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May 25, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
May 25, 2026
Iran war endgame
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes part in a news conference during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu, central Philippines, on May 8.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Philippine leader¡¯s state visit to Japan to focus on shoring up defense ties
By Jesse Johnson
Energy security will also be on the agenda for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s trip to Tokyo ¡ª the first state visit by the country's leader in more than a decade.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes part in a news conference during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu, central Philippines, on May 8.
U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Marine One as he departs from Morristown, New Jersey, on Friday.
WORLD
Trump says Iran deal ¡¯largely negotiated¡¯ and would reopen Strait of Hormuz
Various media in the U.S. and Iran said the memorandum that could yield an agreement lays out a phased framework ?for ending months ?of fighting.
Japan's Tao Okamoto and Belgium's Virginie Efira, co-winners of the best actress award for their roles in the film "All of a Sudden," celebrate during the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on Saturday.
CULTURE / Film
In first for Japanese, Tao Okamoto shares Best Actress award at Cannes
Okamoto shared the honor with Belgium's Virginie Efira for their roles in the drama "All of a Sudden" by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa attends Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings in the ?eastern Chinese city ?of Suzhou on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Japan trade minister holds brief talks with Chinese counterpart amid diplomatic row
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa is the most senior ?Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute between the two countries erupted in November.
Toyota's bZ4X electric vehicle at an international car show in Indonesia in August 2023. At 10% of Japan¡¯s economy, the automotive industry is a pillar of the nation.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Japan¡¯s automotive industry is driving ¡ª slowly ¡ª toward a greener future
By Eric Margolis
While major carmakers have committed to cut emissions, the industry's slow shift to EVs means that it faces a high hurdle if it wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Toyota's bZ4X electric vehicle at an international car show in Indonesia in August 2023. At 10% of Japan¡¯s economy, the automotive industry is a pillar of the nation.

JAPAN

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Jan. 15, near Washington
U.S. informs Japan of Tomahawk missile delivery delays: report
The Japanese government has signed a contract with the U.S. government to acquire up to 400 Tomahawk missiles between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027.
Masao Tomonaga (far right), an 82-year-old doctor who was exposed to the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, and others speak to reporters in the city on Saturday.
Hidankyo voices disappointment as nuclear nonproliferation talks fail
The NPT review conference failed to adopt a final document for the third consecutive meeting due chiefly to differences over Iran's nuclear development program.
Police obtain arrest warrant for man in Hyogo murder case
LDP, JIP and DPP seek emergency clause in Constitution
Japan imperial couple likely to visit Kumamoto in September
Japan may add farming and anime courses to technical colleges

BUSINESS

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech on economic policies and the 2027 fiscal plan to parliament, as Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka sits behind him at the parliament building in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Indonesia plans to beat global trading giants at their own game
Under a surprise plan, the country will take control of exports of the country's major commodities ¡ª a sweeping move reminiscent of the country's authoritarian past.
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, shakes hands with President Donald Trump during a swearing-in ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Friday.
Trump tells Kevin Warsh to do ¡®own thing¡¯ as Fed chair sworn in
Warsh, who has promised the biggest shakeup in decades at the U.S. central bank, was sworn into office Friday in a White House ceremony as the 17th chair of the Fed.
Japanese listed firms log record net profits in 2025
U.S. weighs chip tariffs to spur domestic growth, trade chief says
Takaichi considering new quota for growth investment
Yubari melons fetch record ?5.8 million at first auction of season

WORLD

Rescuers work at the site of a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county in China's Shanxi province on Saturday.
China coal mine blast tests limits of Xi¡¯s energy security push
Friday night's blast, which left at least 82 dead, is already prompting a response which belies the scale of the coal mine's operation.
Secret Service agents are seen at the White House in Washington on Saturday after shots were reported fired.
Gunman killed by U.S. Secret Service after opening fire near White House
U.S. media said the suspect had a history of mental health concerns and had multiple prior interactions with Secret Service members.
Starmer¡¯s lame duck status risks policymaking paralysis in U.K.
By Joe Mayes and Alex Wickham
Pilgrims from the West flock to hajj despite Mideast war
Dozens feared trapped after building collapses in Philippines
California seeks novel solution as chemical tank heats up, risking catastrophe

Sports

Naegohyang FC celebrates with the trophy and the North Korea flag after winning the Asian Women's Champions League final in Suwon, South Korea, on Saturday.
North Korea¡¯s Naegohyang FC ready to take on world after winning Asian crown
Naegohyang Women's FC beat Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final in the South Korean city of Suwon, thanks to captain Kim Kyong Yong's goal just before halftime.
London next step in all-women Athlos¡¯ goal to be ¡¯F1 of track and field¡¯
National teams may look to club level for World Cup-winning tactics
Surging Knicks beat Cavs to move to brink of NBA Finals
Iran switches World Cup base from U.S. to Mexico

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping hold talks during a visit to Zhongnanhai, the compound that houses China's leadership, in Beijing on May 15.
What Xi Jinping knows that Donald Trump doesn¡¯t
Francis Fukuyama
Prior to the summit, expectations were low: Trump was weakened by inflation and declining popularity while seeking China's help on Iran.
Nintendo gamers love surprises. Investors don¡¯t.
By Gearoid Reidy
Beyond the native speaker myth: Who ¡®owns¡¯ the Japanese language?
By Midori Inagaki
Scoring the Trump-Xi heavyweight bout in Beijing
By Kuni Miyake
Defeating ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± requires more than just better law enforcement

ENVIRONMENT

The Blue River, a tributary to the Colorado River, earlier this month
Climate change threatens global plant species as habitats shrink
Some of the plants ?that make familiar landscapes recognizable may not survive by century's end.
Garment workers face heat risks in Bangladesh as energy cuts curb cooling
By Md. Tahmid Zami
In India¡¯s parched heart, high power costs put cooling out of reach
By Rajesh Kumar Singh
Italy pays the price of Meloni¡¯s stalled green energy transition
By Giuseppe Fonte, Gavin Jones and Francesca Landini
Japan¡¯s new emissions trading program: Key climate tool or paper tiger?
By Nithin Coca

CULTURE

¡°Noli Timere,¡± a free open-air performance at SIFA's Festival Village, combines aerial acrobatics, contemporary dance and art sculpture.?
At Singapore International Festival of Arts, theater spills into everyday life
By Zoria Petkoska
Tze Chien Chong, the new director of Singapore International Festival of Arts, strives to attract a broader audience to Singapore's oldest festival for performing arts.
Nordic noir meets Japanese occult in ¡®Blood and Sweat¡¯
By Gabriella Geisinger
¡®Patlabor EZY¡¯ turns everyday mecha bureaucracy into a delight
By Matt Schley
¡®Soul Mate¡¯ reaches for pathos but remains hollow
By Mike Fu
Before city pop went global, there was Anri
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

For one April Sunday each year, the otherwise working class city of Kawasaki becomes host to one of Japan's most unusual-looking festivals.
At Kawasaki¡¯s ¡®penis festival,¡¯ phalluses are vessels of compassion
By Elizabeth Beattie
The event 'may look weird,' says a priestess of Kanayama Shrine, but its origins and purpose point to a deeper meaning.
Barbaric tastes: The pickled Portuguese dish that won over Japan
By Elizabeth Andoh
What I ate at SoNoMa, Kyoto¡¯s newest fine-dining restaurant
By Kyoko Nakayama
A salaryman, a ghost and a water spirit walk into a coffee bar
By Owen Ziegler
A little love for soy milk, tofu¡¯s unsung precursor
By Makiko Itoh

COMMUNITY

Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
By Mike Fu
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Sturdy Tanpopo is a ¡®dandy lioness¡¯
Exuberant eater Minori will bless your home
Fujisawa flashpoint: A mosque project stokes nativist fears
By Simon Scott and Ben Stubbings
Italian creatives find their niche in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio

Editors' Picks

LIFE
At Kawasaki¡¯s ¡®penis festival,¡¯ phalluses are vessels of compassion
By Elizabeth Beattie
For one April Sunday each year, the otherwise working class city of Kawasaki becomes host to one of Japan's most unusual-looking festivals.
JAPAN
Tochigi murder-robbery case reflects ¡®³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨±¡¯ adapting to crackdowns
By Yukana Inoue
A teenager (center, wearing sandals) arrested for his involvement in a murder-robbery case is sent to prosecutors on May 16 in the city of Shimotsuke, in Tochigi Prefecture.
JAPAN
What will the LDP¡¯s new National Power Research Group become?
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Katsunobu Kato, chairman of the National Power Research Group, addresses the group's inaugural meeting held at the parliamentary building in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
How Japan¡¯s new ¡¯blue tickets¡¯ are putting cycling parents on edge
By Mai Yoshikawa
A father carries a child on a <i>mamachari</i> bicycle in September 2018. Parents say the new ¡°blue ticket¡± system has made them more mindful of the rules, but has also heightened concerns about child-seat use and children starting to cycle on their own.
CULTURE
Hirokazu Kore-eda says human imagination still matters in the age of AI
By Sebastien Raineri
A couple (played by Haruka Ayase, right, and the mononymous Daigo) struggling to come to terms with the death of their son welcome a humanoid (Rimu Kuwaki, center) modeled after their child in ¡°Sheep in the Box.¡±

Podcast

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

Longform

Anri says younger overseas listeners first surprised her during a 2023 performance in Los Angeles, where most of the audience was in their 20s. Nearly five decades after her debut, songs such as ¡°Last Summer Whisper¡± and ¡°I Can¡¯t Stop the Loneliness¡± continue finding new fans.
Before city pop went global, there was Anri
By Patrick St. Michel

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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
How Japan¡¯s new ¡¯blue tickets¡¯ are putting cycling parents on edge
By Mai Yoshikawa
A father carries a child on a <i>mamachari</i> bicycle in September 2018. Parents say the new ¡°blue ticket¡± system has made them more mindful of the rules, but has also heightened concerns about child-seat use and children starting to cycle on their own.
JAPAN
China squeezes Japan over rare earths in repeat of 2010 showdown
Since ?December, Chinese ?exports of rare earth minerals like dysprosium, terbium and yttrium oxide, as ?well as specialty metal gallium, to Japan have stopped except for a few tiny shipments of yttrium, Chinese customs data shows.
JAPAN
Survey begins to determine remote island¡¯s suitability for nuclear disposal site
By Eric Johnston
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is off-limits to the general public.
LIFE
At Kawasaki¡¯s ¡®penis festival,¡¯ phalluses are vessels of compassion
By Elizabeth Beattie
For one April Sunday each year, the otherwise working class city of Kawasaki becomes host to one of Japan&#039;s most unusual-looking festivals.
JAPAN
Foreign business owners face frantic scramble to leave Japan amid tighter visa rules
By Himari Semans
Taro Tsurugashima presents a petition with 53,000 signatures calling for a revision to the stricter business manager visa eligibility requirements, on May 13 in Tokyo.