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Japan
Japan
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Japan, covering politics, economy, society, the country's relationships with China, North Korea and South Korea and the legacy of World War Two in Asia.
Capital
Tokyo
Head of State
Emperor Naruhito
Head of Government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida
last updated:
29 November, 2024
Barbie Hsu became a household name in Hong Kong and across Asia for her starring role in the 2001 television drama Meteor Garden. Photo: AFP
Fame and celebrity

Barbie ‘Big S’ Hsu’s family to bring ashes back to Taiwan on Thursday

Hsu, 48, reportedly also suffered flu symptoms during family trip in Japan before she succumbed to pneumonia.

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Crime

Outrage in Japan after ex-lawmaker ‘got away’ with raping 12-year-old girl

Russia

How China links ensure illicit Japanese pianos keep Russia’s elite entertained

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

How to do Niseko, according to Hong Kong actress-turned-snowboarder Hilary Tsui

Stay at Setsu Niseko or Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, eat at Birch Tree Cafe or Udon Gokoro, and get your gear at Rhythm or The North Face, Gravity Niseko.

Hilary Tsui, once a film actress in Hong Kong, is today happiest on the snow in Hokkaido – here’s her pick of Niseko’s best eats, stays and souvenirs. Photo: Handout
United States

Letters | As Trump turns off the US aid tap, will Asia step up?

Readers discuss a possible outcome of the US president’s decision to freeze foreign aid, and the impact of tariffs on the world economy.

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks jump on AI theme, hope for US-China tariff reprieve

Market participants ‘are yearning for the opportunity that the US will continue negotiations with China’, an analyst says.

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Tourism

‘Like a mobile capsule hotel’: Japan to unveil first-ever sleeper bus

A Japanese bus company’s first bunk-bed bus aims to remove accommodation costs for young concert travellers.

Two women try out the Sommeil Profond, an overnight bus service between Tokyo and Kochi which will begin operations in March. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong tourists with medical conditions should avoid flu-hit countries: experts

Risk for chronically ill patients who contract influenza must be taken seriously, doctors warn after death of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu in Japan.

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Climate change

Melting point: Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival skates on thin climate ice

This year’s festival came dangerously close to being cancelled, before it was saved by a last-minute snowfall.

Hong Kong environmental issues

Editorial | Tests whet appetite for easing of seafood ban in Hong Kong

Findings of scientists from mainland China near crippled Japanese nuclear power plant prompt calls for Hong Kong to review restrictions on imports.

A fresh debate is brewing in Hong Kong over whether the city should lift its Fukushima-related seafood import ban. Photo: Sam Tsang
Artificial intelligence

SoftBank, OpenAI tie up to develop AI for Japan as DeepSeek rises

SoftBank Group companies will spend US$3 billion a year on OpenAI’s tools, despite the arrival of cheaper products from China’s DeepSeek.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Asia travel

Forget Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka – 4 top Japanese spots with few tourists

With record visitor numbers in 2024 putting strain on Japan’s tourist hotpots, here are four places to visit far away from crowds in 2025.

Donald Trump

Japan weighs trust in Trump as US says defence of Diaoyu Islands rock solid

Washington has confirmed its security treaty with Japan covers the disputed islets, but concerns remain about Trump’s commitment to the deal.

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Religion

In Japan, a Muslim community’s wish to bury its dead stirs wave of hostility

Misleading reports and social media attacks have sought to block plans for a Muslim cemetery in the town of Hiji in southern Japan.

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Muslims arrive at Tokyo Mosque in Japan to perform the Eid al-Adha prayer in June last year. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Russia

Up in smoke? Ukraine’s bid to shame Japan Tobacco for Russia tax fails to ignite

Japan Tobacco’s decision to stay in Russia highlights a stark contrast in Japanese public opinion compared to other nations.

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People smoke cigarettes at a smoking area in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Family offices

Exclusive | For Hong Kong, family offices and IPOs are major growth engines: Deloitte

Hong Kong is particularly appealing to wealthy families from mainland China and Southeast Asia to set up family offices, Dennis Chow says.

Viral stories

‘Don’t want to die alone’: Japan grandma steals to get free care, help in jail

Despairing grandmother who lives on meagre pension says she would rather take ‘stability’ of prison than life on outside.

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Tokyo

Ishiba to meet Trump next week, trade and defence set to be on agenda

Donald Trump has confirmed his planned meeting with Shigeru Ishiba, with the two leaders expected to also discuss security cooperation.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, with their talks set to focus on trade and defence. Photo: Reuters
History

Japanese cave diver seeks to recover remains from 1942 Chosei mine disaster

A civic group is leading the effort, seeking to honour the victims and provide closure for their families.

US-China relations

Opinion | DeepSeek’s US tech rout kicks off 2025’s game of snakes and ladders

With China underrated and global footloose capital getting jitters about the United States, investors can expect volatility.

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Russia

China urges Japan to rethink planned hi-tech export bans

Restrictions will affect 18 Chinese companies when they come into effect on February 9.

All of the companies on the list will face export bans on key technological items, including advanced semiconductor materials. Photo: AFP

Japanese pensioner still missing in massive ‘caving in’ sinkhole

The 74-year-old man’s truck was swallowed by the hole, now 40 metres across and still caving in, with corroded sewage pipes a possible cause.

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A huge sinkhole in Yashio in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, photographed from a helicopter on Friday. The hole appeared on Tuesday, swallowing a truck and its driver, and has enlarged. Photo: Kyodo
Semiconductors

Semiconductor supply chain linchpin JSR sees DeepSeek boosting chip sales

DeepSeek’s low-cost AI models are expected to spur demand for semiconductors over the long term, the Japanese chip materials supplier said.

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Ageing society

Japan records biggest jump in foreign workers as it tackles labour shortages

Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipinos were the top three nationalities in Japan’s foreign labour force.

Truck driver missing for 3 days in Japan sinkhole

Residents in Saitama prefecture have been asked to reduce water use after the five-metre (16 feet) deep sinkhole expanded and a second hole formed nearby

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China-Japan relations

Hegseth, Nakatani discuss US-Japan defence alliance in first phone call

The two defence chiefs expressed their ‘firm intent’ to ‘reinforce the alliance’, Japan says.

Japanese soldiers in a marine landing drill in 2023. File photo: Reuters
Tokyo

Tokyo’s prime office rents rise, but vacancy rates tell a different story

Rents for prime office space in Japan’s capital increased by 5.2 per cent in last year’s third quarter, the most in eight years.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki’s treasured car put on display

The Citroen 2CV, a French classic car, can be seen at Ghibli Park, with an original manga depicting how Miyazaki fell in love with it.

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