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TOKYO
December 21, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
December 21, 2025
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2025 in Review
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Queried about the comments by a senior Japanese government official that Tokyo should acquire nuclear weapons, a U.S. State Department spokesperson did not directly address the remarks, but praised Japan for its stance on nuclear nonproliferation.
JAPAN / Politics
U.S. appears to pour cold water on idea of Japan acquiring nukes
By Jesse Johnson
The State Department called Japan ¡°a global leader¡± and ¡°valuable partner¡± on nuclear nonproliferation and advancing nuclear arms control.

More coverage

Rubio calls Japan-China tensions ¡®preexisting¡¯ and vows to work with both
Queried about the comments by a senior Japanese government official that Tokyo should acquire nuclear weapons, a U.S. State Department spokesperson did not directly address the remarks, but praised Japan for its stance on nuclear nonproliferation.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party says that an envisaged new requirement of Japanese proficiency for obtaining permanent residency was prompted by many reports of issues involving foreign residents in local communities and administrative procedures resulting from their lack of Japanese language skills.
JAPAN / Society
Japanese proficiency eyed as permanent residency requirement
To obtain the status, foreign nationals will also be mandated to take a program aimed at helping them smoothly integrate into local communities.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son attends an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo in February.
BUSINESS / Tech
SoftBank races to fulfill $22.5 billion funding pledge to OpenAI by year-end
By Echo Wang, Miho Uranaka and Krystal Hu
The "all-in" bet on OpenAI is among the biggest yet by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, as he seeks to improve his firm's position in the race for artificial intelligence.
Shogi player Kana Fukuma speaks at a news conference about issues with Japan Shogi Association rules governing pregnant women, in Osaka on Dec. 10.
MORE SPORTS
In Japan, a shogi player opens a debate on motherhood and the 'game of generals'
By Mai Yoshikawa
Kana Fukuma says new rules governing female shogi players would have forced her to choose between her career and having a second child.
Like clockwork, the Year of the Fire Horse has depressed birth rates in Japan due to a stigma associated with girls born in the year.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Will 91²Ö¿â 'fire horse' curse strike again in 2026?
By Thu-Huong Ha
In 1966, the stigma related to the Chinese sexagenary cycle caused birth rates to plummet.
Like clockwork, the Year of the Fire Horse has depressed birth rates in Japan due to a stigma associated with girls born in the year.

JAPAN

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a summit with five Central Asian nations in Tokyo on Saturday.
Japan sets $19 billion business target in Central Asia
Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region.
A major quake in Tokyo would cause around ?83 trillion in financial damages, with the effect of the nation¡¯s crippled central functions ¡ª from politics, government to businesses ¡ª felt at home and abroad.
Japan forecasts 18,000 deaths in the event of a major quake in Tokyo
By Yukana Inoue
The government¡¯s latest projection is over 20% lower than the previous one made in 2013 due to preparations made since then.
Edo Japan¡¯s bloody legacy of Christian revolt
By Michael Hoffman
Opposition seeks dismissal of government official over nuclear weapon remark
Japan resumes ground work for Futenma base relocation
Takaichi hosts first summit with Central Asia leaders

BUSINESS

A stock board in Tokyo earlier this month. Corporate governance reforms aimed at improving shareholder returns are helping to transform Japan into a hive of activity when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.
Record $350 billion deals boom fuels upbeat M&A outlook in Japan
By Manuel Baigorri, Pei Li and Dong Cao
Corporate governance reforms aimed at improving shareholder returns are helping to transform Japan into a hive of activity.
MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank are planning to raise annual interest rates on ordinary deposits to 0.3% from the current 0.2%.
Four major Japanese banks to hike ordinary deposit interest rates
The four banks are MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.
BOJ rate hike could be both good and bad for households
Krispy Kreme to sell Japan business to Unison Capital
Morgan Stanley seen as front-runner for SpaceX IPO
Nidec chairman quits board after spate of accounting issues

WORLD

Personnel work on a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone as it is parked at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, amid ongoing military movements in Puerto Rico, on Friday.
Trump doesn't rule out war with Venezuela
U.S. President Donald Trump left open the possibility of war with Venezuela, as his top diplomat Marco Rubio vowed Friday to enforce a blockade on the country's oil wealth.
Photographs released Friday by the U.S. Justice Department from the investigation into the politically explosive case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein show former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson and Epstein's then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
U.S. Epstein files release highlights Clinton and makes scant reference to Trump
The absence of references to Trump was notable given that pictures and documents related to him have trickled out of previous releases for years.
Trump enters election year with big wins ¡ª and bigger political headwinds
By Tim Reid and Nandita Bose
How a year of political peril could unfold for Keir Starmer
By Alex Wickham
Cozying up to MAGA pays dividends for Germany¡¯s far-right AfD
By Kamil Kowalcze and Jenny Leonard
Nine drugmakers strike deals with Trump, with more to come

Sports

Anthony Joshua throws a punch at Jake Paul during their bout on Friday in Miami.
Joshua knocks out Paul to win Netflix boxing bout
Two-time world champion Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less experienced opponent, but finally made his superior size and power count.
Naomi Osaka cuts ties with agency she co-founded
Odermatt seals milestone 50th World Cup victory in Val Gardena downhill
Seahawks edge Rams in overtime thriller to seize NFC lead
NFL's Dallas Cowboys top Forbes' most valuable teams list

Opinion

Documented evidence shows schools that implement smartphone-free policies see measurable improvements in academic performance and student well-being, even within a single semester.
It¡¯s time for Japan to ban smartphones in schools
Waka Ikeda
Excessive screen time creates addiction comparable to substance abuse, but it is more nefarious in that it impacts people in unseen ways, unlike tobacco or alcohol.
Kneejerk responses won¡¯t stop the next Bondi attack
By David Fickling
Daddy Trump: When democracies flatter autocrats
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
Maduro is an autocrat, but that doesn¡¯t justify a U.S. coup
Why the push for a stronger yuan won¡¯t go away
By Daniel Moss

ENVIRONMENT

A liquid hydrogen tank at the World Hydrogen Expo in Goyang, South Korea, earlier this month.
Hydrogen plays part in global warming, study says
Though hydrogen has long been touted as a possible solution to the climate crisis, it could also be a small part of the problem, researchers said.
Step aside fashion police, here comes fashion immigration
New roadmap shows how to cut a surprisingly big source of emissions
Climate change supercharged $20 billion Asia floods, study finds
Energy demand boom keeps Asia tethered to coal
By Ishika Mookerjee and Dan Murtaugh

CULTURE

Across genres, performing arts this year were collaborating, experimenting and touring the world.
Tradition, remixed: A year on Japan¡¯s stages
By Kris Kosaka
From kabuki¡¯s newfound fans to experimental theater¡¯s widening scope, Japan¡¯s performing arts scene spent 2025 reaching outward.
Butoh fit itself into odd spaces in 2025
By Zoria Petkoska
¡®The Stars and Moon Are Holes in the Sky¡¯: 1960s nostalgia collides with dated vision of desire
By Mark Schilling
¡®10 Dance¡¯ teases passion but stays cautiously chaste
By James Hadfield
¡®Badly in Love¡¯: Netflix Japan¡¯s most chaotic dating show may be its most honest
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

Kappabashi, Tokyo's "Kitchen Town," is home to friendly faces like shopkeeper Mieko Uematsu. At Mantou, she sells a variety of traditional condiments, as well as knickknacks based on the "kappa" (a mythical water goblin).
From aprons to sake cups: What to buy in Tokyo's Kappabashi
By Kimberly Hughes
Need some last-minute Christmas gift ideas? We get shoppers in "Kitchen Town" to show us what they bought.
Designtide Tokyo 2025 closes this weekend with a creator-led marketplace
By Erik Augustin Palm
In 2025, Japan became the canvas for the year¡¯s best video games
By Owen Ziegler
Why Japanese musicians don¡¯t need rhymes to sing
By Eric Margolis
Park Hyatt Tokyo reopens, and nothing's been lost in renovation
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Bilateral relations between China and Japan may be tense, but life goes on for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese people in Japan. ¡°Politics and daily life are very separate,¡± says Zhang, a mother of three.
Japan-raised Chinese children navigate complex cultural terrain
By Yang Xiong
Despite bilateral tensions, daily life goes on for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese people who call Japan home ¡ª including the children and teenagers who have grown up here.
Emery, an elusive and enchanting mixed-breed cat
Hector Herrera: ¡®Tolerance means remaining in the conversation¡¯
By Kimberly Hughes
Finding a way forward from financial abuse
By Louise George Kittaka
Sunny fellow Naruto wins hearts and minds

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
SDF chief homes in on air defense as threats grow increasingly complex
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
Japan¡¯s top uniformed military officer, Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, listens during an interview with The Japan Times at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Monday.
LIFE
From aprons to sake cups: What to buy in Tokyo's Kappabashi
By Kimberly Hughes
Kappabashi, Tokyo's "Kitchen Town," is home to friendly faces like shopkeeper Mieko Uematsu. At Mantou, she sells a variety of traditional condiments, as well as knickknacks based on the "kappa" (a mythical water goblin).
CULTURE
The year¡¯s most viral song was about more than ice cream
By Patrick St. Michel
??AiScReam emerged as a special unit made up of three performers and voice actors from the mixed-media ¡°Love Live!¡± franchise ¡ª (from left) Ai Furihata, Wakana Okuma and Aguri Onishi.
JAPAN
XG member Cocona¡¯s coming out as nonbinary puts spotlight on gender identities
By Yukana Inoue
An Instagram post on Dec. 6 shows Cocona, a member of a popular Japanese pop group XG, coming out as transmasculine nonbinary, assigned female at birth.
JAPAN
For the first time, Tokyo reaches second place in Global Power City Index
By Elizabeth Beattie
People pose for pictures in front of festive light installations at Mohri Garden in Roppongi district, in Tokyo on Monday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Crowded with links, icons and graphics, Japan¡¯s major web portals deliver information at full volume, echoing an online culture that favors abundance over empty space.
Why Japan¡¯s internet looks weird ¡ª unless you live here
By Thu-Huong Ha

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

From Rubber to Rockets: Malaysian Team Developed ¡°Cosmic Coat¡±, a Radiation-Shielding Coating for Medicines
From Rubber to Rockets: Malaysian Team Developed ¡°Cosmic Coat¡±, a Radiation-Shielding Coating for Medicines
SPACE SEED HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
Hundreds sue Japan¡¯s central government over ¡®unconstitutional¡¯ climate inaction
By Tomohiro Osaki
This year Japan sweltered through its hottest summer since records began. Hundreds of people across Japan filed the country's first lawsuit against the central government on Thursday, seeking damages over what they call ¡°unconstitutional¡± inaction on climate change.
BUSINESS
How China built its ¡®Manhattan Project¡¯ to rival the West in AI chips
By Fanny Potkin
A Huawei store in Shenzhen. While the project to build an extreme ultraviolet lithography machines (EUVs) to produce cutting-edge semiconductor chips is run by the Chinese government, Huawei is involved in every step of the supply chain.
JAPAN
Japanese proficiency eyed as permanent residency requirement
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party says that an envisaged new requirement of Japanese proficiency for obtaining permanent residency was prompted by many reports of issues involving foreign residents in local communities and administrative procedures resulting from their lack of Japanese language skills.
LIFE
From aprons to sake cups: What to buy in Tokyo's Kappabashi
By Kimberly Hughes
Kappabashi, Tokyo's "Kitchen Town," is home to friendly faces like shopkeeper Mieko Uematsu. At Mantou, she sells a variety of traditional condiments, as well as knickknacks based on the "kappa" (a mythical water goblin).
ASIA PACIFIC
Suspect takes own life after killing three in Taipei metro attacks
An injured woman, her shirt stained with blood, is wheeled away from the main train station in Taipei, after a man tossed smoke grenades and lunged at bystanders with a large knife on Friday night, according to the city's police.