pathos in peak pandemic setting
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

With abundant rains and formidable humidity in summer, Japan does not seem to be an ideal land for wine, but winegrowers in Yamanashi Prefecture have gradually been able to adapt.
Of sake and spirits: Indulging in Yamanashi’s best
By Kimberly Hughes
Visits to Grace Wine’s vineyard and the Suntory Hakushu Distillery turn a tour of the mountainous prefecture into a gourmet treat.
Where to begin when it comes to Japanese wine
By Weiwen Lin
Why tatami is going from the floor to the dining table
By Phoebe Amoroso
Global tourism is back to pre-COVID highs
By Daniel Silva
Annoyed? Unfairly treated? Express yourself in Japanese with the passive voice
By Yaeko Kabe

COMMUNITY

New Yorker Kenny Colvin opened Sanita, an Italian American-style cocktail bar, in Tokyo’s Hatagaya neighborhood in 2020.
Kenny Colvin: ‘Work hard, drink hard, eat hard … relax hard’
By Mike Fu
The owner of Sanita, a cozy cocktail bar in Hatagaya, shares his journey and inspirations.
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
Kaz Shiomi: ‘I want to show people … how to color outside the lines’
By Laura Pollacco
There were plenty of hot topics to opine on in 2024
By Gendel Gento, Kimberly Hughes, Ora Margolis, David McElhinney, Zoria Petkoska, Justin Randall, Himari Semans, Patrick St. Michel and Ansel Swindells

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
What are the real issues behind the Fuji TV scandal?
By Yukana Inoue
Fuji Television's poor handling of sexual misconduct allegations against celebrity Masahiro Nakai has led to an exodus of sponsors from the broadcaster.
CULTURE
The cartoon chaos of ‘Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi’ was ahead of its time
By Patrick St. Michel
Animated series “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi” premiered on Cartoon Network on Nov. 29, 2004, and ran for three seasons. The show is based on real-life J-pop band Puffy.
CULTURE
How 'Twin Peaks' turned David Lynch into Japan's favorite weirdo
By James Hadfield
“The Elephant Man” and “Twin Peaks” director David Lynch became a favorite among Japanese moviegoers who flocked to new arthouse cinemas (known as “mini theaters”) popping up around the country in the 1980s and ’90s.
JAPAN
As parliament opens, ruling coalition enters uncharted territory
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a policy speech at the Lower House of the parliament in Tokyo last November.
BASEBALL
Dodgers introduce Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki
By Jason Coskrey
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki speaks during his introductory news conference with the team in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

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

COMMENTARY
Japan and South Korea were stable U.S. allies. Not anymore.
By KARISHMA VASWANI
Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol protest in Seoul on Tuesday. The previous leaders of the U.S. and Japan, along with Yoon, focused on strengthening alliances and regional stability through cooperation whereas newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy may prioritize transactional relationships.
JAPAN
Chinese tourist fatally struck by train in Hokkaido
By Jessica Speed
Hokkaido Railway temporarily suspended train services after a 61-year-old Chinese tourist was fatally struck by a train in the city of Otaru, Hokkaido, on Thursday morning.
WORLD
Trump fires 17 inspectors general in late-night purge
By Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni
U.S. President Donald Trump throws pens to the crowd after signing executive orders during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena in Washington on Monday.
BUSINESS
Trump spurs surprise world rally in first week on trade respite
U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on a giant screen during his address by video conference at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Chinese court gives death penalty to man who killed Japanese boy
By Gabriele Ninivaggi and Francis Tang
A woman lays a bouquet of flowers outside Shenzhen Japanese School following the murder of a 10-year-old Japanese child who was on his way to the school, in Shenzhen in September.