91²Ö¿â

Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 13¡æ
TOKYO
January 07, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
January 07, 2026
Sanae Takaichi
Venezuela
Immigration in Japan
Latest News
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
An aerosol drone in Beijing. China¡¯s catalogue of dual-use goods includes drones, nuclear materials and facilities, aerospace engine components and specialist alloys.
ASIA PACIFIC
China slaps export controls on Japan military for Taiwan remarks
By Josh Xiao
All dual-use items are banned from being exported to Japan for military use effective immediately, China¡¯s Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

More coverage

Xi pushes Lee to make ¡®correct¡¯ choices amid China-Japan row, but Seoul unlikely to bite
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
An aerosol drone in Beijing. China¡¯s catalogue of dual-use goods includes drones, nuclear materials and facilities, aerospace engine components and specialist alloys.
LDP secretary-general Shunichi Suzuki speaks at the party¡¯s meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
LDP secretary-general eyes ¡®political stability¡¯ in courting DPP into ruling bloc
By Eric Johnston
The move fits into the wider trend of growing cooperation between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People in recent months.
A screenshot of Loverse app shows an AI-generated woman, characterized as a 25-year-old hair and makeup artist Miyu, registered as a female companion.
JAPAN / Society
Swipe right for AI romance
By Yukana Inoue
An app called Loverse aims to give users the closest depiction of the real thing ¡ª complete with all its unpredictability.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority has reported the loss of a work-issued smartphone containing highly sensitive contact information after an employee misplaced the device while traveling in China late last year.
JAPAN
Nuclear regulator employee loses phone containing sensitive info in China
By Jessica Speed
The device, which has not been recovered, contained the names and contact details of staff in charge of nuclear security, all of which is highly confidential.
The lively Coach Ginza store on Jan. 6. The brand has refreshed its image in recent years, attracting younger shoppers through customization, influencer collaborations, and eco-friendly initiatives.
BUSINESS / Companies
Bag charms, coffee and fun: Coach¡¯s Gen Z playbook in Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
In the face of a global luxury market slowdown, the American fashion house¡¯s success with the younger generation has positioned it as something of an outlier in the industry.
The lively Coach Ginza store on Jan. 6. The brand has refreshed its image in recent years, attracting younger shoppers through customization, influencer collaborations, and eco-friendly initiatives.

JAPAN

A 39-year-old man along with his wife and common-law wife, who were arrested for posting secretly filmed sexual videos, are believed to have earned more than ?55 million by selling the videos online.
Nearly 1,000 sex videos shared in polygamous family case, police say
A man, his wife and his common-law wife are believed to have earned more than ?55 million by selling secretly filmed videos online.
According to the Environment Ministry, 8,543 fire incidents involving mobile batteries discarded as waste occurred in garbage trucks or elsewhere in fiscal 2023.
60% in Japan unaware of mobile battery disposal methods
Experts are calling on the public to not throw such devices away as garbage, as some discarded batteries have started fires in waste collection vehicles.
Nagasaki and Okinawa make New York Times¡¯ list of ¡®52 places to go in 2026¡¯
Japan launches campaign to encourage children to talk about problems
Japan traffic deaths hit record low in 2025
Japan to work on addressing problematic minpaku lodgings

BUSINESS

Keidanren Chairman Yoshinobu Tsutsui (left), Ken Kobayashi (center), head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Keizai Doyukai Chairman Akio Yamaguchi at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday
Japanese business leaders positive about continuing wage hikes
One of the key challenges in upcoming negotiations is to extend the trend of significant wage increases beyond large companies.
A prototype of Sony Honda Mobility's second Afeela electric vehicle model is shown to the media in Las Vegas on Monday.
Sony-Honda joint venture unveils prototype of second EV model
Sony Honda Mobility aims to start delivering an SUV-like Afeela model based on the prototype to U.S. customers as early as 2028.
From music to mind reading: AI startups bet on earbuds
By Thomas URBAIN
Lockheed strikes deal with Pentagon to triple output of Patriot missiles
By Jen Judson
Japan¡¯s corporate debt sales set for another banner year in 2026
By Atsuko Fukase
Amazon AI tool blindsides merchants by offering products without their knowledge
By Matt Day

WORLD

Supporters of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro hold up a portrait of him as they gather near Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday.
Trump announces plan to sell Venezuelan oil in sign of talks with Caracas
The U.S. president said Venezuela would sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil that would be shipped directly to the United States.
Children play at a park in Beijing on Saturday.
China¡¯s birth-rate push sputters as couples stay child-free
By Isabel Kua
A decade since China scrapped its stringent one-child policy and implemented a two-child policy in January 2016, the nation is dealing with a looming demographic crisis.
'Of course it's not safe': small city in Russia tries to shrug off war
Syrian government and SDF trade blame as violence resumes in Aleppo
Sudanese flee across border and back to escape overrun oil town
By Amal El-Hussein
Maduro opponent Machado vows to return to Venezuela, wants an election
By Jasper Ward

Sports

Yokozuna Onosato (center) performs at the ring-entering ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday.
What¡¯s in store for Japan¡¯s national sport in 2026?
By John Gunning
All that remains is Saturday¡¯s ring purification ceremony before the battle to see who will be first to lift the Emperor¡¯s Cup in 2026.
Chicago Bulls sign Yuki Kawamura to two-way contract
New Blue Jay Okamoto says daughter's logo choice helped seal the deal
By Frank Pingue
Milano-Cortina Olympics back on track as concerns over snow ease
By Julien Pretot
Chelsea appoints inexperienced Rosenior as new boss
By John WEAVER

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a ceremony marking the last trading day of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Dec. 30.
Takaichi¡¯s political landscape for 2026
Michael MacArthur Bosack
Unlike her predecessors who were consistently forced to address turmoil over the past two years, Prime Minister Takaichi will have time and capital to tackle real policy issues.
Six unresolved AI questions heading into 2026
By Catherine Thorbecke
When trying to understand Venezuela, all answers are unsatisfying
By Brad Glosserman
A decisive year for ocean conservation
By Peter Thomson
Japan¡¯s long return to artificial intelligence
By Songruowen Ma and Kenddrick Chan

ENVIRONMENT

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Dec. 17. Over her short two months in office, Takaichi has emphasized the restart of aging nuclear reactors and developing futuristic ¡ª but not yet commercially viable ¡ª technologies like nuclear fusion.
With a focus on nuclear power, Takaichi¡¯s energy policy takes shape
By Eric Johnston
As she settles into the nation¡¯s top office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s energy policy is quickly coming into focus and nuclear power stands at the forefront.
Japan to draw up action plan to reduce clothing waste
In 2025, climate policy was shoved aside even as extreme weather intensified
By Tomoko Otake
How German engineers are building future-proof forests
By Joanna Gill
North Sea project promises to return carbon to exactly where it came from

CULTURE

¡°Jackson Alone¡± follows four mixed-race, queer young men as they navigate the fallout after a revenge porn video surfaces at the titular character¡¯s place of work.
Part seedy, part satire, all bite: ¡®Jackson Alone¡¯ tackles issues others rarely touch
By Kris Kosaka
The dark satire novella ¡°Jackson Alone¡± is the first book by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Jose Ando to be translated into English.
NHK¡¯s 76th ¡®Kohaku¡¯ was over the top and oddly comforting
By Patrick St. Michel
NHK drama series returns to Sengoku Period spectacle
By Alyssa I. Smith
Comedian Gianmarco counts on naughty 'Dragon Ball' words to help him in Tokyo
By Zoria Petkoska
A year of plenty: Endless art shows, subtle curation of themes
By Jennifer Pastore, Thu-Huong Ha and Zoria Petkoska

LIFE

Sprinkle a little chili powder to your soy hot chocolate for a spicy touch.
Hot chocolate and soy sauce make perfect bedfellows in winter
By Simon Daly
The combination of the two ingredients creates a cozy cup brimming with umami.
Seeing Kyushu slowly aboard the 36+3 tourist train
By Gendel Gento
Start 2026 with familiar flavors of home
By Shyam Bhardwa
Running hot in 2026: What's in store for the Year of the Fire Horse
By Kathryn Wortley
What ¡ª and who ¡ª helps us stick to our New Year¡¯s goals
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

As head of primary at The British School in Tokyo, Eleanor Loran brings her experience working in far-flung locales like Hong Kong and New Zealand to the diverse school community in Japan.
Eleanor Loran: ¡®I believe in building empathy, tolerance and kindness¡¯
By Laura Pollacco
A senior administrator at The British School in Tokyo shares her views on the value of international education and the challenges of maintaining a community in constant flux.
Finding a balance between tradition and innovation in 2025
Making a home in Japan with holiday meals and memories
By Karen Hill Anton
Emery, an elusive and enchanting mixed-breed cat
Japan-raised Chinese children navigate complex cultural terrain
By Yang Xiong

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
App that blocks gambling sites may offer lifeline for addicts in Japan
By Tomoko Otake
Betting money through online casinos is illegal in Japan, but a National Police Agency-commissioned report released last year estimates that 3.37 million Japanese have used online casinos.
ENVIRONMENT
With a focus on nuclear power, Takaichi¡¯s energy policy takes shape
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Dec. 17. Over her short two months in office, Takaichi has emphasized the restart of aging nuclear reactors and developing futuristic ¡ª but not yet commercially viable ¡ª technologies like nuclear fusion.
JAPAN
Dental hygiene key to predicting mortality, Japanese researchers find
By Jessica Speed
Older adults with no remaining teeth had a mortality risk about 1.7 times higher than those with 21 or more teeth, according to Japanese researchers.
BUSINESS
The very best is on the menu for business travelers flocking to Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
Then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and then-U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visit Daiwa Sushi restaurant at Toyosu Market in Tokyo in Jan. 7, 2025.
BUSINESS
Japan policy wonks consumed by debate over how to measure fiscal woes
By Francis Tang
A Japanese flag flutters near the National Diet Building in Tokyo on Oct. 21.

Podcast

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

Longform

With double fire in play, 2026 favors visibility, creativity and breakthroughs ¡ª but demands balance to avoid burnout.
Running hot in 2026: What's in store for the Year of the Fire Horse
By Kathryn Wortley

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Officially Launches Metaverse Space ¡°Lunar Brewery¡± ¨C Updating Sake Brewery Tourism and Cross-Border Experiences Through a ¡°Virtual Brewery¡± in the Metaverse
Tsunan Sake Brewery Officially Launches Metaverse Space ¡°Lunar Brewery¡± ¨C Updating Sake Brewery Tourism and Cross-Border Experiences Through a ¡°Virtual Brewery¡± in the Metaverse
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
Dental hygiene key to predicting mortality, Japanese researchers find
By Jessica Speed
Older adults with no remaining teeth had a mortality risk about 1.7 times higher than those with 21 or more teeth, according to Japanese researchers.
JAPAN
Strong earthquake rattles western Japan, followed by several more shakes
By Elizabeth Beattie
The intensity of Tuesday morning's initial quake is shown on a weather agency map
WORLD
Denmark says U.S. attack on Greenland would mean end of NATO
By Sanne Wass
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks at a press conference after the European Council meeting in Brussels on Dec. 19, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC
As Trump focuses on U.S. backyard, Venezuela attack emboldens China
By Jesse Johnson
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping look at one another during a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, in October.
BUSINESS
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
By Kanoko Matsuyama
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said duty-free sales across its domestic stores fell 14% in December.