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TOKYO
March 03, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
March 03, 2026
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The price of oil spiked after the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.
BUSINESS / Markets
Stocks trade lower in Tokyo and yen weak after the U.S. and Israel strike Iran
By Francis Tang
Politicians and economists argue that the situation in Japan is manageable unless the conflict becomes prolonged.

More coverage

Police to enhance security at U.S. and Israel-related facilities in Japan
Nintendo shares slide on fears of rising Mideast shipping costs
The price of oil spiked after the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.
Smoke rises after coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Tehran on Sunday, as joint military operations hit targets in the capital.
JAPAN / Politics
Trump¡¯s Iran attacks put Japan in tough spot as it emphasizes rules-based order
By Jesse Johnson and Himari Semans
Japan is seeking to balance its strong support for the rule of law with its need to maintain its robust alliance with the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, on his way back to Washington amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
WORLD
Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack U.S. first
The United States and Israel have launched their most ambitious attacks on Iran in decades, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hitting targets across the country.
Joichi Ito, then director of MIT Media Lab, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in July 2016.
JAPAN
Joichi Ito, linked with Epstein, to leave Japan government panel, Sankei says
The release of millions of new Epstein documents by the U.S. Justice Department revived scrutiny of Ito's ties with the late convicted sex offender.
As Japan accelerates AI adoption, policymakers and corporations frame the technology as essential to offsetting a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Japan is betting big on AI. Few workers have used it.
By Eric Margolis
Surveys show strong public confidence, despite shallow workplace adoption and unresolved cultural concerns.
As Japan accelerates AI adoption, policymakers and corporations frame the technology as essential to offsetting a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040.

JAPAN

Volunteer probation officers are unpaid part-time national public servants who assist in the rehabilitation of offenders and juvenile delinquents.
Man sentenced to life in prison over murder of volunteer probation officer
The case had sparked discussion on how to ensure the safety of such officers, who use their homes to conduct interviews with probationers under their support.
Koichi Tanigawa, head of the Futaba Medical Center, says "there is clearly a shortage of hospitals" in the Futaba region in Fukushima Prefecture.
Medical care key to evacuees' return to Fukushima 15 years on
In Fukushima Prefecture, the number of medical institutions has plunged from 132 to 47 since the disaster.
Major shrine festival back in Fukushima village
Vending machine in Hiroshima offers cans of air from the prefecture
Okinawa students visit Hokkaido to learn about disputed islands
Japan aims to expand use of soil from Fukushima decontamination

BUSINESS

The Toyota group has raised its offer price to privatize Toyota Industries.
Toyota raises buyout bid for unit, ending standoff with Elliott
By Nicholas Takahashi
The carmaker and its affiliates are now willing to pay ?20,600 for each share of Toyota Industries they don¡¯t already own, the group said Monday.
Toyota Motor's new e-Palette electric vehicle, designed for self-driving, is unveiled during an event in Tokyo in January.
Toyota and Docomo among firms tapping self-driving to ease local transport woes
Amid a nationwide shortage of drivers, broad adoption of autonomous driving will rest on establishing strong safety measures and cutting costs.
Short-term Japan bonds hold allure for regional bank managing ?2.6 trillion
By Taiga Uranaka
BOJ deputy chief refrains from signaling rate hike in March
By Toru Fujioka
Japanese firms start job seminars for 2027 graduates
As parliament meets, China is yet to pass last year's economic reform test
By David Kirton, Liangping Gao and Ellen Zhang

WORLD

People mourn the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed amid joint U.S. and Israeli strikes, at a square in Tehran on Sunday.
Khamenei killing shatters Iran's order and triggers high-stakes succession race
By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and Emily Rose
The focus now is on whether the Revolutionary Guard, long seen as the true center of gravity, emerge weakened by battlefield losses and internal frictions ¡ª or more entrenched.
Smoke billows in Dubai after a projectile strike.
With cherished landmarks hit, Iran attacks rattle Dubai
By Talek HARRIS and Aya ISKANDARANI
Residents were aghast as drones and missiles targeted the United Arab Emirates and America¡¯s other Gulf allies, long-time refuges from regional conflict, on Saturday and Sunday.
Three U.S. warplanes mistakenly shot down by Kuwait air defense
Chinese citizen killed in Iran conflict and over 3,000 evacuated, Beijing says
Melania Trump to chair U.N. Security Council as Iran war rages
By Amelie Bottollier-Depois
Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah attacks
By Laila Bassam, Yomna Ehab and Nayera Abdallah

Sports

Shohei Ohtani is back with Samurai Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Ohtani was the MVP of the 2023 tournament.
Shohei Ohtani returns to Japan as the center of attention ahead of WBC
By Jason Coskrey
?Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers¡¯ two-way superstar, arrived last week to join the rest of his Samurai Japan teammates ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Australian Grand Prix chief says Middle East travel issues will not impact race
Iran prepares for Women's Asian Cup as bombs drop on homeland
World Cup nears 100-day countdown amid violence and political upheaval
Ethiopia's Tadese Takele defends Tokyo Marathon title after sprint finish

Opinion

Japan aims to become a wartime-resilient ¡°unmanned systems hub¡± by expanding domestic military-drone production and integrating allied cooperation.
Lessons for Japan from Russia¡¯s war in Ukraine
Yuichi Yoshida
Japan aims to become a wartime-resilient ¡°unmanned systems hub¡± by expanding domestic military-drone production and integrating allied cooperation.
India is getting richer, but its cities are unlivable
By Mihir Sharma
Paddington, pints and the art of modern diplomacy
By Gearoid Reidy
Takaichi, Trump and Japan-North Korea relations
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Trump¡¯s ambitions for Iran: He wants everything.
By Marc Champion

ENVIRONMENT

A shed submerged by floodwaters. Insured losses from natural catastrophes globally reached $107 billion last year, according to reinsurer Swiss Re.
Insurers urge Australia to launch $21 billion flood defense fund
By David Stringer
The funding would be used on tasks including adding more flood-protection infrastructure like dams or levees, and also for a property buyback program.
What Trump¡¯s new tariffs mean for climate tech
By Coco Liu
India celebrates cheetah births to boost reintroduction bid
By Peter Martelli
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals
By Arunabh SAIKIA and Uzmi ATHAR
Indonesia coal plant closure U-turn sows energy transition doubts
By Marchio Gorbiano

CULTURE

Katayama works with analog photography and handicraft practices such as embroidery and needlework, designing and handsewing objects she attaches to her body that she then captures in self-portraits.
Mari Katayama wins inaugural Mori Art Prize
By Jennifer Pastore
The biennial Mori Art Award, among the largest payouts for a single contemporary artist in Japan, was established in 2025.
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
By Laura Pollacco
¡®Kaneko Fumiko¡¯: Firebrand behind bars shows unyielding resolve
By Mark Schilling
¡®#Viral¡¯: A Faustian tale about internet fame and anti-vax anxiety
By James Hadfield
Kishida Prize crowns wordsmiths in the theater world
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

Tokyo¡¯s Jimbocho neighborhood has all kinds of bookshops and cafes, but it is mainly known for its abundance of stores selling secondhand books.
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
By Eric Margolis
Decode shelving systems, publisher groupings and reader slang before making the most of Tokyo¡¯s famed literary district.
In bilingual homes, raising hearing-impaired kids is a long road toward a ¡®normal life¡¯
By Yang Xiong
Where Tokyoites go for Chinese hot pot
By Mike Fu
At Choma, drinks come with a shot of folklore
By Melinda Joe
5,200% price hike on fonts has Japan¡¯s indie game devs scrambling
By Gendel Gento

COMMUNITY

The Austrian team at this year¡¯s International Snow Sculpture Contest ¡ª (from left) Michelle Steinmetz, Karl Pont and Daniel Nachbaur ¡ª pose with their creation.
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
By Karl Pont
Working in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, artists from around the world convened in Sapporo this February to continue a tradition 50 years running.
Recentering Okinawa, one story at a time
By Kris Kosaka
Pomelo peps up a Kobe couple¡¯s life
After closures and breaks, Tokyo's 'Little India' regains its footing
By Shyam Bhardwa
Tokyo LGBTQ fundraiser to raise money for Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
By Kat Joplin

Editors' Picks

LIFE
On westernmost Yonaguni, geopolitics can¡¯t spoil the island¡¯s aura
By Edward J. Taylor
With Taiwan visible from its western shores, Yonaguni has always been more linked to events in Asia than other stretches of Japan.
CULTURE
What is Zipangu? Inside J-pop¡¯s first-of-its-kind Los Angeles festival
By Patrick St. Michel
Takuya Chigira, the CEO of Japanese talent agency Cloud Nine, is launching Zipangu, a Stateside festival devoted to Japanese culture. Chigira and Cloud Nine are working closely with American promoter Goldenvoice, best known for Coachella.
JAPAN
Gunma tops relocation ranking for second consecutive year
By Elizabeth Beattie
The city of Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture
JAPAN
Punch-drunk love: Lonely baby monkey in Japan goes viral
By Jessica Speed
A baby Japanese macaque named Punch drags a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday.
CULTURE
Yoshitoshi Shinomiya emerges as anime¡¯s new auteur with ¡®A New Dawn¡¯ in Berlin
By David Opie
Director Yoshitoshi Shinomiya (left) and cast members Riku Hagiwara and Miyu Irino attend a press conference to promote the movie "A New Dawn" at the 76th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin on Feb. 18.

Podcast

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

Longform

As Japan accelerates AI adoption, policymakers and corporations frame the technology as essential to offsetting a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040.
Japan is betting big on AI. Few workers have used it.
By Eric Margolis

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

BUSINESS
India¡¯s GDP revisions mean it will take longer to overtake Japan
Surpassing Japan would be more of a reflection of scale than prosperity for India. Per capita income in the country remains just above $3,000, a fraction of Japan¡¯s $36,390, according to IMF estimates for 2026.
WORLD
With cherished landmarks hit, Iran attacks rattle Dubai
By Talek HARRIS and Aya ISKANDARANI
Smoke billows in Dubai after a projectile strike.
JAPAN
Japan to prepare for any risks over strikes on Iran
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday ahead of a National Security Council meeting.
WORLD
U.S. military uses 'one-way attack drones' in combat for first time in Iran strikes
By Jesse Johnson
Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command operating area in November.
JAPAN
Japan-led cell discovery hints at potential new treatments for hair loss
By Jessica Speed
A team headed by Takashi Tsuji, a visiting senior researcher at Riken and chairperson of OrganTech, has identified a previously unknown ¡°third cell¡± essential for fully regenerating hair follicles, on Feb. 10 in Tokyo¡¯s Chuo Ward.