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March 28, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
March 28, 2025
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Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan considers all possible options as Trump threatens new auto tariffs
By Francis Tang
Tokyo so far has failed on multiple occasions to persuade the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt Japan from new tariffs.

More coverage

Trump says he’ll hit auto imports with 25% tariff in trade fight
Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
Hisashi Hieda, a 41-year veteran of Fuji TV’s board of directors and dubbed the broadcaster’s “emperor,” has stepped down.
BUSINESS / Companies
In the wake of several scandals, Fuji TV ‘emperor’ Hieda steps down
By Yukana Inoue
Hieda, a 41-year veteran of Fuji TV’s board of directors, also plans to step down as chairman of the Fujisankei Communications Group, of which the broadcaster's parent is a part.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba’s remarks on inflation relief measures draw ire as budget deadline looms
By Himari Semans
Confusing messages about an economic package to counter rising prices came as negotiations were heating up on when to hold a vote on the budget.
Kimio Hanawa (left), an honorary professor at Tohoku University and chair of the Meteorological Agency’s climate change advisory panel, expressed concern over rapid warming at a news conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Without new countermeasures, Japan’s temperature could rise 4.5 C by 2100
By Jessica Speed
The warmer surface temperature would lead to 17.5 more extremely hot days per year and 46.2 fewer winter days, according to the Meteorological Agency and other institutions.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pose for photos before their joint news conference at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Brazilian leader's Tokyo visit lifts ties to new heights
By Gabriel Dominguez and Gabriele Ninivaggi
The two leaders have adopted a five-year action plan and a flurry of agreements as the countries mark their 130th anniversary year of diplomatic relations.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pose for photos before their joint news conference at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on Wednesday.

JAPAN

Iwao Hakamata, a wrongfully convicted death-row inmate who was acquitted last year through a retrial, and his sister Hideko after a news conference in Tokyo in November 2019. Hakamata won compensation from Japan this week.
Ex-judge fights Japan's 'unopenable door' retrial system
By Tomohiro Osaki
Hiroaki Murayama wants Japan's outdated retrial system to be fixed so that there will "be no more (Iwao) Hakamatas."
Osamu Murata (left), the acting chairman of nonprofit Ashinaga, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Wednesday. Ashinaga, which provides financial aid to children, conducted a survey among parents and guardians of recipients to determine the challenges they face.
Japan’s single parents struggle to raise children, survey finds
By Jessica Speed
Such households grapple with economic hardship, "time poverty" and social isolation, according to a nonprofit that provides financial aid to children.
More Japanese prefectures to introduce remote work allowance
Ishiba eyes expert panel to reflect on lessons learned from WWII
Over 900 hectares destroyed in Ehime and Okayama wildfires
Opposition urges LDP to reinvestigate ties with Unification Church

BUSINESS

A survey of 12,817 companies by Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute found that only 51% committed to base wage hikes, the think tank announced on Thursday.
Japan’s wage growth isn’t as rosy as Rengo’s data indicate
By Erica Yokoyama
The broader picture for pay trends may not be as rosy as the union group expects, according to one think tank.
Junko Koeda, a new member on the Bank of Japan's policy board, holds her inaugural news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BOJ’s newest board member avoids sending signal on timing of next rate hike
By Toru Fujioka
Junko Koeda's remarks are likely to keep market speculation alive over the odds of a rate change at the next meeting.
China, Japan, South Korea to meet as Trump tariffs take shape
By Soo-hyang Choi and Yoshiaki Nohara
China pauses new deals with Li Ka-Shing family after Panama ports plan
OpenAI close to finalizing $40 billion SoftBank-led funding
By Kate Clark, Katie Roof, Shirin Ghaffary and Gillian Tan
Trump says he may give China reduction in tariffs to get TikTok deal done
By David Shepardson and Dawn Chmielewski

WORLD

A Chinese Navy missile frigate. Beijing has been ramping up efforts to project power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Xi tests U.S. allies in Indo-Pacific as Trump looks elsewhere
From sending warships off Australia’s coast to putting pressure on Thailand over human rights, Beijing is ramping up efforts to project power.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be using U.S. President Donald Trump's desire to present himself as a strong dealmaker against him, some European officials said.
Putin’s tactics are pushing Trump toward tough choice on Ukraine
By Alberto Nardelli, Alex Wickham and Natalia Drozdiak
Moscow seems intent on prolonging discussions and keeping the scope of talks narrow to pressure Washington into giving ground.
U.S. authorities detain Turkish doctoral student at Tufts, revoking F-1 visa
By Nate Raymond
Member of Elon Musk's DOGE team provided tech service to cybercrime ring
By Raphael Satter
South Korea wildfires 'largest on record,' disaster chief says
North Korea sent 3,000 more soldiers to Russia this year, Seoul says

Sports

The Hawks' Ryoya Kurihara fields a ball during spring camp in Miyazaki on March 7.
Incumbent Hawks face fresh challenge from rising Fighters in Pacific League
By Jason Coskrey
Flamboyant manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo and his up-and-coming Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters may finally be ready to pose a challenge for the favored Hawks.
Tsunoda confirmed to replace Lawson at Red Bull from Japanese GP
By Alan Baldwin
LeBron buzzer-beater rescues Lakers to halt losing streak
South Korea sports ministry to inspect pitches after Son criticism
By Shifa Jahan
Women's skating favorites falter as Liu leads at worlds
By Diane Falconer

Opinion

There is concern about a severe decline in democracy in Asia, with many former success stories now backsliding.
An Asian democracy collapse amid the new world order
Joshua Kurlantzick
By the monitoring organization Freedom House's calculations, for 19 years, democracy has eroded around the world.
Hegseth’s Asia tour won’t fix U.S. credibility crisis
By KARISHMA VASWANI
U.S. allies get a Signal chat’s worth of red flags
By Marc Champion
Entrance exam wars: A pressure cooker for South Korean youth
By Waka Ikeda
Japan-Europe: The security alliance the world needs now
By Lionel Laurent and Gearoid Reidy

ENVIRONMENT

Ice is seen on the Pastoruri glacier in the Peruvian Andes, Peru, in May 2024.
World's glaciers are losing record ice as global temperatures climb, U.N. says
By Alexander Villegas
Glaciers are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record.
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
In the remote Amazon, midwives care for women stranded by drought
By Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni
Extreme weather in 2024 forced most people to flee in 16 years
By Aaron Clark

CULTURE

AMKK’s latest exhibition, “X-Ray Flowers,” is the culmination of seven years of work aided by CT technologists, who help with the highly specialized imaging techniques.
Avant-garde botanists AMKK illuminate the inner worlds of flowers
By Kim Kahan
The punk florists' latest exhibition immerses visitors in darkness, bathed only in the glow of X-rays and CT scans of plants and flowers.
Rise and shine with ‘The Wakey Show’
By Patrick St. Michel
‘Ravens’: Tadanobu Asano plays troubled photographer with scapegrace charm
By Mark Schilling
‘Boy’: An ambitious portrait of alienated youth
By James Hadfield
'One Hundred Flowers': A moving exploration of loss, love and living with dementia
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

At No. 4, three-Michelin-starred Sezanne took home the title of best restaurant in Japan in this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants rankings.
11 in Japan win Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant honors, but Gaggan is tops
By Robbie Swinnerton
The modern French cuisine of Sezanne was good enough for best in Japan and No. 4 in all of Asia.
The art of taking a pause: Discover the 1,000-year-old meditation technique of zazen in Tokyo's temples
By Laura Pollacco
World’s first public bonsai museum reopens after renovations
By Erik Augustin Palm
Now is the time to discover this Japanese mountain vegetable
By Elizabeth Andoh
At Osaka's Haraiso Sparkle, curry with a side of city pop
By Eric Millman

COMMUNITY

Megumi Koiwai (left) found refuge in writing and storytelling that allowed her to reconcile with her heritage and upbringing.
A community of stories: Making space for reflection and dialogue in Tokyo and beyond
By Megumi Koiwai
Through conversations with an international writing workshop, a writer of mixed heritage finds steadier footing and a sense of self.
Edanoshin Katsura: ‘Rakugo and techno are both about rhythm and groove’
By Wakaba Oto
A shy cat looking for a new start
From abandoned houses to ‘creative communities’: An Ishinomaki entrepreneur's vision for rural Japan
By Florentyna Leow
A shy Shiba mix is ready to bloom

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Hanami season to have record ¥1.39 trillion economic impact on Japan
By Yukana Inoue
Cherry blossoms along a road in Tokyo on Tuesday. The 2025 cherry blossom season is expected to have an economic impact of around ¥1.39 trillion on Japan.
BASEBALL
Tokyo Series proves to be big business for MLB — and Japanese companies
By Sam Byford
An advertisement featuring Shohei Ohtani in Tokyo.
JAPAN
New SDF command will be key for contingency planning, Australian commander says
By Gabriel Dominguez
A Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K "Super Auk" from JS Shiranui prepares to land on HMAS Brisbane during Exercise Malabar 2023 while off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
BUSINESS
Japanese wages likely to rise more than 5% again this year
By Kazuaki Nagata
Wages are set for another big increase this year as annual negotiations secure generous agreements.

Podcast

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

Longform

The sun shines from behind a waving Philippine flag at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Eighty years after the Battle of Manila, old foes forge new ties
By Anton L. Delgado

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WHAT’S TRENDING

SUMO
Ozeki Onosato on doorstep of yokozuna promotion after latest title
By John Gunning
Onosato celebrates after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka on Sunday.
JAPAN
Tokyo court strips Unification Church of religious corporation status
By Karin Kaneko
Nobuya Fukumoto (far left), a lawyer for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, is surrounded by the media at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday after it ordered the group to be stripped of its religious corporation status.
JAPAN
Japan takes in Palestinian woman injured in Gaza war for treatment
By Francis Tang and Himari Semans
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Wednesday that the government will continue to provide assistance in addressing humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip.
JAPAN
Japan's first foreign swordsmith opens workshop in Hiroshima Prefecture
Johan Leutwiler checks a sword he made at his workshop studio in the Kui district of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Japan bond rout signals era of ultralow rates might really be over  
By Kazuaki Nagata
Yields on Japan's 10-year government bonds have risen at a fast pace since the Bank of Japan ended its negative-rate policy last year and started to tighten.