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March 18, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
March 18, 2025
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions at a session of the Upper House Budget Committee in Tokyo. Approval ratings for Ishiba's government have dropped sharply, polls showed Monday, as the leader faces a backlash for distributing gift vouchers to rookie lawmakers in his ruling party.
JAPAN / Politics
Approval rates for Ishiba's Cabinet plunge amid gift voucher snafu
By Himari Semans
Polls conducted by several newspapers over the weekend show public support tumbling to record lows.

More coverage

Opposition set to step up offensive against Ishiba
Ishiba on shaky ground over budget and gift vouchers
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions at a session of the Upper House Budget Committee in Tokyo. Approval ratings for Ishiba's government have dropped sharply, polls showed Monday, as the leader faces a backlash for distributing gift vouchers to rookie lawmakers in his ruling party.
Bank of Japan headquarters building in February. In January, the BOJ voted to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.5% from 0.25%, taking it to the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
BUSINESS / Markets
Bank of Japan unlikely to raise rates this week as trade war intensifies
By Kazuaki Nagata
The central bank voted to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.5% from 0.25% in January, taking it to the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.
Alimentation Couche-Tard founder Alain Bouchard (center), CEO Alex Miller (left) and CFO Filipe Da Silva attend a photo session after a news conference on their bid for Seven & I Holdings in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies / EXPLAINER
Why Couche-Tard's deal with Seven & I isn't going anywhere
By Elizabeth Beattie
The buyout bid has seen a mixed response in Japan, with some expressing concerns over the convenience store chain being taken over by a foreign company.
Tokyo will soon require all companies in the city to make efforts to stop harassment by customers, such as by creating a manual on how to handle suspected cases.
JAPAN / Society
Tokyo gears up for April launch of law against harassment by customers
By Yukana Inoue
All companies in Tokyo must make an effort to eliminate such harassment, such as by creating a manual on how to handle suspected cases.
Passengers that were on a morning train attacked by members of the Aum Shinrikyo group wait for medical assistance outside Kasumigaseki Station on March 20,1995.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
The day a religious cult brought terror to Tokyo
By Alex K.T. Martin
Thirty years after Aum Shinrikyo attacked Tokyo’s subways, the nation continues to prepare for the unthinkable.
Passengers that were on a morning train attacked by members of the Aum Shinrikyo group wait for medical assistance outside Kasumigaseki Station on March 20,1995.

JAPAN

Tourists gather at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th station, which leads to the popular Yoshida Trail for hikers climbing Mount Fuji, ahead of its reopening for the season in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture in June 2024.
Mount Fuji hikers to be charged ¥4,000 on all trails
Yamanashi Prefecture is doubling its ¥2,000 ($14) entry fee for the Yoshida Trail, while Shizuoka Prefecture will charge the same amount for its three trails.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. Tokyo police have arrested a number of suspects this month in connection with home improvement scams.
Police issue warning over home improvement scams
Such scams use similar tactics to those employed by fraudsters who impersonate relatives or public agency officials over the phone to defraud victims of their money.
Tepco aims to restart Niigata reactor in fiscal 2025
Tokyo pub hit with first-ever closure order for illegal street tables
Sculptor connects Fukushima to U.S. through New York gallery
Police issue warning over home improvement scams

BUSINESS

One year on from the Bank of Japan's historic rate hike, the biggest winners are the banks.
Banks boom and shoppers scrimp a year after Japan’s rate pivot
By Taiga Uranaka, Masaki Kondo and Haruka Iwai
Higher borrowing costs are also fueling a political battle over how the government can rein in its outlays.
A conceptual image of a jacket that can automatically adjust the temperature inside it to a level that is the most comfortable for the wearer, to be showcased by Tohan Denshi Kiki and others at the Osaka Expo
Local manufacturers to show futuristic products at Osaka Expo
Products to be showcased at the Expo include a jacket that can automatically adjust the temperature inside it.
Alaskan officials to seek investors in Japan as Trump touts LNG
By Katya Golubkova, Yuka Obayashi and Tim Kelly
Gazprom's grandeur fades as Europe abandons Russian gas
Geely billionaire goes on a cost-cutting spree to catch rivals
By Linda Lew and Rafaela Lindeberg
'Impossible': U.S. breweries buffeted by Trump tariffs
By Beiyi Seow

WORLD

A Russian soldier at an artillery position in the Kursk region of Russia on Dec. 2. Ukrainian forces have pulled almost entirely out of the Kursk region of Russia, ending an offensive that had stunned the Kremlin last summer with its speed and audacity.
How Ukraine’s offensive in Russia’s Kursk region unraveled
By Marc Santora
At the height of the campaign, Ukrainian forces controlled some 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory. Now they hold just a small sliver of land along the border.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2017.
Trump says he will speak with Putin on Tuesday about ending war in Ukraine
The U.S. president said Moscow, Kyiv and Washington were already talking about "dividing up certain assets," as he seeks Putin's support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal.
U.S. flies alleged gang members to El Salvador despite court block
U.K. faces hard choices over soaring disability costs
By David Milliken
Thousands show support for coup-accused Bolsonaro at Rio rally
By Louis GENOT
'Pray for us. They've arrived': How Syria descended into revenge bloodshed
By Reade Levinson, Maya Gebeily, Maggie Michael and Feras Dalatey

Sports

The Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto during training at Tokyo Dome on Monday
How Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounded after his disastrous MLB debut
By Jason Coskrey
Yamamoto is a different pitcher than he was a year ago when he was still adjusting to the transition from NPB to MLB.
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to face Yokohama F Marinos in ACL quarters
By Michael Church
NPB clubs show there's more to Japanese baseball than MLB stars
By Jason Coskrey
Bengals signing receivers Chase and Higgins to four-year deals
'Moneyball' disciples aim to upend Japanese baseball for second year
By Yuki Furukawa and Haruka Iwai

Opinion

Japan, despite facing multiple territorial disputes, lacks a dedicated university program on the issue, unlike Western countries, and would benefit from an interdisciplinary academic initiative to foster expertise.
Japan needs academic programs focused on territorial issues
Robert D. Eldridge
While many countries have territorial disputes with their neighbors — in fact, there are at least 150 active disputes worldwide — Japan faces issues with nearly all its neighbors.
Reaping Asia’s silver demographic dividend
By Lee Jong-wha
What really changed the marriage market
By Sarah Green Carmichael
Got $10 billion? Don’t blow it cloning a woolly mammoth.
By F.D. Flam
America is surrounded by enemies — that it created
By David Brooks

ENVIRONMENT

While climate demonstrations around the world often draw thousands of participants, in Japan such demonstrations rarely break the 100-person barrier.
Japan’s youth climate activists still searching for a breakthrough
By Eric Margolis
With Japan endorsing climate targets criticized as unambitious, activists are looking to education and more tailored strategies to make an impact.
From oil spills to new species: How tech reveals the ocean
By Sara Hussein
Carbon capture industry tweaks message for the Trump era
By John BIERS
A stain on Britain: Sewage contaminates its waterways and seas
By Kate Holton and Dylan Martinez
Nepal community efforts revive red panda population
By Anup OJHA

CULTURE

Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time” won the award for best film at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony.
‘A Samurai in Time’ wins top prize at Japan’s premier film event
By Alyssa I. Smith
This country’s answer to the Oscars also saw awards go to “Oppenheimer” and “Faceless.”
Augmented reality artist Omega C navigates a precarious scene for XR art
By Erik Augustin Palm
K-Ballet Tokyo marks 25 years of passion and perseverance
By Kris Kosaka
The sci-fi satire 'Mickey 17' might be a classic — someday
By Mark Leydorf
‘Ravens’ is a portrait of art, love and inner demons
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights
By Robbie Swinnerton
A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
A classic combination for spring
By Makiko Itoh
‘Resorts for the spirit’: Touring Kagawa’s art and architecture
By Jennifer Pastore
Square Enix Cafe had everything going for it, except the ability to adapt
By Isabelle Steen
From 'commuting' to 'passing through,' meet the kanji that's always on the move
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Kyoko Watanabe made a home for herself in Ishinomaki after moving there to participate in disaster relief efforts following 3/11, and now operates a business focused on the creative reuse of <i>akiya</i> (abandoned houses).
From abandoned houses to ‘creative communities’: An Ishinomaki entrepreneur's vision for rural Japan
By Florentyna Leow
Kyoko Watanabe moved to Miyagi Prefecture to help with disaster relief efforts following 3/11. She ended up building a company and a vision for revitalizing rural Japan.
A shy Shiba mix is ready to bloom
Hiromi Okuda: 'Humans and emerging tech should exist symbiotically'
By Jessica Kozuka
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
How a Canadian missionary found spiritual transformation in Shikoku
By Suzanne Kamata

Editors' Picks

BASEBALL
How Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounded after his disastrous MLB debut
By Jason Coskrey
The Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto during training at Tokyo Dome on Monday
ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s youth climate activists still searching for a breakthrough
By Eric Margolis
While climate demonstrations around the world often draw thousands of participants, in Japan such demonstrations rarely break the 100-person barrier.
JAPAN
As it turns 70, LDP struggles to find its fountain of youth
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second from left) cheers along with other members of the Liberal Democratic Party during the party's annual convention in Tokyo on March 9.
JAPAN
As pollen season peaks, Japan's allergy struggle emerges from hibernation
By Jessica Speed
Urbanization is amplifying pollen-related allergies as grasslands and soft soil give way to concrete and asphalt.
ASIA PACIFIC
Drones, budgets and infighting: Taiwan's daunting defense challenges
By Gabriel Dominguez
Officials from Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), the Ministry of National Defense’s research arm, say the lessons from the Ukraine conflict are clear for the democratic island: drones and other autonomous systems are crucial for its defense.

Podcast

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

Longform

Passengers that were on a morning train attacked by members of the Aum Shinrikyo group wait for medical assistance outside Kasumigaseki Station on March 20,1995.
The day a religious cult brought terror to Tokyo
By Alex K.T. Martin

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Yamagata’s Zao Onsen Ski Resort is a classic beauty
Yamagata’s Zao Onsen Ski Resort is a classic beauty

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures
By Yukana Inoue
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
ASIA PACIFIC
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
By Claire Lee
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
JAPAN
Toyoko Kids: The lonely street children of Tokyo
By Yukana Inoue
Many young people who feel neglected at home flock to the Toyoko area to find a community where they can fit in.
LIFE
Opportunities await the bold in the Year of the Wood Dragon
By Kathryn Wortley
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with the year predicted to be a good time for fresh starts.
COMMENTARY
Don’t worry about global population collapse
By F.D. Flam
Most projections show the world will hit peak humanity in the 21st century as people choose to have smaller families and women gain power over their own reproduction.