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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
M&A financing picked up in the fourth quarter of last year, with volumes almost doubling year on year to US$14 billion in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan. Photo: dpa
Banking & finance

Asia-Pacific loans poised for strong rebound in 2025 with M&A surge

The region’s loan volumes reached US$164 billion in the final three months of 2024 – the strongest fourth-quarter performance in three years.

Tuna fetches US$1.3 million at world's biggest fish market

Retailing

Short on workers, Japan retailer hires remote cashiers living overseas

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

Hong Kong’s 2024 pension gained 13% at best pace in 4 years

The increase of HK$102.4 billion (US$13 billion) works out to HK$21,500 per member, says MPF Ratings.

Pedestrians cross a street in Central on August 15, 2024. Photo: May Tse
Banking & finance

Hongkongers’ start-up eyes 100,000 investment pros as AI tool users

Arbor’s ‘reasoning’ chatbot analyses text and extracts investment ideas to enhance fundamental stock analysis, company says.

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History

Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor, who devoted his life to peace, dies at 93

Shigemi Fukahori was only 14 when the US dropped the bomb on Nagasaki and hoped to pass on ‘the baton of peace’ in reference to his advocacy.

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Viral stories

Japanese dad quits job to fulfil late daughter’s dream by opening a family cafe

57-year-old father leaves job for life to learn baking, pastry skills at culinary school, says move helps family cope with grief at loss of daughter.

A Japanese father has quit the job he has done all his life to fulfill the dream of his late daughter and open a family cafe in her memory. Photo: SCMP composite/fnn.jp
Accidents and personal safety

Hong Kong authorities contact embassy after resident crashes car into eatery in Japan

Owner of soba shop in Shizuoka prefecture says he thought he was ‘hit by a rocket’ when Hong Kong tourist drove car through entrance.

Viral stories

Caution as online ‘Superman challenge’ sees kids injured copying risky game

Japan education authorities seeking ways to stop children in country from accessing videos of dangerous ‘superhero’ challenge online.

Accidents and personal safety

Hongkonger rams car into noodle shop in Japan after stepping on wrong pedal

Tourist tells local media she mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.

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The Hong Kong tourist had been trying to park in front of a soba shop in Izu city in Shizuoka prefecture. Photo: X/かんさつおもしろせいぶつ
History

Japan’s far-right slams 2 history films for trying to ‘drive a wedge’

Two films, 731 and Harbin, have drawn criticism from a politician for fuelling anti-Japan sentiment before WWII’s 80th anniversary in 2025.

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A scene from the Chinese-produced film 731 about the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731, based in northern China during WWII, which conducted experiments on prisoners. Photo: Asian Movie Trailer/YouTube
Viral stories

Japan firm uses AI to train new staff in coping with stress, difficult customers

Technology offers rookie customer service staff chance to hone pacification skills on non-humans before being posted to frontline.

United States

Nippon to file lawsuit over Biden’s decision to block US Steel sale

Japan’s industry minister Yoji Muto described Biden’s move to scuttle the deal as ‘incomprehensible’.

United States

Biden rejects Japanese deal to acquire US Steel

US president’s decision to block Nippon Steel could potentially damage relations between the US and Japan, America’s biggest ally in Asia.

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US President Joe Biden’s decision to block the purchase of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States failed to reach consensus on the deal’s national security risks. Photo: AFP
Asia travel

Will Japan’s hot spring culture be added to Unesco list in 2028?

A group of governors is lobbying to get the centuries-old Japanese onsen practice included on Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage list.

A woman enjoys a hot bath at an onsen resort in Japan. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

US consensus on countering China will keep Quad relevant under Trump: experts

The security grouping with Australia, Japan and India is unlikely to thrive as it has under Biden but remains important, observers say.

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Aviation

Sky-high swindlers: passengers warned as in-flight thefts soar in Japan

The thefts onboard airlines flying into and out of Narita International Airport could be linked to crime syndicates, analysts say.

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Food and Drinks

How 1,000-year-old lost art of Chinese tea ceremony is being revived

Latte art has got nothing on the ancient Chinese art of drawing on tea foam whipped up with a bamboo whisk, these days using matcha.

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Hot water is gently poured into the tea bowl before whisking begins. Photo: Kayla Chan
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks rebound as Beijing ramps up support for institutional buying

Some 20 securities firms, fund managers and insurance companies received US$7.53 billion worth of liquid assets from the PBOC through a swap facility.

Earthquakes

Japan’s Noto earthquake survivors start 2025 in shelters

Asia travel

Tourists pay US$220 for lessons in being a Japanese high school student

An abandoned school in Japan has become an edutainment venue for foreign tourists, who can live a day in the life of a Japanese student.

An abandoned school in Japan has been converted to offer edutainment for foreign tourists, who can live a day in the life of a Japanese student. Photo: Instagram/@yourhighschool_kimitsu
Japan Airlines

Meiji Shrine visitors wish for safe 2025

Japan suffered several disasters at the start of 2024, including an earthquake that killed hundreds as well as a fatal plane crash

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Viral stories

‘God of Freebies’ Japan grandpa lives super frugal life using coupons, free offers

Wealthy 75-year old stock market investor scours Tokyo on a bicycle to seek out deals, enjoys pastimes he does not like because they are free.

Defence

‘Maritime blockade’? Chinese drill around Japan’s islands raises Taiwan spectre

Analysts say the move could be part of China’s strategy ‘to take Taiwan without a fight’ and a Miyako Strait blockade would complicate Japan’s response.

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South Korea

Russia’s uncovered secret war plans target 160 sites in Japan and South Korea

Leaked Russian military documents reveal plans to target civilian infrastructure like nuclear power plants and tunnels, raising concerns about potential war crimes.

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A view of the Kanmon Straits from Mount. Hinoyama. Photo: Shutterstock
Canada

North America declares victory over Asian giant hornet 5 years after invasion

Officials say there have been no confirmed sightings of the aggressive species, native to Japan and other parts of East Asia, since 2021.

An Asian giant hornet from Japan is held on a pin by Sven Spichiger, an entomologist with the Washington state Department of Agriculture in Olympia, Washington, in 2020. Photo: AP
Food and Drinks

Japan grapples with sticky problem – potentially fatal mochi binge over holidays

The emergency services have issued advisories urging Japanese people to eat mochi with care, including tips on dealing with choking.

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Singapore

Singaporean and Japanese bulk carriers collide in China’s Yangtze River

The collision resulted in a fuel oil spill, but no injuries were reported. The incident is under investigation, with clean-up efforts under way.

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