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December 21, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
December 21, 2024
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U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
By Alexandra Alper
The accusation was made in a Dec. 17 letter, signed by counsel for Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel, to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Economists see BOJ's policy review as insufficient
The massive easing policy has caused adverse effects, such as a loosening of fiscal discipline, economists said.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says
The report added that Honda will also consider supplying hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of the potential merger, without mentioning the source of the information.
Self-Defense Force members march in formation at Camp Asaka, which straddles Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, during a ceremony on Nov. 9.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan ready to improve working conditions for SDF members
Improving working conditions for the members "is a serious challenge" for his administration, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a meeting of relevant Cabinet ministers.
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
By Anton L. Delgado
Flowing more than 4,300 kilometers from the Tibetan Plateau to Vietnam, the Mekong River is the lifeblood of the region. It also faces a spiraling problem with plastic.
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.

JAPAN

U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling environmental activist Paul Watson, who was released from prison in Greenland's capital Nuuk after five months in detention, arrives with Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, near Paris, on Friday.
Freed anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrives in France
Watson, 74, was released after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over a 2010 clash with whalers.
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The poll found that people worry most about their own health, plans for life after retirement, and the outlook for future income and assets.
Cambodia to grant Japan visitation rights to China-linked naval base
77-year-old man arrested in connection with fatal stabbings and arson in Chiba
Ruling camp approves tax reform proposal
By Himari Semans
Japan improves public relations for Nankai Trough megaquake alert

BUSINESS

Carlos Ghosn
Ghosn says Honda deal talks indicate Nissan in ‘panic mode’
"It’s a desperate move,” the ex-Nissan chief said. "It’s not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find.”
A limited edition of PlayStation 5 (PS5) Pro video game console
Sony’s record climb makes investors more bullish on gaming boom
By Alice French and Winnie Hsu
Sony Group’s long-awaited rise to record highs has emboldened bullish investors and analysts, who see gains extending into 2025 on a robust outlook for video games.
Foxconn's interest in Nissan said to be on hold amid Honda merger talks
Japan says overall economy recovering, but cuts view on corporate profits
Japan warns on yen after BOJ’s dovish messaging extends slide
By Erica Yokoyama
A year after going private, structural reforms bearing fruit for Toshiba

WORLD

Lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang try to break into parliament, where Democratic Progressive Party members spent the night to avoid the passing of the third reading of controversial bills, in Taipei on Friday.
Clashes between Taiwan lawmakers and legal changes test President Lai
The political wrangling comes as U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to defend the island from any Chinese invasion, prepares to leave the White House.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters following the passage of spending legislation to avert a government shutdown, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Friday.
U.S. Congress passes bill to avert shutdown
After weeks of tense negotiations that went down to the wire, U.S. lawmakers passed a bill to fund federal agencies through mid-March.
Top U.S. and South Korean diplomats agree to meet 'at an early date'
Fade out: Biden disappears into background
By Danny Kemp
Ukraine collects vast war data trove to train AI models
By Max Hunder
Luigi Mangione’s 15-day path from New York to Altoona McDonald’s

Sports

Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix late last month.
Tsunoda loses out in Red Bull's F1 reshuffle
By Alan Baldwin
A flurry of Red Bull announcements culminated on Friday with 20-year-old Isack Hadjar confirmed as Tsunoda's teammate.
Australian Open to provide platform for pickleball from 2025
Carmelo Anthony and Sue Bird among first-time Hall of Fame nominees
Tyson Fury all business ahead of rematch with Oleksandr Usyk
Chiefs star Mahomes set to face Texans after injury scare

Opinion

Greenpeace activists protest next to a fake whale's tail in front of the Japanese Embassy in Berlin in 2010. The real motivation behind Japan's whaling may lie in asserting its maritime sovereignty, as the country defends its exclusive economic zone amid territorial disputes.
For Japan, whaling is intertwined with maritime sovereignty
Maxime Polleri
While Japan has an undeniable culture surrounding seafood, the current generation of people do not show much interest in whale meat.
Why Trump can’t just end birthright citizenship
By Barbara McQuade
Europe’s militaries make their presence known in the Indo-Pacific
An OPEC for solar power isn’t going to work
By David Fickling
India’s budding chip industry: A cause for cautious optimism
By Eri Ikeda

ENVIRONMENT

The entrance of the Sodegaura LNG Terminal, operated by Tokyo Gas, in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture
Japan's draft climate strategy spurs calls for bolder cuts in carbon emissions
By Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu
The government last month presented a draft plan to aim for a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 from 2013 levels.
Japanese study links heavy Hokkaido snowfall in 2021 to climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Companies challenged by fewer weeks of winter
By Ethan M Steinberg
Indigenous people in Canada weigh costs of a gas windfall
By Max Bearak
World falls short of drought deal at Saudi-hosted talks
By Robbie COREY-BOULET

CULTURE

Tokyo Comic Con took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
Comic cons are far more than just cosplay
By Howard Chua-Eoan
The conventions allow fans of comics to meet their heroes — both actors and authors — with manga and anime playing an increasingly bigger role each year.
‘The Hotel of My Dream’: A literary comedy that never really gels
By James Hadfield
‘More Than Words’: A morally gray melodrama about sexual assault
By Mark Schilling
Zakir Hussain, peerless Indian tabla player, dies at 73
By Yan Zhuang
Jay Rubin takes us back to Haruki Murakami's world
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
By Tomoko Otake
This year’s health and wellness fads point to a Japan that desires more wholesome lifestyles but doesn’t have the time or resources to go about it in traditional ways.
Make the Yuletide gay: Tokyo’s LGBTQ+ Christmas events
By Kat Joplin
Silent night? Not if you want to impress your Christmas Eve date.
By Yuko Tamura
Looking for ways to be charitable in Japan? Give the gift of reading.
By Yuko Tamura
Glass half full: Japan’s sake industry celebrates a brighter 2024
By Phoebe Amoroso

COMMUNITY

Tokyo Union Church volunteers prepare food for unhoused individuals. The church helps people regardless of religion, race or sexuality.
From the stage to the streets, make a difference this holiday season
By Kimberly Hughes
Discover the joy of giving back through a variety of charitable efforts. Helping others helps you, too.
A green-eyed cutie who loves to eat
Yurie Collins: ‘Everyone seems sedated, fed-up … that’s why they turn to comedy’
By Zoria Petkoska
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
By Phoebe Amoroso
Kumiko Shichijo: ‘Living abroad helped me appreciate Japanese etiquette’
By Ansel Swindells

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
By Tomoko Otake
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
JAPAN
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
By Francis Tang
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
CULTURE
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
By Mark Schilling
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
LIFE
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
By Patrick St. Michel
A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
ASIA PACIFIC
With rare Asia carrier deployment, France seeks greater interoperability
By Gabriel Dominguez
The flight deck of the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier during a stop at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in May 2019

Podcast

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

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’
Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs
The Kabukicho district in Tokyo, where the daughter of a woman in her 60s fell deeply into the host club culture.
BUSINESS
A year after going private, structural reforms bearing fruit for Toshiba
Toshiba's Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Koji Ikeya speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party and opposition party Kuomintang brawl in parliament in Taipei on Friday.
JAPAN
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
JAPAN
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.