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TOKYO
January 20, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
January 20, 2026
Sanae Takaichi
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a news conference at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Will Takaichi¡¯s carpe diem moment pay off?
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
The prime minister said the snap poll will essentially be a referendum on who leads the country ¡ª herself or an opposition chief.

More coverage

CRA unveils platform adopting Komeito line on security and nuclear energy
LDP to lift election penalty on members involved in slush fund scandal
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a news conference at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office on Monday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks in a news conference Monday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Takaichi might surprise markets bracing for a big spender
By Kazuaki Nagata
Some stock and bond investors are anticipating Takaichi to act as an unrestrained fiscal dove after the election.
Japan's content industry ¡ª which includes anime, manga and video games ¡ª is a major export the country. Such exports were valued at ?6 trillion ($38 billion) in 2024.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
AI-driven pirated manga is booming. Can AI also help curb it?
By Elizabeth Beattie
While artificial intelligence is driving the spread of pirated manga online, Japanese government officials are hoping AI can also help rein it in.
A National Police Agency poster raises the alert over scammers posing as company CEOs.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Scammers posing as company CEOs surge in Japan
Small and midsize companies are particularly vulnerable to such scams because of the relative closeness between executives and workers.
A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for his arrival for final arguments in his insurrection trial at a court in Seoul on Jan. 13.
COMMENTARY / World
The cautionary tale of Yoon Suk Yeol and the ¡®abuse of power¡¯
Michael MacArthur Bosack
South Koreans use the strength of their democracy to impose checks against executive overreach.
A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for his arrival for final arguments in his insurrection trial at a court in Seoul on Jan. 13.

JAPAN

A planned restart scheduled for Tuesday of the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture has been postponed.
Tepco to postpone restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear reactor
The move comes after a problem was confirmed during a test to pull out control rods that suppress nuclear fission reactions in the reactor on Saturday.
People take Japanese language lessons at a job placement company in Hanoi. Vietnamese now make up a quarter of Japan¡¯s 2.3-million-strong foreign workforce.
Vietnamese caught in Japan¡¯s illegal worker crackdown
By Tomohiro Osaki
Many come to Japan under its Technical Intern Training Program, which is billed as a way for foreign workers to learn skills to take back to developing countries.
When Einstein came to Hiroshima
By Patrick Parr
Prefectures asked to secure hotels as shelters in the event of disasters
Mutual support in Gifu housing estate offers model case for aging society
91²Ö¿â farm minister raises concerns over EU packaging rules

BUSINESS

People walk through a business district in Beijing on Sunday.
China's 2025 economic growth among slowest in decades
By Peter CATTERALL
While the 5% expansion was in line with Beijing's annual target, observers warned it was driven largely by exports and masked weak sentiment on the ground.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange¡¯s plans to push for stronger growth in the startup market section resulted in fewer small-sized initial public offerings.
Flipping Japan IPOs loses luster as small share sales disappear
By Yasutaka Tamura
IPO buyers received a median return of 26.3% in 2025 if they sold at the opening price, the lowest profit since 2012.
Micron says AI-driven memory crunch is ¡®unprecedented¡¯
By Maggie Eastland
Elliott opposes group buyout of Toyota Industries
By Nicholas Takahashi
Three convenience store operators log March-November profit growth
Surging billionaire wealth a political threat, Oxfam warns as Davos opens
By Elodie LE MAOU and Martine PAUWELS

WORLD

U.S. President Donald Trump
Trump links Greenland threats to Nobel Peace Prize snub
By Alberto Nardelli and Heidi Taksdal Skjeseth
The U.S. president linked his claims on Greenland to not being awarded the peace prize in a letter he sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Members of the Spanish Civil Guard, along with other emergency personnel, work near one of the trains?involved in an accident in Cordoba, Spain, on Monday.
High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39 and injures dozens
Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters the disaster took place on a straight part of the track, which was completely renovated.
China's birth rate falls to lowest on record
Philippine gas discovery extends life of dwindling legacy field
By Cliff Venzon
Philippines¡¯ Marcos faces impeachment attempt in ally-led house
By Andreo Calonzo
EU eyes tariffs on $108 billion of U.S. goods over new Trump threat

Sports

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu talks to reporters at National Stadium in Tokyo on Nov. 17.
Japan looks poised to take the next step at the World Cup. Its manager is not so sure.
By Sam Byford
Manager Hajime Moriyasu has repeatedly said that Samurai Blue is not a real threat to win it all, but some see momentum building toward a breakthrough.
Coco Gauff advances to second round at Australian Open
Rams edge Bears in OT thriller to advance to NFC title game
Famed knuckleball king Wilbur Wood dies at age 84
Rising star Michael Zheng may be forced to return Australian Open prize money

Opinion

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda (left) and his Komeito counterpart, Tetsuo Saito, announce their coalition's new name, the Centrist Reform Alliance, at a joint news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
Komeito and CDP form new party, but doubts linger over political viability
Edo Naito
The new party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, has an uninspired name and logo, suggesting a rushed and unconvincing partnership.
So what does it mean to be properly English?
By Rosa Prince
This is not the way to make housing more affordable
By Conor Sen
Will Japan become the world¡¯s next leader in AI?
By Mickey Mikitani
China proves skeptics right about export controls
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

A solar farm in Nakai, Kanagawa Prefecture, in March 2016. Japan gets about a tenth of its electricity from solar panels despite having nearly no domestic production of photovoltaics (PVs).
Beijing row highlights need for Japan to reduce cleantech dependence on China
By Nithin Coca
To reach net zero, Japan will need to rapidly expand renewables, but its solar manufacturing capacity is virtually non-existent despite it being a pioneer of the technology.
Scientists look toward ancient ice for clues on saving present-day glaciers
By Hiroshi Hiyama
Scientists confirm 2025 was third-hottest year on record
By Eric Roston
How Japan¡¯s warming seas are affecting livelihoods and culture
By Eric Margolis
Japan to draw up action plan to reduce clothing waste

CULTURE

¡°Ground,¡± an underground installation added to Museum SAN in 2025, was codesigned by architect Tadao Ando and sculptor Antony Gormley.
Tadao Ando's ongoing architecture dialogue with Museum SAN
By Yoko Haruhara
Since Museum SAN opened in 2013, Tadao Ando has returned three times to design additional buildings and spaces.
'Borderlines': A cacophony of dramatic personae unfolds a life of memories through 108 poems
By Kris Kosaka
¡®Vicissitude¡¯: A golden-hour reverie on childhood and lost wonder
By James Hadfield
¡®Mars Express¡¯ shows anime¡¯s influence has no borders
By Matt Schley
BTS set to return to Japan with world tour in April
By Hieun SHIN

LIFE

Valentino Garavani waves as he arrives for the premiere of the movie "Valentino: The Last Emperor" in Venice on Aug. 28, 2008. The Italian fashion designer died Monday at 93.
Valentino, Italian haute couture 'emperor' who painted fashion red, dies at 93
By Giulia Segreti
From Hollywood glamour to Paris haute couture, Valentino built an empire on elegance, devotion to beauty and one unforgettable shade of red.
At the origin of the ¡®Mackerel Road,¡¯ this seaside town fed Kyoto
By Edward J. Taylor
The American bringing a Disney flair to Sega¡¯s nongaming push
By Gendel Gento
Just because you broke your resolution doesn¡¯t mean you failed
By Mishu Callan
At Driftwood, cocktails flow to the sounds of city pop
By Weiwen Lin

COMMUNITY

The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
By Daniel Traylor
After years steeped in the sacred silence of the shinkansen, a Japan Times staffer returns stateside and gets his sea legs with small talk aboard Amtrak.
Honey bunny Jaina is a sweet companion
Local radio connects Nishinomiya¡¯s foreign residents
By Sneha Nagesh
An affectionate Akita named Araki
Eleanor Loran: ¡®I believe in building empathy, tolerance and kindness¡¯
By Laura Pollacco

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Beijing row highlights need for Japan to reduce cleantech dependence on China
By Nithin Coca
A solar farm in Nakai, Kanagawa Prefecture, in March 2016. Japan gets about a tenth of its electricity from solar panels despite having nearly no domestic production of photovoltaics (PVs).
COMMUNITY
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
By Daniel Traylor
The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.
CULTURE
Tadao Ando's ongoing architecture dialogue with Museum SAN
By Yoko Haruhara
¡°Ground,¡± an underground installation added to Museum SAN in 2025, was codesigned by architect Tadao Ando and sculptor Antony Gormley.
OLYMPICS
Kaori Sakamoto motivated by gold ¡ª and her no-nonsense coach ¡ª ahead of final Olympics
By Joel Tansey
Kaori Sakamoto skates during a practice session at Sysmex Kobe Ice Campus on Friday.
LIFE
With a dose of old-world charm, Bacha Coffee brews its way to Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
Bacha Coffee's outlet in Tokyo is the Singapore-based upscale coffee chain's first shop in Japan.

Podcast

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

Longform

After a busy couple of weeks on the public lecture circuit, German-born physicist Albert Einstein took a few days of relaxation on Hiroshima Prefecture¡¯s Miyajima island.
When Einstein came to Hiroshima
By Patrick Parr

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

Kotozna Releases ¡°TPG 2.0¡±, a New Platform to Build High-Accuracy Generative AI Chatbots in Minutes
Kotozna Releases ¡°TPG 2.0¡±, a New Platform to Build High-Accuracy Generative AI Chatbots in Minutes
KOTOZNA, INC.

WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
China proves skeptics right about export controls
By Brad Glosserman
China¡¯s export restrictions on dual-use items to Japan illustrate how trade controls can be used as a coercive tool, putting dependent countries at risk.
BUSINESS
EU set to halt U.S. trade deal over Trump¡¯s new tariff threat
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 27.
JAPAN
Parties clash as they brace for a February snap election
By Himari Semans
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday
CULTURE
Tadao Ando's ongoing architecture dialogue with Museum SAN
By Yoko Haruhara
¡°Ground,¡± an underground installation added to Museum SAN in 2025, was codesigned by architect Tadao Ando and sculptor Antony Gormley.
ENVIRONMENT
Beijing row highlights need for Japan to reduce cleantech dependence on China
By Nithin Coca
A solar farm in Nakai, Kanagawa Prefecture, in March 2016. Japan gets about a tenth of its electricity from solar panels despite having nearly no domestic production of photovoltaics (PVs).