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TOKYO
April 30, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 30, 2026
Fuel shock
Sanae Takaichi
Sushi Tech Tokyo
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The yen is trading at levels last seen in July 2024.
BUSINESS / Markets
Yen, Japanese government bonds and Tokyo stocks decline as oil prices spike
By Kazuaki Nagata
The Japanese currency is at its weakest since July 2024 and at levels that could trigger intervention.
The yen is trading at levels last seen in July 2024.
Employees of the Basra Oil Company work at the Nahr Bin Umar Oil and Gas Field on the outskirts of the city of Basra, Iraq, on Thursday. Earlier this month, Baghdad said it had reached "understandings" with the United States and Iran to reduce the impact of the Hormuz blockade on Iraqi oil exports.
BUSINESS / Markets
Trump warns Iran blockade could last months, sending oil prices soaring
"They are choking like a stuffed pig," the U.S. president told one outlet of the naval action on Iran. "And it is going to be worse for them."
AI models surpassed the highest score recorded for a human test taker in this year's University of Tokyo entrance exam, a new study shows.
JAPAN / Science & Health
ChatGPT trounces humans in entrance exams for top Japan university, study finds
By Yukana Inoue
The University of Tokyo's category 3 science exam, often taken by those seeking admission to its medical school, is considered the most difficult exam to pass in Japan.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police officers stand guard outside the home where suspect Teruyuki Takabayashi temporarily took refuge in Fussa, Tokyo, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Police search for Tokyo man on the run after hammer attack on students
The suspect, Teruyuki Takabayashi, is alleged to have struck two students who were loitering around his home with a hammer on Wednesday.
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.
CULTURE / Film
Documentary captures the long echo of Fukushima's nuclear disaster
By Tomoko Otake
Without narration or music, Toru Yamada's intimate documentary "At the Triangle Intersection" follows the silences, routines and unresolved tensions of post-disaster life.
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.

JAPAN

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for two days from May 14. Japan is reportedly seeking a stopover in Tokyo during that trip.
Tokyo seeks Trump stopover in mid-May China trip
Trump is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss Japan-China relations and Taiwan.
Izumisano Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu inspects the baby hatch at Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto on Feb. 10.
City in Osaka Prefecture seeks early launch of its own ¡®baby hatch¡¯ system
The city of Izumisano's initiative reflects Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu's strong belief that the city must serve as "a stronghold for protecting lives."
Shinjiro Koizumi to visit South Korea for defense talks in June
Japan to begin Minamata disease survey as early as this year
Chinese claim Japan is seeking to host allies' nuclear arms rebutted in New York
Deficits loom for many health insurance associations at large Japanese firms

BUSINESS

The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
By Himari Semans
A survey by Tokyo Shoko Research has found that about 5% of foreign business owners are considering closing up shop while 45% expect impacts to operations.
Japan may see food and drink prices rise as early as this summer, as war-related disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz squeeze naphtha supply, driving up plastic packaging costs.
Food prices in Japan set to rise as war drives up cost of plastic packaging
By Shoko Oda
Prolonged disruption to energy flows via the Strait of Hormuz has cut the availability of naphtha, a critical ingredient used in the production of plastic packaging.
Air travel bookings for 91²Ö¿â Golden Week holiday robust
The split between China and Silicon Valley just got wider
By Meaghan Tobin and Erin Griffith
Murata beats profit estimates as AI data-center demand strains production
By Takashi Mochizuki
PAG beefs up Japan investment with $13 billion in targeted deals
By Lisa Du, Takako Taniguchi and Hideki Suzuki

WORLD

Brenton Tarrant, the man charged over the 2019 shootings at two Christchurch mosques, stands in the dock during his appearance at the Christchurch District Court on March 16, 2019. On Thursday, Tarrant lost his appeal that sought to overturn his conviction and sentence.
New Zealand mosque shooter's bid to appeal convictions denied by court
The Court of Appeal's decision means the appeal process is now at an end.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Wednesday, the day justices released a ruling in Louisiana vs. Callais. The Supreme Court¡¯s ruling on the Voting Rights Act in the middle of primary season could create a potentially chaotic scramble among states that may consider drawing new maps.
U.S. Supreme Court guts key provision of Voting Rights Act
By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung
With November congressional elections looming, the decision could prompt Republican-led states to seek to redraw electoral maps in order to gain an advantage.
¡®They said AI saved me¡¯: How South Korea is checking on its older adults
By Choe Sang-Hun
Trump holds talks on prolonged Iran blockade and urges Tehran to reach a deal
By Timothy Gardner
North Korea faces ¡®severe¡¯ drought, according to state media
Ex-Thai PM Thaksin set for parole after eight months in prison
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

Sports

Junto Nakatani works out during an open training session in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on April 23.
Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani primed for titanic super bantamweight title clash
By Andrew MCKIRDY
Inoue and Nakatani coming into the fight boast identical 32-0 records.
Saudi Arabia to end funding for LIV Golf after current season: report
Pistons and Rockets win to avoid elimination
Atletico Madrid and Arsenal play to draw in first leg of Champions League semifinal
Largest-ever World Cup presents new challenges for Panini sticker collectors

Opinion

Sebastien Lai, son of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, poses for a portrait next to a poster featuring his father during an interview in London in December.
Memo to Xi: There is no downside to freeing Jimmy Lai
Mark L. Clifford
Lai started his media business following the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in which Chinese authorities killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of their own citizens.
Get ready for another summer of rage in Asia
By Karishma Vaswani
U.S. adopts China's playbook on tech and security
By Brad Glosserman
Japan¡¯s balancing act in an era of U.S.-China dominance
By Stephen R. Nagy
Japan can help Asia learn to live without the U.S.
By Mihir Sharma

ENVIRONMENT

Colombian President Gustavo Petro (right) and Colombian Environment Minister Irene Velez attend the International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, on Tuesday.
Nations urged to ¡®go further¡¯ as fossil fuel exit talks wrap in Colombia
By Nick Perry and Anna PELEGRI
Ministers and envoys from nearly 60 countries gathered in Colombia in the hope of speeding up the shift away from fossil fuels and breaking a stalemate at the U.N. climate talks.
Nations meet to discuss fossil fuel exit as Iran war drives up prices
By Kate Abnett
War hastens an Indonesian biofuels push that has global stakes
By Eko Listiyorini and Anuradha Raghu
G7 says nature talks a success as climate sidelined for U.S.
Warming El Nino set to return in mid-2026, U.N. says

CULTURE

¡°Mojacat,¡± Kan Sano¡¯s first solo album in four years, gave the musician the opportunity to work with childhood favorite Ua.
Kan Sano lets go of control and lets others in on ¡®Mojacat¡¯
By Patrick St. Michel
Kan Sano's latest album expands his musical imagination, with collaborators such as Chara and Ua helping him push beyond the limits of going it alone.
¡®Straight to Hell¡¯ gets stuck in purgatory
By James Hadfield
¡®Lost Land¡¯: A Rohingya odyssey viewed with startling immediacy
By Mark Schilling
Hokusai¡¯s erotic art on display at a Kabukicho noh theater
By Kim Kahan
Haruki Murakami to release first novel in three years with ¡®The Tale of Kaho¡¯
By Alyssa I. Smith

LIFE

SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
By Melinda Joe
Kyle Connaughton reflects on a career shaped by "kaiseki," California farming and a lifelong pull toward the country that inspired him.
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
By Simon Daly
Gourmet capital Kyoto now has six three-Michelin-starred restaurants
By Weiwen Lin
Girandole by Alain Ducasse is a stunning ode to brasserie fare
By Weiwen Lin
Capella Kyoto continues ancient capital¡¯s luxury hotel boom
By Melinda Joe

COMMUNITY

Simona Stanzani translates manga into Italian and English, working with localization companies in Japan and publishers in Italy and elsewhere.
Italian creatives find their niche in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Inspired by early encounters with Japanese culture, Tokyo-based translator Simona Stanzani and illustrator Luca Tieri have put creative dialogue at the forefront of their careers.
¡®Goofy fluffball¡¯ Gammo has a heart filled with joy
Counseling and community for foreign cancer patients in Japan
By Jason Bartashius
Please your palate with Tokyo¡¯s international grocery stores
By Mike Fu
In rural Japan, a consultant code-switches and connects
By Mishu Callan

Editors' Picks

ASIA PACIFIC
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
By Gabriel Dominguez
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
BASEBALL
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
By Mai Yoshikawa
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
LIFE
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
By Melinda Joe
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
LIFE
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
By Gendel Gento
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.
BUSINESS
Japanese developers worry over construction supply shortages amid Iran war
By Eric Johnston
Paul Nikel, President of West Canada Homes, with an increasingly rare supply of plastic foam

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

Kotozna Launches ¡°TocDex RAG¡± to Enhance Accuracy and Multilingual Capabilities in Generative AI
Kotozna Launches ¡°TocDex RAG¡± to Enhance Accuracy and Multilingual Capabilities in Generative AI
KOTOZNA, INC.

WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

ASIA PACIFIC
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
By Gabriel Dominguez
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
JAPAN
Japan considers making language programs a factor in residency screenings
The government is considering creating a Japanese language program for foreign people that would be a factor in residency screenings.
MORE SPORTS
'RikuRyu' signs off in emotional farewell
By Sam Byford
Figure skating pair Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for photos at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. The pair have announced their retirement from competitive skating.
JAPAN
Zoo employee admits to burning wife¡¯s body in incinerator
The incinerator at the Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido on Sunday
JAPAN
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul