EDITORIALS

People protest at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s decision to effectively shut down the United States Agency for International Development.
EDITORIALS
Feb 7, 2025
Shutting USAID deprives the U.S. of a vital foreign policy tool
Trump's decision to suspend USAID is a blow to Japan, which has long valued aid as a stabilizing force.
Donald Trump’s rapid use of tariffs, disregard for conventional diplomacy and fixation on strength risk undermining the global economic order, isolating the U.S. and triggering widespread economic harm.
EDITORIALS
Jan 31, 2025
The Trump test begins: Tariffs, power plays and economic risk
The speed with which the U.S. president reached for this tariff tool — against an ally no less — is proof that his threats are not empty words.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage with Vice President JD Vance after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States during the presidential inauguration in Washington on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 24, 2025
Japan should prioritize free trade as it adapts to Trump’s policies
It is difficult, if not impossible, to know what Trump and his administration will do in specific situations. Words and documents are one thing, actions another.
Komeito Secretary-General Makoto Nishida (left) and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama (center) hold talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 17, 2025
A moment of opportunity for Japan-China relations
While the outcome of the Japan-China meeting is important, it must not compromise Japan's national interests.
The Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is anchored near the city of Granaa in Jutland, Denmark, on Nov. 20. Sweden's foreign minister said last month that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation of the ship linked to recently severed Baltic Sea cables.
EDITORIALS
Jan 10, 2025
Be ready for the new Cold War, under the sea
In the South China Sea, a least one cable fault is reported in the waterway every few weeks; in other parts of the world it’s one incident a year.
People pray on the first day of the new year at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Japan’s economy is set for modest growth in 2025 supported by wage increases and stimulus, but faces risks from political instability and global challenges.
EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2025
Hope for the economy in 2025, but dangers loom
Political uncertainty at home and a tumultuous international environment pose real risks for the nation’s economy.
U.S. Steel workers who support the takeover by Nippon Steel rally outside the company's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in September.
EDITORIALS
Dec 27, 2024
Rejecting the Nippon Steel bid is a slap in the face to Japan
Nippon Steel has not given up and continues to lobby U.S. officials and steelworkers, arguing the deal would grow U.S. Steel, protect jobs, and strengthen the industry.

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