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April 02, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 02, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Japanese cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama. The United States will start collecting new 25% import duties on cars and car parts from Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Japan has some cards to play in trade war with the United States 
By Francis Tang
It could offer voluntary restraints on exports, or it could offer to buy more from the U.S. in order to reduce the trade surplus with that country.

More coverage

U.S. tariffs could have big impact on global trade, BOJ chief says
Japanese businesses maintain optimism ahead of looming tariff storm
Japanese cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama. The United States will start collecting new 25% import duties on cars and car parts from Thursday.
Rapidus is gearing up to mass produce semiconductors using 2-nanometer processes in 2027, which on paper would match Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
BUSINESS / Companies
Rapidus begins pilot production of 2-nanometer chips in Hokkaido
By Kazuaki Nagata
The 2-year-old company aims to mass produce the next-generation semiconductors — vital for technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous driving — in 2027.
The body of a high school girl was found in a closet at the home of Masaki Eguchi, a 21-year-old unemployed man, on Tuesday in the city of Ichinomiya in Aichi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aichi man admits to stabbing Tokyo high school girl over gaming dispute
The victim went missing after saying on Friday she was going to the home of a friend she met through online gaming.
Four Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets prepare to take off from Hsinchu Airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Wednesday, amid ongoing Chinese military drills around the democratic island.
ASIA PACIFIC
Chinese military practices striking key Taiwan ports and energy facilities
By Jesse Johnson
Beijing carried out "long-range live-fire drills" in the East China Sea on Wednesday as it held a second consecutive day of exercises around Taiwan.
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
A new human trafficking trend emerges from Myanmar scam centers
By Yukana Inoue
Syndicates are increasingly targeting middle- to upper-class individuals from across the world through something as harmless as online video games.
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.

JAPAN

Power utilities, telecommunications carriers and other infrastructure companies are working on measures to minimize damage and strengthen cooperation beyond company boundaries to ensure early recovery in the event of a huge Nankai Trough earthquake.
Japan infrastructure sector draws up contingencies for Nankai quake
Power utilities, telecommunications carriers and other companies are working on measures to reduce damage and strengthen cooperation to ensure rapid recovery.
A 37-year-old son of death-row inmate Masumi Hayashi, who goes by the pseudonym of Koji Hayashi, stands in front of the land of the family's previous house in January.
Family fights for death-row retrial under Japan's 'snail-paced' system
By Tomohiro Osaki
Japan's current retrial system is often labeled the "Unopenable Door" because the chances of being granted a legal do-over are so slim.
U.S. tourist arrested after bringing a handgun into Japan
One Japanese injured in Bangkok after Myanmar quake
Gaza woman launches clothing brand with Japanese partner
What the Fuji TV third-party probe uncovered
By Yukana Inoue

BUSINESS

A report from Dai-ichi Life Research Institute shows that the cost of typical food items eaten at the gatherings known as hanami has risen 21.4% in the past six years.
Inflation casts shadow over Japan’s cherry blossom season
By Yui Hasebe
A report shows that the cost of typical food items eaten at flower viewing gatherings has risen 21.4% in the past six years.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
Ghibli effect: ChatGPT usage hits record after rollout of viral feature
By Akash Sriram
The viral trend saw users from across the globe flood social media with images based on the hand-drawn style of the famed Japanese animation outfit.
'Give me a break': Trump tariffs threaten Japan auto sector
By Hiroshi Hiyama
Retailer Aeon to sell Japan-U.S. blended rice
A May BOJ hike would be too early given tariffs and wages, DPP says
By Sakura Murakami and Akemi Terukina
Three reported dead after Xiaomi car with driver assistance crashes
By Linda Lew

WORLD

A F-18 jet lands on the runway of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during military exercises in 2024.
Pentagon sends second aircraft carrier to Mideast as Iran tensions rise
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered additional forces to the Middle East, including the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group and aircraft.
In a series of meetings and calls over the weekend, officials inside U.S. President Donald Trump's White House and State Department acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively resisting Washington’s attempts to strike a lasting peace accord with Ukraine.
Trump officials eye a longer road to Ukraine peace as frustration mounts
At the start of his administration, the Trump team set out to reach a full ceasefire by April or May. They hoped to broker a lasting peace deal in the following months.
Myanmar's deadly earthquake brings diplomatic payoff for junta chief
By Panu Wongcha-um and Devjyot Ghoshal
Cory Booker condemns Trump’s policies in longest senate speech on record
By Tim Balk, Mike Ives and Matthew Mpoke Bigg
NATO presses to keep Trump on board, but is he hobbling alliance?
By Max DELANY
Princeton's U.S. grants frozen, following Trump's moves against other schools
By Kanishka Singh

Sports

Onosato (left) receives the Emperor's Cup from Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku in Osaka on March 23.
Sumo’s 'Big 12' are an eclectic group
By John Gunning
Only a dozen rikishi now active have lifted the Emperor’s Cup on the final day of a tournament.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls display unity in Tokyo ahead of grand prix
By Sam Byford
More than 1,000 ex-rugby players join concussion lawsuit: legal firm
By Mitch Phillips
Elanga wonder-goal sinks Man Utd as Forest eye Champions League berth
Haaland sidelined by injury in major Man City blow

Opinion

DOGE, the U.S. government reform project, embodies America's brash, fast-paced approach to change, while Japan’s cultural norms emphasize slower, more deliberate decision-making rooted in consensus.
The DOGE solution? 'No thanks' says Japan, with reason
Brad Glosserman
I can’t imagine a DOGE-like beast in Japan. No one can. It is utterly alien to every tradition, precedent or cultural inclination in this country.
Le Pen’s MAGA-style martyrdom is new risk in France
By Lionel Laurent
For a brief moment, everything was Ghibli
By Gearoid Reidy
Asia must unite to survive Trump 2.0
By Lee Jong-wha
Is this really how American exceptionalism ends?
By Allison Schrager

ENVIRONMENT

Fluffy, low-hanging clouds generally have a cooling influence. They are big and bright, blocking and bouncing back incoming sunlight.
Clouds changing as world warms, adding to climate uncertainty
By Nick Perry
Cloud behavior is notoriously complex to predict and remains a great unknown for scientists trying to accurately forecast future levels of climate change.
Trump can't stop 'sustainability revolution': Al Gore
Without new countermeasures, Japan’s temperature could rise 4.5 C by 2100
By Jessica Speed
Why we should worry when whales stop singing
By Todd Woody
What the $660 million Greenpeace verdict means for U.S. activism
By Olivia Raimonde and Zahra Hirji

CULTURE

Goro Miyazaki joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed films including 2006's "Tales from Earthsea" and 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill."
AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says
By Natsuko Fukue
Goro Miyazaki says that though nothing can replicate the depth of his father's work, new technology brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge."
Nintendo announces Legend of Zelda film for 2027
Yuki Tejima's metamorphosis from bookworm to literary translator
By Kris Kosaka
Cherry blossom-themed art to see this weekend in Tokyo
By Zoria Petkoska
Rise and shine with ‘The Wakey Show’
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

Graduation ceremonies in Japan will usually include a performance of the Japanese national anthem, “Kimigayo.”
Attempting the classics: The world of waka poetry
By Eric Margolis
The origins of this poetry style stretch back to at least the seventh century, when one of the emperor's wives composed it at court ceremonies.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
By Johan Brooks
The cold complexity of 'pure' Japanese cocktail ice
By Phoebe Amoroso
Feast your eyes on 'The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Cooking'
By Simon Daly
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Shogo Yamaguchi shares his love of traditional Japanese culture with an audience of nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers.
Shogo Yamaguchi: ‘Traditional culture thrives in a peaceful society’
By Laura Pollacco
The Kyoto-based content creator shares travel tips and reminisces on the path that led him to where he is today.
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
A tawny Kai Ken discovers his courage
A community of stories: Making space for reflection and dialogue in Tokyo and beyond
By Megumi Koiwai

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
By Jessica Speed
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
BUSINESS
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
By Elizabeth Beattie
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
JAPAN
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
By Jesse Johnson
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS
No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker
By Joel Tansey
All eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he makes his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
BUSINESS
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
By Tim Hornyak
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.

Podcast

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

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
By Johan Brooks

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Cainz enriches lives and communities through DIY

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
BUSINESS
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
By Francis Tang
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
BUSINESS
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
By Elizabeth Beattie
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
JAPAN
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
JAPAN
Osaka Expo's Japan Pavilion completed
A ceremony is held to mark the completion of the Japan Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka on Saturday.