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June 23, 2026
 

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Juliana Liu
The J-20S (right) and J-35A stealth fighter jets are exhibited at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, in November 2024.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2026
In selling arms, China is still no superpower
In fact, China¡¯s strategy of avoiding military entanglements and binding security commitments is one of the reasons why it struggles to break through in the export market.
Boeing¡¯s new jet deal with China ends a nine-year sales drought, but the smaller-than-expected order underscores how geopolitical tensions and rising competition have weakened its position in the important aviation market.
COMMENTARY / World
May 19, 2026
Boeing deal won¡¯t end its China troubles
It was a surprise when the confirmed deal was less than half of the 500 that was reportedly in discussion.
Asia¡¯s budget airlines are struggling under soaring jet-fuel costs, facing flight cuts and higher fares, while governments are urged to intervene to prevent failures similar to the collapse of U.S.-based Spirit Airlines.
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2026
Asian budget carriers need help to avoid Spirit¡¯s fate
Unlike the region¡¯s flagship carriers, low-cost providers aren¡¯t backed by sovereign wealth funds.
Toyota¡¯s clash with activist investor Elliot Investment Management shows that even Japan¡¯s most powerful conglomerates must respect minority shareholders.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 5, 2026
A win ¡ª and a lesson ¡ª from Toyota¡¯s Elliott deal
On the face of it, the dispute between Toyota and activist investor Elliot Investment Management ended amicably with an agreement that gave each side what it wanted.
BTS¡¯s comeback has been overshadowed by romance rumors, exposing the clash between K-pop¡¯s obsessive superfan culture and the artists¡¯ right to love freely as the industry expands globally.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 16, 2026
K-pop stars should be allowed to love
The controversy that has fired up a small but vocal fandom centers on whether two of the industry¡¯s biggest stars, Jungkook of BTS and Winter of aespa, are in a relationship.
A ship is under construction at a Hyundai Heavy Industries' dry dock in Ulsan, South Korea, in July 2015. Partnering with South Korean companies would be cost effective for the U.S. Navy because their high-capacity shipyards can build ships at about half the U.S. cost.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 16, 2025
South Korea is the answer to America¡¯s naval problem
The stakes are clear: The U.S. has a battle force of around 290, while China has a 400-strong fleet, according to U.S. estimates.
For decades, only three countries ¡ª the U.S., U.K. and Sweden ¡ª consistently exported more music than they imported, and South Korea has now joined them as the fourth.
COMMENTARY
Dec 2, 2025
The K in K-Pop is already silent. And that¡¯s OK.
In terms of music consumption, K-Pop is already on that path. Audience data shows that there are now far more fans outside South Korea than at home.
The U.S. and the world face a growing security risk due to heavy dependence on China for key pharmaceutical ingredients, prompting calls to diversify supply chains to reduce geopolitical vulnerabilities.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 30, 2025
China holds all the cards in global pharmaceuticals
China is the exclusive supplier of at least one chemical used in nearly 700 crucial medicines.
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor, speaks during a media preview at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Oct. 29. Minority investors are challenging the carmaker's bid to take affiliate Toyota Industries Corp. private.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 5, 2025
The Toyota buyout is a major test for Japan¡¯s reforms
A letter signed by two dozen investors addressed ¡°widespread concern¡± about the plan to buy out Toyota Industries Corp., also known as TICO.
Shenzhen International Airport. Chinese job seekers, worried about competition in tech fields, are upset about the new K visa, which allows foreign talent to work in China.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2025
China¡¯s visa uproar is part of a DeepSeek illusion
Some of the resulting backlash on Chinese social media against the new K visa has been downright xenophobic and even racist.
Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas dribbles past Phoenix Suns' Oso Ighodaro during the NBA pre-season basketball game at the Venetian Arena in Macau on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2025
The NBA¡¯s return to China is no slam dunk
From a commercial point of view, re-engaging with its second-biggest market is an obvious move.
A protester displays a poster featuring U.S. President Donald Trump at Incheon Airport on Sept. 12 after South Korean workers detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia returned home.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2025
South Korea should turn the U.S. ICE raid into trade leverage
U.S. officials sought to justify the operation by saying the 300 South Koreans arrested were working illegally. But that logic now appears to be on shaky ground.
Jack Ma¡¯s return to Alibaba gives him a chance to boost the pay and benefits of delivery people, a move that would align with Beijing¡¯s economic goals and help the company navigate regulatory and competitive pressures.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 25, 2025
Welcome back Jack Ma. Don¡¯t forget the little guys.
Alibaba¡¯s Ele.me stands to benefit from improving the pay and welfare of its hardworking delivery drivers.
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Japanese companies get serious about workplace DEI
People working in human resources departments participate in a workshop in Tokyo in January. The participants played a card game in which they took on roles of people with various disabilities.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Japan-South Korea detente persists ¡ª but breakthrough remains elusive
While Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have kept relations from sliding backward, experts say they have struggled to turn stability into concrete steps forward.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Distracted walkers in Japan are a real safety risk. My mother knows firsthand.
In Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, <i>aruki-sumaho</i> ¡ª walking while using a smartphone ¡ª has become a persistent safety concern as commuters navigate crowded stations and sidewalks while focused on their devices.
Can automation offset Japan¡¯s military workforce shortage?
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.
Japan¡¯s World Cup picture comes into focus after rout of Tunisia
Japan&#039;s Ko Itakura clears the ball during the first half against Tunisia during a Group F match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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