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TOKYO
July 21, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 21, 2026
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The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the government's annual economic and fiscal policy blueprint on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Cabinet approves government economic blueprint with BOJ independence indicated
By Kazuaki Nagata
A line in a draft of the blueprint that had suggested a weakening of central bank autonomy has been rewritten in the final version.

More coverage

Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the government's annual economic and fiscal policy blueprint on Tuesday.
A Chinese Navy destroyer (left) conducts live-fire training inside Japan's exclusive economic zone near Okinotorishima island as a Russian warship (right) observes in this image taken Sunday and released late Monday. Below: An enlarged section of the image shows machine-gun fire from the Chinese vessel.
JAPAN
Chinese warship holds rare live-fire exercise inside Japan¡¯s EEZ
By Jesse Johnson
In a first, Tokyo publicized the drill, releasing images of the destroyer firing a machine-gun near Okinotorishima island over the weekend.
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
By Tomoko Otake
The discovery of a new seed of the amyloid beta protein could lead to early-stage therapy for neurodegenerative disease, according to researchers.
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
JAPAN / Society
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
By Jessica Speed
The financial strain is affecting parents¡¯ mental health, with 44% of survey respondents saying they always or often feel extremely depressed when thinking about summer vacation.
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
By Mai Yoshikawa
Japan¡¯s small but growing ranks of digital nomads have embraced the opportunity to embed themselves in a Japanese life ¡ª and take advantage of a weak yen.
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.

JAPAN

A Japanese research team plans to conduct clinical research to temporarily transplant a pig's kidney into a human fetus with severe kidney disease, a procedure expected to be the world's first fetal xenotransplantation.
Japan team eyes world¡¯s first pig-kidney transplant to human fetus
The therapeutic method is supposed to be temporary treatment until dialysis becomes possible for the baby.
People conduct excavation work in Hengchun, Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, on Monday to recover the remains of former Japanese soldiers.
Search for remains of Japanese war dead begins in Taiwan
It is the first time since 1975 for the Japanese government to conduct an excavation survey in Taiwan, with which Tokyo does not have diplomatic relations, in search of remains.
Japan crown prince and crown princess to visit Paraguay in August
Lower House members¡¯ assets average ?32.78 million
Education ministry to aid regional human resources development
Crown Princess Kiko attends charity concert

BUSINESS

Carsten Stoehr, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking's Asia-Pacific deputy head, has been leading more complex financing deals to increase profitability at the bank.
Credit Suisse veteran shakes up SMBC in new era for Japan banks
By Sheryl Tian Tong Lee and Megawati Wijaya
Japan¡¯s second-largest lender is branching out into new products and moving toward riskier, higher-yielding structured credit deals.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has launched initiatives to establish Tokyo as a global financial center and startup hub as part of an effort to boost economic growth and innovation.
Weak yen gives Tokyo edge in global startup race, Koike says
By Chris Gallagher
Under Koike¡¯s leadership, Tokyo has launched initiatives to establish itself as a global financial center and startup hub as part of an effort to boost economic growth.
JPMorgan among banks to help finance Japan¡¯s $550 billion U.S. investment plan: sources
By Makiko Yamazaki and Tamiyuki Kihara
GPIF makes first direct private equity investment amid allocation bets
By Nao Sano
Japan updates corporate governance code for listed firms
U.S. imposes new 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products
By Alicia Diaz

WORLD

Armed Yemeni supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement hold portraits of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi during a protest against what the group says are restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, in Sanaa on July 17.
How a Houthi blockade in the Red Sea tightens Iran¡¯s grip on global energy supply
Yemen sits on the southern gateway to the Red Sea, and closing that would open up a new front in the energy crisis and Iran¡¯s overarching conflict with the U.S.
Newly appointed U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham looks on as he delivers a speech outside 10 Downing Street after taking office in London on Monday.
New U.K. PM Burnham stamps authority with Cabinet shakeup
Burnham pledged to reindustrialize Britain and decentralize power after he met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
Manila and Beijing summon envoys over violent encounter in South China Sea
India protesters press on after crackdown, pressuring Modi
Power and water needs test South Korea¡¯s push to build AI chip hub
Diplomatic efforts seek to avert Trump split with U.N. refugee agency, sources say

Sports

Spain's players parade on board an open-top bus through the streets of Madrid on Monday, one day after the national football team won its second World Cup title following a 1-0 victory against Argentina.
Spain stars lap up adulation of estimated 2 million on World Cup parade
By Robin BJALON
Players passed around the gleaming World Cup trophy and waved to their adoring supporters, some lining balconies, others on top of bus stops.
Dillon Dingler homers twice as Tigers beat Cubs in 10
Charismatic Keegan wore his heart on his sleeve, on and off the pitch
By Alan Baldwin
Australian Open to limit cheap tickets after crowding problems
By Ian Ransom
Thousands welcome home Argentina squad, without Messi, after World Cup loss
By Sofia Barragan

Opinion

Voice actors for "Pokemon: The First Movie" pose during a news conference in Tokyo in December 1999. Japan has long excelled at creating global hits but has too often let others capture the long-term value they generate.
Japanese culture permeates the world. Who owns it?
Waka Ikeda
Japan begins from a far stronger position. It does not need to convince the world to love its culture. That battle was won decades ago. Its challenge now is ownership.
If the U.S. keeps messing with this spy agency, it¡¯ll pay a high price
By Andreas Kluth
British teens have yet another reason for pity
By Rosa Prince
Blow winds blow: Time to harvest wind power off Japan¡¯s coast
By Leslie Mabon
SpaceX¡¯s blow-it-up testing won¡¯t fly on Starship
By Thomas Black

ENVIRONMENT

A plastic bottle cap about 3.5 centimeters in diameter, where polychaete worms built a nest out of small pebbles. It drifted from the coast of the Philippines and was recovered off Kochi Prefecture.
Researchers find tiny marine ecosystem ¡ª population 307 ¡ª in a bottle cap
The discovery shows that a large amount of plastic waste floating in the sea can become small ships of organisms, according to a Japanese research team.
¡®Cruel, wasteful¡¯: Dakar port a hotspot for illegal shark fins
By Marchio Gorbiano and Becca MILFELD
U.N. to list more sites as ¡®in danger¡¯ from conflict or climate change
Wildfire haze hangs over eastern U.S. ¡ª and World Cup final
To stay cool, wear flowing robes and throw water around? Yes, says science.
By Hiroko Tabuchi

CULTURE

Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo tries with universal gags and fart jokes.
By Alicia Haddick
A zany weekly comedy show in Tokyo and Osaka aimed at non-Japanese speaker tries to jump over language barriers.
Zainichi drama ¡®Trophy¡¯ is a sweet, if slight, coming-of-age tale
By James Hadfield
¡®Sana: Play With Me¡¯ can¡¯t recapture the simple scares of J-horror¡¯s glory days
By Mark Schilling
Chito Kosagawa and Kasumi Asakura win Japan¡¯s top literary prizes
By Mike Fu
How ¡®The Solitary Gourmet¡¯ became one of Japan¡¯s most enduring TV hits
By Mathias Cena

LIFE

Blended with your favorite flavored powder, hard-boiled eggs make the simplest mousse ever.
A hard-boiled fact: Eggs work for dessert, too
By Simon Daly
Got a few old eggs lying around? Turn them into a somewhat healthy sweet treat.
Japanese has a word for when your husband makes you sick
By Yaeko Kabe
¡®Tony Hawk with Japanese trains¡¯: Denshattack! makes derailing a blast
By Owen Ziegler
Surviving the Uchiwa Festival, Japan¡¯s hottest ¡®matsuri¡¯
By Jessica Kozuka
A sensory encounter at rare architectural gem KAIT Plaza
By Erik Augustin Palm

COMMUNITY

Young people in India's northeast are increasingly studying Japanese in hopes of building new lives and careers in Japan.
Japan needs caregivers. Young Indians are answering the call.
By Megha Wadhwa
From classrooms in India¡¯s northeast to nursing homes in Japan, an emerging labor corridor hopes to improve lives in both countries.
A friendly ¡®peaches-and-cream¡¯ fellow
Found on Jan. 1, Osechi is a New Year¡¯s darling
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
Inside Japan¡¯s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
By Mai Yoshikawa

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot, sleepless nights
By Tomoko Otake
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
CULTURE
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
By James Hadfield
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.
LIFE
Kansai¡¯s first Michelin-selected sommelier knows how to read a room
By Weiwen Lin
Miki Tanaka says that a key part of her service as a sommelier is keeping a close eye on how her customers peruse and engage with the wine list when they first sit down at her restaurant.
CULTURE
It was 60 years ago today: Japan¡¯s top Beatles fan keeps the Budokan flame burning
By Tim Hornyak
Sonau Okamoto poses inside the Beatles Art & Culture Museum he founded in Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, after spending decades collecting memorabilia and promoting the band's legacy in Japan.
CULTURE
The creator of ¡®Cowboy Bebop¡¯ has advice for the anime industry
By Eric Margolis
Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of ¡°Cowboy Bebop¡± and ¡°Lazarus,¡± is known for a stylish aesthetic that one American academic describes as ¡°jagged.¡±

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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COMFACTS

Japanese Microalgae Meets American Formulation Science at Chicago¡¯s IFT FIRST
Japanese Microalgae Meets American Formulation Science at Chicago¡¯s IFT FIRST
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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

ENVIRONMENT
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot, sleepless nights
By Tomoko Otake
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
JAPAN
U.N. hails women¡¯s rights in response to Japan¡¯s revision of Imperial House Law
Emperor Naruhito (top third right) appears with Empress Masako (second right), their daughter Princess Aiko (right), Crown Prince Akishino (third left, Crown Princess Kiko (seconf left) and their daughter Princess Kako (left) on the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
COMMUNITY
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
By Mai Yoshikawa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
JAPAN
Extreme heat grips Japan as rainy season officially ends in Tokyo
By Jessica Speed
People walk with parasols in Tokyo on Monday, as the city saw its first scorching day of the year, marking 35 Celsius or higher.
LIFE
Japanese has a word for when your husband makes you sick
By Yaeko Kabe
Retirement can bring unexpected changes to long-established relationships, prompting some Japanese couples to adjust to new routines and a shared daily life.