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July 01, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 01, 2026
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Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Markets
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
By Kazuaki Nagata
The market remains skeptical about the effectiveness of government efforts to prop up the yen, and pressure on the currency has been steady.
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
The government plans to invest ¥150 billion in Rakuten Mobile in a push to develop a homegrown satellite communication system and reduce reliance on firms such as Starlink.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japan to invest ¥150 billion in Rakuten’s domestic satellite project
By Yukana Inoue
The investment is part of a push to develop a homegrown satellite network and to reduce Starlink’s dominance in the field.
A television screen shows a news report on patrol and law‑enforcement operations around Taiwan conducted by the China Coast Guard, at a restaurant in Beijing in late December.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
More than a boundary: Why Japan-Philippines maritime talks matter for China
By Gabriel Dominguez
Beijing says the talks infringe on maritime rights it claims through Taiwan and sees discussions as part of a broader effort by Manila and Tokyo to deepen strategic coordination.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House committee session in Tokyo on June 22.
JAPAN / Politics
Will Takaichi invoke 60-day rule to pass controversial bills?
By Eric Johnston
The ruling coalition aims to pass bills to trim Lower House seats and establish the concept of a secondary capital in the current session of parliament, which ends in three weeks.
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
By Elizabeth Beattie
Tochigi Prison, which houses 456 inmates, is a microcosm of what female prisons across the nation are facing, from a rising foreign population to mental health issues.
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.

JAPAN

Authorities in Aomori Prefecture said on Monday that a man found dead on a mountain that day may have been attacked by a bear.
Police investigate suspected fatal bear attack in Aomori Prefecture
Authorities said that a man found dead on a mountain may have been attacked by a bear.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, seen with other imperial family members, walk down a hill to greet guests during a spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo in April.
Japan adopts bill to revise Imperial House Law
The government aims to enact the bill during the ongoing Diet session, currently scheduled to end on July 17.
Labor ministry official convicted over stalking and trespassing
Japan’s food waste falls to lowest on record in fiscal 2024
LDP’s flag desecration bill clears Lower House
Japan to revise its Arctic policy as region’s geopolitical importance grows

BUSINESS

The government kept its view that the economy is "recovering moderately,” signaling its expansion still has room to run.
Japan nears longest postwar growth even as households struggle
By Keiko Ujikane and Erica Yokoyama
The government kept its view that the economy is “recovering moderately,” signaling the expansion still has room to run.
Aflac Japan reported a data breach on Tuesday that affected over 4 million customers.
Aflac Japan reports data breach affecting over 4 million customers
For about 230,000 customers, information about premium payment accounts was also compromised.
Takaichi’s new BOJ board pick signals tame view on inflation
By Toru Fujioka
JAL fraudulently receives subsidies for state project
Japan to see price hikes for 2,566 food items in July
Spain’s war on football piracy is breaking the internet

WORLD

Private hire driver Ali Haydor is reflected in his vehicle wing mirror in Southampton, Britain, on Feb. 23. The 44-year-old, who moved from Bangladesh at age five, says he sometimes wishes he could hide his heritage and identity.
Anti-migrant politics sparking resurgence of racism in the U.K., polls suggest
By Sam Tabahriti and Catarina Demony
A focus on crimes committed by members of ethnic minorities by right-wing activists and politicians has tapped into tensions over national identity and immigration.
A tactical short-range unmanned aerial vehicle during a military exercise at a military facility in Taichung, Taiwan, on Saturday. Taiwan’s debate over drone procurement is being closely watched because the successful use of unmanned systems by Ukraine and Iran have underscored the ways in which the technology can be used to defend territory against larger adversaries.
Taiwan opposition pitches $7.5 billion drone plan after stalling government bid
By Yian Lee
The debate is being closely watched because use of unmanned systems elsewhere has shown how the technology can be leveraged to defend against larger adversaries.
Dynasty daughter Keiko Fujimori wins Peru presidency on fourth go
New CDC leaders vow to boost skeleton staff left after DOGE cuts
By Jessica Nix
Burnham vows to grow economy by taking powers out of London
By Lucy White and Alex Morales
South African police on high alert before antimigrant protests
By S'thembile Cele

Sports

Japan's Hiroki Ito (right) reacts with Ayumu Seko after the team's loss against Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
Japan pays price again for retreating against Brazil
By Zach Lowy
Considering its World Cup debut was 1998, Japan has done incredibly well to assert itself as Asia’s preeminent soccer behemoth, but it has always missed that one final touch.
Morocco advances after penalty shootout win over Netherlands in Monterrey thriller
By Janina Nuno Rios
Blazers acquire Morant in three-player deal with Grizzlies
Naomi Osaka serves up a fashion slam at Wimbledon
By Vanessa Friedman
Paraguay stuns Germany on penalties to reach World Cup last 16
By Karolos Grohmann

Opinion

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a news conference with his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on March 6.
Mark Carney has given Canadians something to celebrate
Stephen R. Nagy
Carney has improved Canada’s global reputation, but economic weakness, domestic political challenges and relations with the U.S. will determine whether his early gains endure.
Is the tide turning against Russia in Ukraine?
By Sergei Guriev
The U.S. Supreme Court just betrayed asylum seekers
By Noah Feldman
Starbucks Korea marketing debacle is far from over
By Juliana Liu
Trump’s march of folly in Iran
By Timothy Snyder

ENVIRONMENT

Evenings are proving to be a particular crunch point in Britain as solar comes offline, meaning the National Energy System Operator needs to pay generators to step in to meet demand.
U.K. grid issues another supply warning as heat tests network
By Eamon Akil Farhat
The alert underscores the new extremes the grid must adapt to: in this case, a surge in cooling demand coinciding with low wind generation and reduced nuclear output.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
By Shoaib Mir and Parthu Venkatesh P
More temperature records shattered in Europe as deadly heat wave moves east
Britain and Switzerland break June temperature record as deadly heat wave grips Europe
What people around the world are getting wrong about climate change awareness
By Eric Roston

CULTURE

Yo Katami found a permanent home for Loneliness Books in Higashinakano in August 2024, but still travels for book pop-ups at fairs and events in Japan and across Asia.
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
By Mike Fu
Since establishing a permanent location in Nakano Ward in 2024, Tokyo’s queer-focused bookstore Loneliness Books has become a hub of events and activities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Singer and actor Kazuya Kamenashi to marry Minami Tanaka
Trooper Salute marches to its own beat on dazzling debut album
By Patrick St. Michel
Buzzcut backlash: AKB48 member’s termination stirs online furor
By Patrick St. Michel
An implausible but engaging crime drama unfolds in ‘Magical Secret Tour’
By James Hadfield

LIFE

“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
By Aarohi Narain
Originally published as a six-volume series in the 1930s, “A Dictionary of Color Combinations” has become a go-to for creatives in Japan and around the world.
Smash tacos with bear-approved veggies
By Simon Daly
Summer in Japan: The language and flavors of staying cool
By Eric Margolis
‘A little funky’: Japanese ‘nattō’ disgusts and delights the world
By Tomohiro Osaki & Sarah Lai
Can a single clay pot really elevate everything you cook?
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
By Mai Yoshikawa
Beyond the paperwork and the language barrier, James Benstead says the hardest part about adopting in Japan was the waiting.
Two furry siblings seek their forever home
How a U.S. author found — and helped build — community in a Japanese hot spring town
By Michele Laudig
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
By Mai Yoshikawa
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
By Elizabeth Beattie

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
By Jessica Speed
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
COMMUNITY
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
By Mai Yoshikawa
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
ENVIRONMENT
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
By Elizabeth Beattie
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LIFE
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
By Robbie Swinnerton
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
LIFE
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
By Aarohi Narain
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

TDC Global challenges norms at Japan workplaces
TDC Global challenges norms at Japan workplaces

COMFACTS

Space Seed Holdings and Three Partners File Core Patents for “SpaceAgent”
Space Seed Holdings and Three Partners File Core Patents for “SpaceAgent”
SPACE SEED HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

WHAT’S TRENDING

SOCCER
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
COMMUNITY
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
By Mai Yoshikawa
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
ENVIRONMENT
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
By Shoaib Mir and Parthu Venkatesh P
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
BUSINESS
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
By Kazuaki Nagata
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
SOCCER
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.