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TOKYO
December 12, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
December 12, 2025
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Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference with his Australian counterpart at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Japan looks to international community to lower temperature in China row
By Jesse Johnson
Gaining the understanding of other nations on 91²Ö¿â stance ¡°is of the utmost importance,¡± the government¡¯s top spokesman said.

More coverage

Japan-China spat lacks immediate off-ramp despite Komeito talks
U.S. backs Japan in radar row with China as Tokyo refutes Beijing¡¯s claims
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference with his Australian counterpart at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
Akita Gov. Kenta Suzuki speaks at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
SDF played large role in bear control efforts, Akita governor says
By Yukana Inoue
While the troops were not involved in culling the bears, they helped transport traps and provided much-needed manpower to the aging prefecture.
Flags of Solomon Islands and China flutter near the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing in July 2023. A new think-tank report has proposed quasi-allies Japan and Australia divide up efforts to boost ties with Pacific island nations in a bid to maintain critical supply lines and prevent China from gaining a military foothold in the region in the event of a war.
JAPAN
With eye on Beijing, Japan and Australia urged to divvy up Pacific island aid
By Gabriel Dominguez
An Australian think tank says the quasi-allies should work with the region to maintain supply lines and prevent China from gaining a military foothold in any war.
In the report, Forbes described Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as somewhat ¡°complicated¡± from a gender lens.
JAPAN / Society
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi makes top three in Forbes¡¯ powerful women list
By Elizabeth Beattie
Takaichi's ¡°power¡± is her understanding and implementation of policy, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Thursday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives for a party leaders' debate in the Upper House of parliament in Tokyo on Nov. 26. Takaichi has refused to back down from recent Taiwan-contingency remarks that were fiercely criticized by China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
China¡¯s heavy-handed attack on Takaichi is backfiring
Edo Naito
Japan has never formally accepted that Taiwan is part of the PRC and Taiwan has never, for one day, been under the Communist Party's control.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives for a party leaders' debate in the Upper House of parliament in Tokyo on Nov. 26. Takaichi has refused to back down from recent Taiwan-contingency remarks that were fiercely criticized by China.

JAPAN

The Olympia Dream Seto ferry is set to use autonomous navigation technology on a route between the city of Okayama and Shodoshima, an island in Kagawa Prefecture.
World's first autonomous passenger ship to start service in Japan
The initiative is aimed at addressing ship crew shortages and reducing accidents caused by human error.
A road information board publicizing the newly issued ¡°off the coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku subsequent earthquake advisory¡± on Wednesday in the city of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture
Some care facilities unsure how to respond to new earthquake advisory
91²Ö¿â first-ever megaquake advisory, issued after Monday¡¯s earthquake off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, is set to remain in effect until midnight Tuesday.
Public support for Takaichi's Cabinet ebbs to 59.9%, survey shows
Japan eyes financial aid for struggling oyster farmers
Japanese scientists Sakaguchi and Kitagawa receive Nobel Prizes
Over a fifth of major Japanese cities banned polling station photos in July vote

BUSINESS

Hideo Hayakawa, a former executive director of the Bank of Japan, says he expects multiple rate hikes by the central bank by 2027, with the terminal rate probably around 1.5%.
BOJ likely to conduct multiple hikes ahead, former official says
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Hideo Hayakawa, a former executive director of the central bank, says the terminal rate is probably around 1.5%.
Nvidia head Jensen Huang speaks in Washington in October. The CEO said earlier this year that when its Blackwell chip was released, nobody wanted the previous generation anymore.
AI¡¯s $400 billion problem: Are chips getting old too fast?
With chipmakers releasing new, more powerful processors faster than before, estimates regarding how fast these chips become obsolete may be overly optimistic.
Sentiment at major Japan firms positive for second straight quarter, data shows
Trump demands on mining and China snarl U.S.-Indonesia trade deal
By Faris Mokhtar and Grace Sihombing
Mizuho CEO upbeat on dealmaking prospects in Japan and U.S.
By Taiga Uranaka, Shery Ahn and Hideki Suzuki
Japanese firms sell record retail debt as inflation fuels demand
By Takahiko Hyuga

WORLD

Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu poses for a photo during an interview with The Japan Times in Taipei in March.
Taiwan's deputy foreign minister made secret trip to Israel
By Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee and Maayan Lubell
It was unclear if Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu touched upon Taiwan's new multilayered air defense system, which is partly modeled on Israel's air-defense system.
Ukrainian servicemen fire a multiple launch rocket system toward Russian troops near the front-line town of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, on Tuesday.
Ukraine sends U.S. new plan to end war as Trump blasts Europe
A first U.S. plan that involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not captured was seen as caving in to too many of Russia's demands
China launches massive aerial drone carrier in show of prowess
Pokrovsk's fall weakens Ukraine, in Trump's eyes
Australian content creators feel sting of losing young fans to social media ban
Is sabotage unraveling the trial of Chinese crime gangs in Italian fashion?
By Silvia Ognibene and Emilio Parodi

Sports

Aonishiki pushes out Hoshoryu on Nov. 22 in Fukuoka. The undersized Ukrainian's rapid rise up the sumo rankings can be attributed to his elite technique.
Elite technique behind Aonishiki¡¯s rapid rise to §à?zeki
By John Gunning
Aonishiki gives up an average of 7 centimeters and 36 kilograms to his sumo rivals, but the rising star more than makes up for that disadvantage with his technical skills.
Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore still in police custody
Japan backs Eddie Jones to coach Brave Blossoms at 2027 Rugby World Cup
Slumping Eagles face little margin for error in matchup against Raiders
Breakout star: teenage B-girl on mission to show China is cool

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives for a party leaders' debate in the Upper House of parliament in Tokyo on Nov. 26. Takaichi has refused to back down from recent Taiwan-contingency remarks that were fiercely criticized by China.
China¡¯s heavy-handed attack on Takaichi is backfiring
Edo Naito
Japan has never formally accepted that Taiwan is part of the PRC and Taiwan has never, for one day, been under the Communist Party's control.
CDC panel¡¯s hepatitis B vaccine vote undid decades of progress
By Lisa Jarvis
America will pay for pushing India away
By Brahma Chellaney
Trump has lost his political superpower
By Nia-Malika Henderson
Japan should unveil a ¡®Green Master Plan¡¯ for Central Asia
By David Hoffman

ENVIRONMENT

The remains of uprooted trees are seen at the Darul Mukhlisin Islamic boarding school and mosque in the aftermath of flash floods at Aceh Tamiang in Indonesia's Northern Sumatra, on Wednesday.
Climate change supercharged $20 billion Asia floods, study finds
Warmer Indian Ocean waters likely fueled the two strongest storms, scientists reported in a rapid World Weather Attribution analysis released Thursday.
Energy demand boom keeps Asia tethered to coal
By Ishika Mookerjee and Dan Murtaugh
2025 on track to tie as second-hottest year on record, EU monitor says
Multilateralism works even as U.S., fossil fuel industry oppose climate action, U.N. chief says
By Valerie Volcovici
The world¡¯s plastic glut is set to get much worse by 2040, study finds
By Leslie Kaufman

CULTURE

CineMalice is set to open Dec. 19 in Jimbocho, the bookstore-laden enclave recently dubbed the world's coolest neighborhood by Time Out.
A movie buff in Jimbocho bets on independent cinema in a big way
By Matt Schley
In the book-filled Tokyo neighborhood, a new mini-theater hopes to introduce you to films you never knew you¡¯d love.
¡®Good Luck¡¯: A gently absurd road movie about filmmaker¡¯s anxiety
By Mark Schilling
¡®Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise¡¯: Cute designs, harrowing truths about the horrors of war
By Matt Schley
Japan releases 'Emily in Paris' star after drug arrest
Tadao Ando¡¯s raw passion in 750 artworks
By Zoria Petkoska

LIFE

Nostalgia for the past has always been big business in Japan, but this year, it's the recent past that has garnered more and more fans.
¡®Messy, blingy, over the top¡¯: Heisei Era charms Japan¡¯s youth
By Jessica Speed
With 2025 drawing to a close, many in Japan are looking back on not only the year that was ¡ª but also a new period of the past overshadowed by its trendier predecessor.
Frank O. Gehry, titan of architecture, is dead at 96
By Nicolai Ouroussoff
InterContinental Sapporo kicks off Hokkaido capital¡¯s MICE push
By Owen Ziegler
In Yamaguchi, a salt master captures the terroir of the sea
By Kimberly Hughes
Tokyo's green appeal, seen by a Swedish gardener who made Japan home
By Shuhei Yoshida

COMMUNITY

More than a quarter of married people in Japan report spousal violence of some kind, and nearly 1 in 10 women have experienced financial abuse, according to a 2023 survey by the Japan Cabinet Office.
Finding a way forward from financial abuse
By Louise George Kittaka
In Japan, nearly 1 in 10 married women have been the victim of financial abuse. Two expats share their stories, along with the resources and advice that helped them through.
Sunny fellow Naruto wins hearts and minds
A French cabbie behind the wheel in small-town Japan
By Isabelle Steen
Alex and Mami St-Jean: ¡®Home feels like the family we¡¯ve created in Hokkaido¡¯
By Jessica Speed
A perfect day in Shin-Okubo, more than just Tokyo¡¯s Koreatown
By Eric Margolis

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
U.S. may require tourists to disclose social media history to customs
By Elizabeth Beattie
Haneda Airport's international departure lobby in April 2023. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, travelers and immigrants have been scrutinized more aggressively.
LIFE
A deep dive into Japanese comfort food
By Simon Daly
As a child, Emiko Davies spent long periods in Japan and was exposed to her grandmother's homecooking.
JAPAN
What is the ¡®subsequent quake advisory' the government issued?
By Tomoko Otake
An official of the Japan Meteorological Agency holds a news conference in Tokyo early Tuesday in the wake of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off Aomori Prefecture.
COMMUNITY
Finding a way forward from financial abuse
By Louise George Kittaka
More than a quarter of married people in Japan report spousal violence of some kind, and nearly 1 in 10 women have experienced financial abuse, according to a 2023 survey by the Japan Cabinet Office.
CULTURE
Culture caught in crossfire as Japan and China rift escalates
By Alyssa I. Smith
Beijing has turned to entertainment as leverage in the escalating tensions between Japan and China, resulting in canceled concerts and postponed film releases.

Podcast

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

Longform

Brown rats, also known as sewer rats, often burrow into damaged pipes and survive on garbage and food scraps. While there aren¡¯t any official numbers, at least hundreds of thousands of them are thought to be living in Tokyo.
In the company of rats: Tokyo's growing rodent problem
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

Report: Participation in the 69th Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences Joint Conference
Report: Participation in the 69th Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences Joint Conference
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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

SUMO
Elite technique behind Aonishiki¡¯s rapid rise to §à?zeki
By John Gunning
Aonishiki pushes out Hoshoryu on Nov. 22 in Fukuoka. The undersized Ukrainian's rapid rise up the sumo rankings can be attributed to his elite technique.
JAPAN
U.S. backs Japan in radar row with China as Tokyo refutes Beijing¡¯s claims
By Jesse Johnson
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a Lower House budget committee session on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Kyoto high school confirms students shoplifted during Bali study trip
By Yukana Inoue
Otani Junior and Senior High School apologized on Monday after confirming several students stole items from a store in Bali during a school trip.
JAPAN
U.S. may require tourists to disclose social media history to customs
By Elizabeth Beattie
Haneda Airport's international departure lobby in April 2023. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, travelers and immigrants have been scrutinized more aggressively.
COMMENTARY
Trump has lost his political superpower
By Nia-Malika Henderson
U.S. President Donald Trump pardons a turkey for Thanksgiving in the Rose Garden on Nov. 25. The U.S. leader's authoritarian rhetoric, grievance-postings and slipping approval ratings suggest he is growing disconnected from voters.