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June 24, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
June 24, 2026
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Takaichi and JIP agree to pass bill on backup capital this parliamentary session
By Eric Johnston
The Japan Innovation Party has long sought a backup capital plan, agreeing to join the ruling coalition last year in exchange for passing legislation on it.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Monday.
People drive past an anti-U.S. billboard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran on May 17.
WORLD / Politics
Trump, Iran at odds over nuclear inspections and frozen assets in deal to end war
By Jarrett Renshaw and Tala Ramadan
The two countries also offered conflicting accounts about ?financial incentives, the Strait of Hormuz and Israel¡¯s parallel war in Lebanon.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.
JAPAN
China accuses Japan of ¡®harassment¡¯ during far-seas aircraft carrier training
By Jesse Johnson
Beijing said the Japanese side had conducted ¡°dangerous¡± close-in reconnaissance of the Chinese Navy¡¯s Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla.
Japan's Supreme Court has upheld lower court rulings ordering the dissolution of the controversial religious group known as the Unification Church.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japan top court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church
This is the first time the top court has finalized a dissolution order for a religious corporation over unlawful acts under the Civil Code.
Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's poorly received U.S. trip underscored Washington's deep concerns about her China-friendly positions, use of CCP talking points and associations with individuals linked to Beijing's influence networks.
COMMENTARY / World
Taiwan KMT opposition leader falls short on U.S. trip
Matthew Fulco
Cheng¡¯s adoption of Chinese Communist Party talking points ¡ª which goes further than any of her predecessors ¡ª has stoked deep concern in Washington.
Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's poorly received U.S. trip underscored Washington's deep concerns about her China-friendly positions, use of CCP talking points and associations with individuals linked to Beijing's influence networks.

JAPAN

An apartment complex in Kobe where a man¡¯s severed body was found in a freezer on Saturday
Ex-wife arrested after bisected body found in freezer at Kobe apartment
The suspect has admitted to abandoning the body and also suggested that she killed her former husband, according to investigative sources.
Police said a body found in a freezer in a Kobe apartment was identified as Yutaka Nishiguchi, who lived in the apartment.
Bisected body of man who died in 2011 found in Kobe apartment freezer
An autopsy revealed that the person, who lived in the apartment where his severed body was found, died around December 2011.
Two Japanese held in China for allegedly smuggling export-restricted goods
By Kenji Yoshida
Constitutional debates intensify in Japan¡¯s parliament as lawmakers discuss emergency clause
Japan, IAEA team up to promote small modular reactors
Venue of Japan-India summit may be changed to New Delhi

BUSINESS

Workers at Elon Musk's xAI facility, which houses a large supercomputer known as Colossus, used for Artificial Intelligence (AI) data processing, in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sept. 11, 2025
China beats U.S. with world¡¯s fastest supercomputer, but race not geared for AI work
By Stephen Nellis
The Chinese victory on ?the ?list more likely shows that China wanted recognition for its chip design efforts.
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son dismissed the idea of space-based data centers, arguing that the AI race will be won by computing power on Earth.
Masayoshi Son dismisses Musk¡¯s idea for orbital data centers
By Min Jeong Lee
The main advantage of building data centers in space would be to slash electricity costs, but such expenses comprise a small fraction of total costs.
Renault reminds Nissan of its clout with ouster of ex-banker
By Nicholas Takahashi
Race for robotaxi market arrives in London
By Clement Zampa
BOJ summary affirms rate hike stance as inflation risks mount
By Toru Fujioka
AI boom sees investors shift from Japan¡¯s value to growth stocks
By Kentaro Tsutsumi

WORLD

The British government has pledged that by 2030, 80% of new cars sold will be purely electric vehicles. But according to a group of independent experts advising the government, "credible plans" are missing for more than half of the remaining cuts pledged by the end of this decade.
U.K. must hasten shift from fossil fuels to hit climate goals, expert panel says
With ¡°credible plans¡± missing for over half the remaining cuts pledged, the Climate Change Committee¡¯s report will be seen as a cautionary message to Downing Street.
People drive past an anti-U.S. billboard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran on May 17.
Trump, Iran at odds over nuclear inspections and frozen assets in deal to end war
By Jarrett Renshaw and Tala Ramadan
The two countries also offered conflicting accounts about ?financial incentives, the Strait of Hormuz and Israel¡¯s parallel war in Lebanon.
Russia¡¯s gasoline crunch spreads after refinery attacks
Few in U.S. say Iran war was worth it, poll finds
By Jason Lange
Russia¡¯s Wiki warfare tries to distort reality, documents show
By Stephanie Baker
What is driving Europe¡¯s heat wave?
By Nick Perry

Sports

Argentina forward Lionel Messi runs with the ball during the 2026 World Cup match against Austria at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday.
Stars sparkle early as Messi and Mbappe light up World Cup
By Trevor Stynes
Lionel Messi has risen to the challenge in style to become the all-time World Cup record scorer, two games into the tournament.
Fans in China put politics aside to cheer Japan at World Cup
By Rebecca Bailey and Tommy Wang
Wizards pick AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall in NBA draft
Wolves deal Julius Randle to Nets in three-team trade
Heat reportedly land Giannis Antetokounmpo in mega-trade with Bucks

Opinion

A Spirit AI Moz1 humanoid robot is demonstrated at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum, a technology and innovation conference, in Beijing on March 25.
China shock 2.0 is a real economic earthquake
Brad Glosserman
Without a holistic response, China¡¯s tsunami of exports will continue.
The U.S. ¡®assimilate or go home¡¯ crowd could use a history lesson
By Justin Fox
In selling arms, China is still no superpower
By Juliana Liu
Is Cool Japan really the secret to soft-power success?
By Waka Ikeda
Trump¡¯s Iran deal comes with great risk ¡ª for JD Vance
By Nia-Malika Henderson

ENVIRONMENT

The coastline of Funafuti Atoll in Tuvalu. Gravely threatened by rising seas, the low-lying island nation relies on a $200 million trust fund to help foot the ballooning costs of climate change.
Australia withholds climate fund reports over risk of diplomatic ¡®damage¡¯
By Steven TRASK
Australia is the largest contributor to the Tuvalu Trust Fund, which has been invested on Tuvalu¡¯s behalf in funds exposed to coal mining, gas exploration and a crude oil refinery.
Iceland kills first whales since 2023, resuming commercial hunt
Two children die in France as heat wave blasts Europe
Schools closed, trains canceled as Europe heat wave set to intensify
Europe swelters under heat wave; France restricts alcohol consumption
By Giselda Vagnoni

CULTURE

¡°Whispering Rooms¡± is a novel based on the real experiences of tidying guru Marie Kondo, co-written with filmmaker and author Genki Kawamura.
Tidying guru Marie Kondo and ¡®Exit 8¡¯ director team up for a cozy fiction book
By Eric Margolis
An unlikely collaboration between tidying guru Marie Kondo and filmmaker and author Genki Kawamura plays with the tropes of the popular cozy fiction genre.
¡®Tagusari Bros.¡¯ searches for the meaning of justice
By Gabriella Geisinger
Ryusuke Hamaguchi wants to make the impossible possible
By Sebastien Raineri
¡®The Samurai and the Prisoner¡¯: A cerebral whodunnit in feudal Japan
By James Hadfield
¡®You Are the Film¡¯ offers a multiverse on a microbudget
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
By Louise George Kittaka
Fukui Prefecture routinely ranks among Japan¡¯s least-visited prefectures, but a crop of young professionals in the tourism industry are pushing a new set of charms.
¡®A little funky¡¯: Japanese ¡®nattš­¡¯ disgusts and delights the world
By Tomohiro Osaki & Sarah Lai
Can a single clay pot really elevate everything you cook?
By Simon Daly
¡®Kaiseki¡¯ fine dining with a side of classical poetry
By Zoria Petkoska
Tokyo¡¯s best Four Seasons may not be its biggest
By Gendel Gento

COMMUNITY

American author Hannah Kirshner recently opened Mokkei as a hub for local knowledge-sharing and a retreat for tourists. Kirshner had spotted the century-old farmhouse years ago and dreamed of making it a ¡°lifelong art project.¡±
How a U.S. author found ¡ª and helped build ¡ª community in a Japanese hot spring town
By Michele Laudig
With a new home base, Hannah Kirshner hopes to build even deeper community and cultural connections in rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
Sprightly and sweet, Kuroame is quick to make new friends
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
By Mai Yoshikawa
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
By Elizabeth Beattie
Amaguri is an aptly named sweetheart

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Stepping up, not aside: Japan¡¯s retirement-age tour guides
By Mai Yoshikawa
Yoichi Miura (third from left) now divides his time between his import business and guiding international visitors across Japan.
JAPAN
Japan-South Korea detente persists ¡ª but breakthrough remains elusive
By Kenji Yoshida
While Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have kept relations from sliding backward, experts say they have struggled to turn stability into concrete steps forward.
ENVIRONMENT
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
By Tomoko Otake
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
JAPAN
Distracted walkers in Japan are a real safety risk. My mother knows firsthand.
By Alex K.T. Martin
In Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, <i>aruki-sumaho</i> ¡ª walking while using a smartphone ¡ª has become a persistent safety concern as commuters navigate crowded stations and sidewalks while focused on their devices.
JAPAN
Can automation offset Japan¡¯s military workforce shortage?
By Gabriel Dominguez
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

JT Directory Service

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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

JAPAN
Japanese companies get serious about workplace DEI
People working in human resources departments participate in a workshop in Tokyo in January. The participants played a card game in which they took on roles of people with various disabilities.
JAPAN
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
By Yukana Inoue
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
JAPAN
Study finds large gap in daily steps people in Japan take, depending on area
Employed people walk more than those without jobs, a study from the University of Tokyo found, suggesting factors beyond the environment also shape how much people walk.
JAPAN
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
JAPAN
China accuses Japan of ¡®harassment¡¯ during far-seas aircraft carrier training
By Jesse Johnson
China&#039;s Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.