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TOKYO
August 02, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 02, 2026
Kumamoto earthquake
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Takaichi
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces a plan to lower the consumption tax rate on food items at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on July 30.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan¡¯s touchy consumption tax faces first-ever cut
Takaichi has championed a proposal to lower the tax rate on food purchased at stores, which would mark the first cut to the rate since it was implemented in 1989.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces a plan to lower the consumption tax rate on food items at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on July 30.
A notepad in front of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent reads "To Do Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil" as he participates in a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Japan to announce Tokyo and Washington took joint action on yen
By Tamiyuki Kihara, Makiko Yamazaki and Leika Kihara
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama is expected to stress the two ?countries¡¯ determination to ?combat what they consider excessive yen declines.
Kobe Kita Police Station honors local heroes Yuito Kuroishi (left), Ruito Nagai (center) and Sakutaro Akutagawa during an award ceremony on July 24.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
¡®Hey Siri, call 119¡¯: How three kids proved a smartphone can be a lifeline
By Mai Yoshikawa
The way fifth-graders responded to a recent medical emergency in Kobe prompts questions over whether smartphones are a dangerous distraction or an essential safety tool.
Municipal officials and volunteers deliver relief goods to an evacuation center set up at an elementary school in the city of Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Survivors battle heat over first weekend since Kumamoto quake
By JIJI, Staff report
A woman in her 70s died of suspected heatstroke while sheltering in her car, in what is believed to be a ¡°disaster-related death¡± of the disaster.
Volunteer Vicky Parthasarathy (right) believes that people from various cultures can understand each other better through food.
COMMUNITY
This children¡¯s cafeteria in Shikoku serves up free meals and global perspectives
By Jacob Meyer
As immigration becomes an increasingly contentious issue in Japan, a children¡¯s cafeteria in Shikoku is bridging cultural gaps, one hot meal at a time.
Volunteer Vicky Parthasarathy (right) believes that people from various cultures can understand each other better through food.

JAPAN

People line up in front of a Tokyo shop promoting specialty products of Kumamoto Prefecture, which was hit by a major earthquake last Tuesday.
Long lines at Tokyo shop selling Kumamoto goods after quake
Customers at the shop say they want to support people in areas devastated by the 7.1 magnitude quake by purchasing specialty goods and making donations.
Princess Aiko observes a traditional rite for the reconstruction of the Grand Shrines of Ise in Mie Prefecture on Saturday
Princess Aiko observes traditional rites at Mie¡¯s Grand Shrines of Ise
Princess Aiko visited a facility where specially designated timber for the next reconstruction, set for 2033, is processed.
1 in 4 people in Japan believes AI could replace friends and family: poll
Japan aims to rebuild two to five nuclear reactors by 2040s
Two taken to hospital after apartment blast in Chiba
Dogs allowed: Animal hospital opens doors to Japan quake survivors and pets

BUSINESS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra?Modi greets Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi on July 2.
Japan eyes diplomatic support for firms¡¯ entry into India
India has ranked first for the fourth straight year as the most promising overseas market in a survey released in 2025 by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
In mid-July, two OpenAI models undergoing testing left their confined environment ¡ª a scenario the developers had not anticipated ¡ª and ventured onto the internet, where they attacked Hugging Face, an AI model-hosting platform.
When rogue AI launches a cyberattack, who is legally responsible?
By Thomas URBAIN
Under U.S. civil and criminal law, unauthorized access to a computer system is an offense.
Extra budget may be compiled for Kumamoto quake
DeepSeek is developing massive AI data center in inner Mongolia
OpenAI finds evidence other AI agents escaped containment as it widens hacking probe
Bessent¡¯s ¡®to do¡¯ list: buy $5-10 billion worth of Japanese yen, photo shows

WORLD

People play in a fountain to cool off in Yangsan, South Korea, on Friday. On Sunday, South Korea registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago, according to the state weather agency.
South Korea records its highest-ever temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius
The southeastern city of Yangsan saw the temperature reach 42.5 C at 1:26 pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration said on its website.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth salute during a transfer for soldiers killed amid the conflict with Iran at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, on July 22.
Trump says he will hold off on fresh Iran attack in hope of quick deal
U.S. President Donald Trump said the cancellation of attacks on Iran was contingent on a peace deal being quickly reached.
Tourists chase high-octane thrill in China¡¯s trendy biker capital
Baltic startups take aim at deterring Russia on NATO¡¯s eastern flank
Spain installs floating barrier in Ceuta after deadly migrant rush
Chinese military researchers tap U.S. AI models to train defense systems
By Eduardo Baptista

Sports

Tarik Skubal pitches for the Tigers during a game against the Angels in Anaheim, California, on July 18.
Dodgers land two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in trade with Tigers
The Dodgers¡¯ need for pitching depth ramped up in the last few weeks with two-way star Shohei Ohtani sidelined from pitching due to knee inflammation and bicep soreness.
By picking 76ers, LeBron James seeks chance to bolster case to be NBA¡¯s GOAT
By ian o¡¯connor
Versatile Taysom Hill could reunite with former coach Sean Payton with Broncos
Gianni Infantino¡¯s future at FIFA in doubt after private investment plan backfires
Tanikawa¡¯s homecoming highlights her rapid rise with Bayern
By Sam Byford

Opinion

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a budget committee session in the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Monday.
Japan¡¯s ¡®Iron Lady¡¯ may need to bend, not break
Gearoid Reidy
Most Japanese prime ministers go through this pattern of early inflated expectations, followed by a crash as fatigue sets in, along with the realities of passing legislation.
Behind the White House¡¯s closed-door diplomacy
By Kuni Miyake
North Korea proves Europe and Indo-Pacific are connected
By Jonathan Berkshire Miller
Kumamoto quake reminds us ¡ª again ¡ª of the ties that bind
Japan¡¯s overlooked language crisis
By Midori Inagaki

ENVIRONMENT

A firefighting helicopter flies past smoke from a wildfire in the area of Porto Germeno, some 70 kilometers northwest of Athens, on Saturday.
Wildfires spread across Greece as conditions worsen in France and Spain
Europe has been ravaged by wildfires this summer after a period of record-breaking heat and little rain, in conditions that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change.
Fires on more than 100,000 hectares of Washington state prompt evacuations
France and Spain race to curb wildfires before new heat wave arrives
By Janis Laizans and Emma Pinedo
The tiny Okayama village providing Japan with a blueprint for forest management
By Kimberly Hughes
¡®Difficult night¡¯ as France and Spain fires intensify again

CULTURE

Etc.books was named for those who appear as ¡°etc.¡± or footnotes in society.
Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism
By Kim Kahan
Etc.books helped redefine feminist publishing in Japan. Now its greatest challenge is staying open.
¡®Death Note¡¯ musical eyes a London breakthrough
By Alicia Haddick
¡®The Secret Battlefield¡¯: An inside view of the machinery of war
By James Hadfield
¡®Chiikawa¡¯ was always darker than it looked
By Patrick St. Michel
¡®The Invisible Half¡¯: Stylish J-horror anchored in a standout performance
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

Chef Kenji Kawamura honed his craft in Italy for six years before returning to his hometown in Ibaraki Prefecture to open Nonna Nietta.
At Nonna Nietta, Italian magic in suburban Tsukuba
By Robbie Swinnerton
Chef Kenji Kawamura spent six formative years training as a chef in Italy. That dedication shows in the deep, authentic flavors up and down the menu at his Ibaraki restaurant.
A sushi rice pocket by any other name
By Simon Daly
Beast of Reincarnation shows Game Freak has more to learn
By Owen Ziegler
Luxury is pastoral at Iwate¡¯s Azuma Farm Koiwai
By Gendel Gento
Japan shut out of Asia¡¯s 50 Best Bars top 10 for first time
By Weiwen Lin

COMMUNITY

Myanmar national Nyan Linn, who works at a Lawson outlet in Tokyo¡¯s Shinagawa Ward, is one of over 110,000 foreign workers employed by Japan's three largest convenience store chains.
How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan¡¯s ubiquitous konbini
By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
Despite the fact that most are relatively new to Japan, konbini officials say foreign staff display impressive language and customer service skills.
Shigure may look a bit unusual, but he¡¯s a very special cat
This Shiba is a great dog for the right person
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
By Mai Yoshikawa
A friendly ¡®peaches-and-cream¡¯ fellow

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Keigo Higashino¡¯s ¡®global afterlife¡¯
By Mike Fu
Keigo Higashino's meticulously constructed mysteries and memorable characters earned him readers across languages and cultures.
CULTURE
Suzu Hirose is ready to ¡®step into the unknown¡¯
By Blake Simons
Suzu Hirose received the Cut Above Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film from New York¡¯s Japan Society this month.
LIFE
J-pop idols are behind much of Japan¡¯s Gen Z slang
By Shaun McKenna
Social media, streaming platforms and online communities have become major drivers of how Japanese slang spreads among young people.
JAPAN
With secondary-capital bill passed, competition between cities heats up
By Eric Johnston
A view of downtown Sapporo. Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki is pushing Sapporo as a candidate for a second capital outside Tokyo.
JAPAN
Tough new permanent residency measures trigger concern in Japan
By Jessica Speed
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Shinagawa Ward in March. Japan's revised guidelines for permanent residency are set to be introduced as early as Oct. 1 and applied to applications filed from April 2027.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japanese population falls below 120 million for first time in decades
As of Jan. 1, the population of Japanese residents in Japan stood at 119.74 million, down 0.76% from the previous year.
BUSINESS
Bessent and the Fed help Japan reverse months of yen losses
The U.S. Treasury intervened to support the yen through outright purchases, joining ?Japan in its efforts ?to boost ?the currency from near 40-year ?lows.
COMMENTARY
Japan¡¯s overlooked language crisis
By Midori Inagaki
Students in Tokyo participate in a Work In Japan job fair. The country needs to support both academic Japanese studies and children¡¯s family languages to promote educational success.
CULTURE
¡®Chiikawa¡¯ was always darker than it looked
By Patrick St. Michel
¡°Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Mermaid Island¡± is shaping up to be one of the summer¡¯s biggest hits while surprising some viewers with its dark thematic undercurrents.
JAPAN
Japan unveils new immigration plan focused on tighter regulations
By Jessica Speed
Japan's new basic plan for immigration control and residency management calls for greater use of digital technology and data analysis in immigration screening.