Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 29℃
TOKYO
July 08, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 08, 2026
World Cup
China
Falling yen
Latest News
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Security forces stand guard in front of a portrait of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as mourners gather for a funeral procession in Najaf on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Trump says interim accord to end war is ‘over’ after Iranian strikes
The U.S. president’s remarks came after the two sides traded strikes again, marking the most serious threat to their interim peace deal.
Security forces stand guard in front of a portrait of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as mourners gather for a funeral procession in Najaf on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura meet in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
LDP and JIP agree to delay bill to reduce Lower House seats
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and JIP chief Hirofumi Yoshimura decided to postpone debate on the bill to a later session of parliament.
Hikers wait for a bus at a train station in Okutama on the outskirts of Tokyo on June 14 as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.
JAPAN / Society
Tokyo considers lifting ban on bear hunting for the first time in nearly 20 years
By Yukana Inoue
With the move to permit culling in the capital, authorities are hoping to put pressure on the wild animal and avert human-bear conflicts.
The Philippines is looking to receive five Abukuma-class vessels from Japan in the next two to three years as part of broader efforts by Tokyo to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
JAPAN
Japan set to deliver five retired MSDF warships to Philippines in ‘two to three years’
By Jesse Johnson
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. says administrative details are being finalized, but it’s “already a done deal.”
Gaming enthusiasts check out the Sony PlayStation booth during the Tokyo Game Show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture in September.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sony hits eject on the era of owning games
Gearoid Reidy
Fans are losing one of their last bits of leverage over an industry that is going places many don’t like and there are clear downsides from Sony’s move.
Gaming enthusiasts check out the Sony PlayStation booth during the Tokyo Game Show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture in September.

JAPAN

The victim reportedly told police she couldn't run away immediately because she was afraid of her roommate, according to a news report.
Woman arrested over allegedly sewing roommate’s lips together
Police said the incident came to light after the victim fled to a nearby store, showing a piece of paper with a message on it seeking help.
The rate of elementary and junior high school students requiring financial aid for school expenses among all students attending public schools was 13.36% in fiscal 2024.
Number of students receiving financial aid for school falls for 13th year
By Jessica Speed
Japan’s central government offers financial aid for school expenses to those living on welfare, while boards of education can offer assistance based on their own criteria.
Japan mobile carriers to delay rollout of 060 prefix
Record 127 nations and regions to attend Hiroshima ceremony
Abe remembered four years after fatal shooting
Japan enacts bill to boost settlement on six more border islands

BUSINESS

Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
By Taro Fuse and Taiga Uranaka
Zentoshin, an Osaka-based credit card payment processor, filed for bankruptcy on Monday.
The parliament building in Tokyo. Close attention to policy wording shows how sensitive the issue of possible government influence on Japan's central bank has become.
Government tweaks phrasing on BOJ in draft policy plan
By Toru Fujioka and Takashi Umekawa
The draft of Japan’s economic and fiscal agenda adds a reference to inflation, calling for appropriate monetary policy that contributes to stable price increases.
ANA opens Hokkaido facility to ensure continuity in event of disaster
KKR-Backed SmartHR is said to delay Tokyo IPO beyond this year
By Yasutaka Tamura and Julia Fioretti
Japan’s bank lending rises fastest since COVID-19, backing BOJ’s path
By Toru Fujioka
Private equity plays heat detective as climate analytics boom
By Ishika Mookerjee

WORLD

Security forces escort migrants after their arrival at Freetown International Airport, in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on May 20.
How U.S. is using cash and threats to dump migrants in Africa
Lawyers say deportees have been thrown into a “legal black hole,“ held without charges in countries where they have no ties and few if any rights.
Britain's Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage leaves the party headquarters in Millbank after announcing he has resigned as an MP, triggering a by-election in his parliamentary seat where he intends to stand for reelection, in London on Tuesday.
Farage wagers he can outrun his troubles with election ploy
By Joe Mayes
By quitting amid a probe into finances he received in the run-up to the 2024 election, the Reform leader is choosing to fight a by-election on his own terms.
NATO seeks to placate Trump with defense deals and spending announcements
By Andrea Palasciano
In Venezuela’s quake ruins, a baby is born
By Paula Ramon
Netherlands looks to move past Nexperia dispute with China, Dutch minister says
By Laurie Chen
Russia launches third air attack on Kyiv in a week, officials say

Sports

Nicholas Tarasenko trains at Minato stable in August 2024.
Wakatakakage injury casts pall over July meet, but potential new stars loom
By John Gunning
The Nagoya tournament still offers plenty of intrigue, from a disrupted title race to the debut of highly touted English prospect Nicholas Tarasenko.
Shohei Ohtani hits 300th MLB career home run
Cavs agree on Mitchell deal as LeBron watches
Messi inspires Argentina great escape over Egypt; Swiss also advance
By Rob Woollard
Muchova downs Osaka to set up Gauff semi
By Clare Lovell

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on July 2. AFP-JIJI
Time for middle powers to sustain ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’
Gurjit Singh
The Japan-India summit’s ambitious agenda demonstrated a willingness to move beyond declarations toward practical cooperation on economic security.
Beware of government by AI
By Gabriela Ramos and Emilija Stojmenova Duh
America’s battlefield dominance is under serious threat
By Max Hastings
In a moment of transition, Southeast Asia steps up
By Brad Glosserman
Remembering Shinzo Abe, an honored friend of Serbia
By Aleksandar Vucic

ENVIRONMENT

Firefighters work to contain a fire at a warehouse facility during a wildfire near Oraiokastro, a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Saturday.
Faster, fiercer wildfires are testing evacuation plans
By Todd Woody
Firestorms now ignite without warning as temperatures soar, increasingly spreading at lightning speed into cities that border wildlands.
Europe’s third major heat wave raises grid and water risks
By Joe Wertz
Infernos devastate forests as Europe’s temperatures rise again
Japan deploys bear cameras in mountains as attacks surge
Net-zero champion Europe snared by climate change on its doorstep

CULTURE

Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
By Gabriella Geisinger
Director Shinzo Katayama and actor Shun Oguri discuss the cross-cultural collaboration behind Netflix’s “Human Vapor.”
Japanese dancers win ballet prizes in Moscow
Sachiko Kazama’s art bites back at a cruel society
By Jennifer Pastore
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex’s culture cred
By James Hadfield
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married, as pair hosts New York celebration

LIFE

Stephen Lancaster says Sezanne's loss of its Michelin stars is an opportunity to move one of Tokyo's newest fine dining institutions in a new direction.
Stripped of Michelin stars, Sezanne embraces a changing of the guard
By Phoebe Amoroso
Once awarded three stars, the restaurant now holds none. But new executive chef Steven Lancaster sees the sudden change as a golden opportunity.
La & Le brings a slice of Paris cafe culture to Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
Japan’s first standalone ramen shop reopens in Asakusa
By Weiwen Lin
Fender opens a second, more unplugged Shimokitazawa cafe
By Aden Max Juarez
Sony to end video game disc production in January 2028
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Young people in India's northeast are increasingly studying Japanese in hopes of building new lives and careers in Japan.
Japan needs caregivers. Young Indians are answering the call.
By Megha Wadhwa
From classrooms in India’s northeast to nursing homes in Japan, an emerging labor corridor hopes to improve lives in both countries.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
By Mai Yoshikawa
Two furry siblings seek their forever home
How a U.S. author found — and helped build — community in a Japanese hot spring town
By Michele Laudig
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
By Mai Yoshikawa

Editors' Picks

BUSINESS
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
By Yukana Inoue
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.
COMMUNITY
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
Takashi Nishihara, the director of "Now and Then," in Tokyo on Wednesday. The director has spent 10 years traversing politically charged terrain while exploring youth-driven grassroots political movements that scrutinize the status quo.
LIFE
Japanese nail salons are tourists’ new obsession
By Gabrielle Doman
Tourists in Japan have always been interested in quintessentially Japanese approaches to modern culture, and, increasingly, visits to nail salons have become the new hot thing.
ENVIRONMENT
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
By Robert Bociaga
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.
JAPAN
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
By Jesse Johnson
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Ex.Portal By Synergy Media Specialists

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

New Logistics Consortium baton to accelerate trucking efficiency
New Logistics Consortium baton to accelerate trucking efficiency

COMFACTS

Space Seed Holdings and Three Partners File Core Patents for “SpaceAgent”
Space Seed Holdings and Three Partners File Core Patents for “SpaceAgent”
SPACE SEED HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMUNITY
Japan needs caregivers. Young Indians are answering the call.
By Megha Wadhwa
Young people in India&#039;s northeast are increasingly studying Japanese in hopes of building new lives and careers in Japan.
ASIA PACIFIC
Prior to launch, Japan ‘strongly urged’ China to reconsider missile test in Pacific
By Jesse Johnson
A missile is fired from a Chinese Navy nuclear-powered submarine on Monday.
JAPAN
Suspected Asian fraud ring exec served fresh warrant in Japan
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Osaka Prefectural Police have issued arrest warrants for three people, including a suspected fraud network leader, over alleged immigration and residency violations.
BUSINESS
Japan might be giving the currency market the silent treatment
By Kazuaki Nagata
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has issued verbal warnings recently using the same language and the same tone, saying authorities “will take appropriate action at any time, as necessary.”
JAPAN
Japanese teen arrested for booting users off streaming service
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 15-year-old boy for allegedly creating a malicious program and canceling subscription accounts on the Bandai Channel.