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March 04, 2025
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March 04, 2025
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Seven & I Holdings CEO Ryuichi Isaka is stepping down from his position, the Nikkei newspaper has reported.
BUSINESS / Companies
7-Eleven owner to appoint first foreign CEO, report says
By Kanoko Matsuyama
The owner's plan to take the company private to avoid being taken over by Couche-Tard collapsed last week, piling pressure on it to reconsider the $47 billion takeover proposal.
Seven & I Holdings CEO Ryuichi Isaka is stepping down from his position, the Nikkei newspaper has reported.
An electronic sign displays the benchmark Nikkei stock average on a street in Tokyo. The stock average has been range-bound between about 38,000 and 40,000 since hitting a new all-time high in July last year.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Japanese stocks stalled at 1989 levels as investors weigh tariffs and rates
By Kazuaki Nagata
The 225-issue Nikkei stock average has been range-bound between about 38,000 and 40,000 since hitting a new all-time high in July 2024.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions during a Lower House Budget Committee meeting at parliament on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba says Japan won't take sides in U.S. row with Ukraine
By Jesse Johnson
The Japanese leader sought to strike a balance for Japan, the sole Asian G7 member, in its alliance with the U.S. and its longstanding support for Kyiv.
Firefighters work to extinguish the forest fire in the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in this screenshot of a video footage from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Why the latest Iwate wildfire is so difficult to extinguish
By Yukana Inoue
The unusually dry weather, strong winds, the prefecture's mountainous terrain — as well as what's known as a fire cycle — have made the situation worse than usual.
Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
Stakeholders in Suginami Ward have been fighting against a road development plan for some years — but economic forces are already transforming the neighborhood.
Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.

JAPAN

The Maritime Self-Defense Force's destroyer Akizuki (far left) leads the MSDF fleet during a naval review in Sagami Bay, south of Tokyo, in October 2012.
Japanese destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait for just second time
The solo passage last month by the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Akizuki comes amid warming ties with Beijing, but also follows ramped-up military pressure by China.
Pedestrians commute through Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, an area that is almost never devoid of people.
As the rest of Japan shrinks, Tokyo grows
By Alex K.T. Martin
Women and young people are leading a migratory wave that the government is struggling to halt.
At first news conference, Prince Hisahito pledges to fulfill royal duties
'Your Name.' anime producer jailed over obscene acts against minors
Osaka police arrest man after child's body found encased in concrete
Hokkaido trucking industry faces challenges from overtime cap
By Eric Johnston

BUSINESS

The higher cost of food is forcing Japanese consumers to scrimp and bargain hunt as their purchasing power drops.
Japan’s consumers hunt for bargains as food inflation bites
By Yui Hasebe, Koh Yoshida and Haruka Iwai
The prices of staples such as rice, eggs and cabbage have all surged in the past 12 months.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
Xi prepares to unveil China stimulus plan as trade war heats up
AI breakthroughs and Xi’s recent embrace of private entrepreneurs have driven a rally ahead of the National People’s Congress.
Japan’s FSA said to examine life insurers’ reinsurance risks
By Nao Sano
JR East to offer ride-hailing services at limited locations
JX Metals cuts price of Japan’s biggest IPO since SoftBank
By Yasutaka Tamura
Blackstone buys Japan drug trial firm, adding to private equity health deals
By Lisa Du and Takako Taniguchi

WORLD

A Rohingya girl feeds a child from a jar carrying the USAID logo at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Feb. 11.
USAID official put on leave after warning of deaths due to Trump's aid block
By Andrea Shalal
The Trump administration announced last week that it was canceling nearly 10,000 foreign aid grants and contracts worth almost $60 billion, ending about 90% of USAID's global work.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron embrace after holding a meeting during a summit at Lancaster House in central London on Sunday.
European leaders seek ‘coalition of willing’ to secure Ukraine
Britain and France aim to take a "Europe-plus” grouping to U.S. President Donald Trump in coming days to get his buy-in.
North Korea’s $1.5 billion heist puts the crypto world on notice
Fire danger in LA is all around, but signals to residents are mixed
By Leslie Kaufman, Andre Tartar and Armand Emamdjomeh
Trump sees Zelenskyy as the problem, but Ukrainians stand by him
By Daryna Krasnolutska, Olesia Safronova and Volodymyr Verbianyi
'Under my wing': Mothers and daughters serving together in Ukraine
By Lea DAUPLE and Kseniia TOMCHYK

Sports

Astros left fielder Jose Altuve makes a throw home during a game against the Nationals in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
Jose Altuve takes on challenge of learning to play left field for Astros
By Chandler Rome
Jose Altuve is moving to left field after 14 seasons in MLB.
Federica Brignone wins super-G to extend overall World Cup lead
Arsenal gets chance to salvage season in Champions League
Stefanos Tsitsipas finds comfort zone after winning with 'mystery' racket
New Aston Martin designer Adrian Newey ready to get back to drawing board

Opinion

The latest "Captain America" movie depicts a conflict between the U.S. and Japan over a newly discovered element, but the premise seems implausible and likely reflects a late-stage decision to replace China with Japan to avoid alienating Chinese audiences.
A U.S. war with Japan? Only in ‘Captain America.’
Gearoid Reidy
It’s clear that Japan must be a stand-in for China — possibly a late-stage replacement in a movie that became notorious for its multiple rewrites and reshoots.
Japan is no island when it comes to semiconductors. Rightly so.
By Andrew Capistrano
In chip renaissance, Japan is learning from past mistakes
By Kazuto Suzuki
You might have plastic in your brain. Don’t panic — yet.
By F.D. Flam
The Oval Office meeting that damaged America’s standing
By Bret Stephens

ENVIRONMENT

Nauru is selling citizenship to fund its retreat from rising seas as other climate finance runs dry.
Nauru sells citizenship to fund climate change mitigation
By Laura Chung
The island nation of around 13,000 residents is planning a mass inland relocation as creeping seas start to eat away at its fertile coastal fringe.
Turning waste into wealth with insect-based biotech
By Angelyn Labadan
Japan adopts bill obliging firms' participation in emissions trading
Trump creates uncertainty for world’s most cited climate report
By Eric Roston and Sheryl Tian Tong Lee
Nations at odds over major U.N. climate science report
By Kelly Macnamara

CULTURE

Taiwanese comic artist Rishiazao and interpreter Yun-wen Huang greet an attendee at the 2025 Angouleme International Comics Festival in France.
Taiwan comics on the rise: Local storytellers, global aspirations
By Mike Fu
A supportive ecosystem and eager audiences — both domestic and global — are boosting the soft power of illustrated narratives from Taiwan.
Small-budget sex worker romp 'Anora' triumphs at Oscars
By Huw Griffith
South Korean fans soak up nostalgia with vintage Japanese superheroes
By Kang Jin-kyu
‘Demon City’: Live-action manga adaptation is ultra-violent — and ultra-dull
By James Hadfield
Actor Gene Hackman and wife found dead alongside dog at home

LIFE

Chef Kentaro Mura’s favorite way of serving snow crab is as shabu-shabu: The legs are lightly blanched in dashi, then the meat is removed and served with a generous scoop of crab tomalley.
Toyama’s finest seafood underpins Ebitei Bekkan’s return to greatness
By Robbie Swinnerton
This "kaiseki" restaurant has been making up for lost time with a culinary flair that presents Toyama’s seafood tradition in a contemporary guise.
Stories from behind the bar at Shinjuku's Golden Gai
By Mika Inoue
A French shepherd’s pie that's Japanese on the inside
By Simon Daly
Brats, rebels and rascals: Finding the right word for mischievous kids
By Yuko Tamura
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
By Cat Kerr

COMMUNITY

Tsuyoshi Mizukoshi, owner of a pub in Nishiogi’s commercial area, is a community organizer who is rallying local residents against the road development plan.
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
Stakeholders in Suginami Ward have been fighting against a road development plan for some years — but economic forces are already transforming the neighborhood.
How a Canadian missionary found spiritual transformation in Shikoku
By Suzanne Kamata
Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’
By Mike Fu
Black History Month in 2025: The boundaries between 'us' and 'them'
By Baye McNeil
John Davis: ‘At its core, indie is about creative freedom’
By Gendel Gento

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s climate heroes show potential and limits of local initiatives
By Tomoko Otake
Hidetaka Ishii, an official at the Chiba Municipal Government, says close coordination with private-sector operators is key for regional decarbonization efforts.
LIFE
Aboard Japan’s most luxurious train, the journey is the destination
By Erik Augustin Palm
The luxury Seven Stars in Kyushu train trades the hyper-efficiency of typical rail travel in Japan for a slower, more decadent version.
CULTURE
Taiwan comics on the rise: Local storytellers, global aspirations
By Mike Fu
Taiwanese comic artist Rishiazao and interpreter Yun-wen Huang greet an attendee at the 2025 Angouleme International Comics Festival in France.
LIFE
Not even Japan is safe from counterfeit luxury goods
By Carol R.H. Malasig
While Japan's luxury goods market remains strong, its seconhand resale market is proving just as much a draw for tourists searching for great bargains — as long as they can manage to get their hands on the real deal.
SOCCER
Nils Nielsen's vision for Nadeshiko Japan comes to life at SheBelieves Cup
By Alex Bishop
Nadeshiko Japan celebrates after winning the SheBelieves Cup in San Diego on Wednesday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Pedestrians commute through Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, an area that is almost never devoid of people.
As the rest of Japan shrinks, Tokyo grows
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Seven & I and Nissan deal fallout leaves Japan companies vulnerable
The rapid collapse of the plan to take Seven & I private reflects how personal egos and domestic competitiveness ultimately outweighed the nationalistic desire to fend off Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard, whose pursuit of the Japanese retailer emerged last August.
LIFE
Aboard Japan’s most luxurious train, the journey is the destination
By Erik Augustin Palm
The luxury Seven Stars in Kyushu train trades the hyper-efficiency of typical rail travel in Japan for a slower, more decadent version.
ASIA PACIFIC
China’s military puts Pacific on notice as U.S. priorities shift
By Chris Buckley and Damien Cave
A photo released by the Australia Defense Force showed an Australian Navy ship in the foreground and two Chinese navy ships in the Tasman Sea in February.
WORLD
Europe's nightmare is here: They have to fight Putin without the U.S.
By Alberto Nardelli
Ukrainian servicemen play with dogs at their position on a front line in the nation's Zaporizhzhia region on Feb. 21.
LIFE
Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha
By Cat Kerr
Once a boon to tea farmers' bottom lines, the global matcha craze is now pushing producers and distributors to their limits with few options to adequately meet demand.