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If Joe Biden doesn’t let another, better suited candidate run against Donald Trump, he will undo decades of public service.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 3, 2024

Will Joe Biden go and spoil it all?

Like former presidential candidate Ralph Nader before him, Biden shouldn't stand in the way of the Democrats winning the election and should let another candidate run.
The China World Office 2 building, which houses the headquarters of China International Capital Corp. (CICC), in Beijing May 6. One official gauge of foreign direct investment clocked its lowest monthly reading since mid-2018 in May, as investors show caution amid Chinese President Xi Jinping’s conflicting campaigns to bolster national security against foreign threats and further open up the economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2024

Xi’s China proves a hard sell at officials’ overseas roadshows

Their pitch to foreign investors is being met with doubt, partly due to the policies of their big boss.
Fishermen unload their catches from a fishing boat at a port in Taichung, Taiwan, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 4, 2024

Taiwan says China seizure of trawler may be psychological warfare

China seizing the Taiwanese trawler came at a time of growing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Restaurant chains such as Yoshinoya rely on U.S. beef imports. The price surge has led to Yoshinoya's parent company looking into developing new dishes using ingredients other than beef.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2024

Soaring prices make U.S. beef procurement hard in Japan

The yen's recent sharp depreciation compounds the problems of reduced supply and strong demand for American beef in other countries.
The survey found that most groping cases occurred on trains and that 80.4% of victims did not alert the police or train station staff after being groped, out of fears of causing a commotion.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 4, 2024

One in 10 young people in Japan a victim of molestation, survey finds

According to the findings, 10.5% of respondents said that they had experienced being molested, with women accounting for 88.0% of them.
You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 4, 2024

Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Summer music festivals are back, but for how long? Climate change is putting the heat on our favorite outdoor entertainment.
Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko speaks during an interview in Kyiv on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2024

Ukraine eyes investment deal with Japan by year-end

A new bilateral tax treaty is expected to enter into force in January next year, according to the Ukrainian government.
Fish swim near recovering coral reefs after bleaching in late December 2023 due to extreme weather, in Bondalem village, Buleleng regency, Bali, Indonesia, on June 20.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 5, 2024

Coral bleachings devastate Bali reefs as sea temperatures rise

Indonesia, which had its most severe dry season last year since 2019, has roughly 5.1 million hectares of coral reefs and accounts for 18% of the world's total.
The number of bankruptcies in Japan between January and June hit the highest level in a decade, up 22% from the same period last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 5, 2024

Japan's first-half bankruptcies reach highest mark in a decade, report shows

There were 4,887 bankruptcies between January and June, up 22% from the same period a year ago.
Labour leader Keir Starmer reacts as he speaks at a reception to celebrate his win in the election, at Tate Modern in London on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 5, 2024

Keir Starmer set to be U.K. PM as Labour trounces Tories in election

Analysts largely expect continuity in Downing Street's foreign policy with the Indo-Pacific despite there being no mention of the region in Labour's election manifesto.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is struggling to stay in office amid low public approval ratings and discontent from within his party. However, it is extremely rare for a sitting LDP president running for reelection to be dethroned.
EDITORIALS
Jul 5, 2024

Kishida fights for his political life

Despite low public approval ratings and discontent in the LDP, all is not lost for Prime Minister Kishida if the summer is kind to him and he plays his cards right.
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses the nation on Friday in London.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Jul 5, 2024

U.K.’s election is a rare win against anti-climate campaigns

Keir Starmer’s Labour has a manifesto that puts climate and clean energy front and center, unlike some parties in Europe and the U.S.
Bain Capital partner Masashi Suekane during an interview last month
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 5, 2024

Bain Capital to invest ¥5 trillion in Japan over five years

Bain Capital plans to increase its workforce in Japan and has established a team to help firms make effective use of their real estate with low profitability.
U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One prior to departure from Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, o Friday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 6, 2024

Biden allies abroad think it’s untenable for him to stay on

Some officials are now saying that Biden should step aside for someone with a better shot at beating rival Donald Trump.
Several support networks have launched to help startup founders in Japan whose native language isn't Japanese.
BUSINESS / Companies / Longform
Jul 8, 2024

As Japan's startup ecosystem grows, so does a supportive community of entrepreneurs

Interest in startups is outpacing ecosystem capabilities, which has led more founders to turn to each other for guidance and support.
Ground Self-Defense Force personnel take part in a joint amphibious landing exercise with Philippine and U.S. troops in San Antonio, in the Philippines' Zambales province, in October 2018.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 8, 2024

Japan and Philippines ink key military pact in defense ties upgrade

The agreement — Tokyo's first with a Southeast Asian nation — will facilitate mutual military visits.
Hiroshi Matano, executive vice president of the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, during an interview in Washington on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2024

World Bank official backs Japan to show regional climate leadership

There is significant room for emissions reductions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Tea garden workers pluck tea leaves inside Durgabari Tea Estate on the outskirts of Agartala, India, in 2017.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 9, 2024

India's tea prices soar as extreme weather slashes output

The price rise could support the beleaguered Indian tea industry, which has been struggling with rising production costs.
Visitors at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 12
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2024

Xi’s efforts to reach to young Americans stumble with scripted moments

Beijing is making its largest outreach yet to U.S. students, but for some, a "curated" atmosphere leaves questions over what's not on show.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force's SH-60K helicopter. On April 20, two such helicopters collided during nighttime training off a remote island near Tokyo, killing all aboard.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2024

Lack of coordination and improper lookout caused MSDF copter crash

Both SH-60K helicopters were aware of the other’s presence but had not performed evasive maneuvers up until the collision, possibly misjudging their distance, panel says.
Yoshiyuki Enomoto, president of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India, speaks during an interview in New Delhi on June 27.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 10, 2024

More Japanese firms urged to expand into India's market

JCCII aims to help more small and midsize Japanese firms enter India
Ground Self-Defense Force members participate in a seminar to prevent harassment at Camp Asaka in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 10, 2024

Spate of scandals threaten to tarnish Defense Ministry and SDF’s reputation

The emergence of multiple scandals is the latest challenge for the Defense Ministry as it seeks to strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities.
Olympic rings are displayed on Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris ahead of the city hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. One way of reducing the carbon emissions of mega sporting events is to limit the attendance of spectators traveling by air.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2024

Only locals should be allowed to attend the Olympics

The single best way of reducing the carbon emissions of an Olympics? Limiting ticket sales to locals. Evidence from the Tokyo Games shows how far-reaching the impact is.
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2024

Tokyo residents seek to block building of massive data center

Residents of Akishima are concerned the center will threaten wildlife and cause pollution among other issues.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike meets with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday following her victory in Sunday's gubernatorial election.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2024

Sense of crisis remains in LDP over next general election

The LDP suffered a major defeat in Sunday’s Tokyo metropolitan assembly by-elections, adding to their string of recent national and local losses.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday before leaving for Washington for NATO meetings.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

Kishida and Yoon vow cooperation over Russia-North Korea ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense pledge with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
Public support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet marked a new low of 15.5% in July, Jiji poll shows.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

Kishida Cabinet's approval rating sinks to 15.5%, poll shows

The results marked a new low for the Liberal Democratic Party since it returned to power in December 2012.
U.S. President Joe Biden attends a NATO event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the alliance in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2024

Why Joe won't go: Behind Biden's rejection of calls to leave the race

The reasons U.S. President Joe Biden won't step down range from the deeply personal to party politics.
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 15, 2024

No AC this summer? No problem (for me).

I do have a unit, and I dutifully clean the filters now and then, but over the past two or three years, I’ve learned to live entirely without it.
Ground Self-Defense Force troops conduct a military drill on the uninhabited island of Irisuna in Okinawa Prefecture in November.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 12, 2024

Japan’s new defense white paper delivers strongest words yet on Taiwan

Tokyo pins the blame squarely on China's large-scale military exercises around the democratically ruled island for continued tensions in the region.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?