Japanese flock to Hong Kong, lured by nostalgic, ‘kawaii’ appeal of pandas, Labubu
By Julian Ryall The number of Japanese travellers to Hong Kong jumped more than 32 per cent for the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024, an encouraging sign of recovery for tourism authorities in the Chinese city seeking to draw more visitors from the Land of the Rising Sun. […]
Read MoreAs Ishiba exits, is Japan doomed for ‘revolving door’ era of political instability?
By Maria Siow When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after his party was trounced at the parliamentary polls earlier this year, the country was already staring at what could be an era of flux, marked by revolving door leaders who are slaves to approval ratings amid […]
Read MoreJapan PM says Palestine state recognition ‘when not if’
Japan’s Prime Minister told the United Nations yesterday (23 September) that Tokyo’s recognition of the State of Palestine was only a question of time, saying he was “indignant” at recent comments by Israeli officials. Nearly 80 per cent of UN members recognise the State of Palestine, with a string of countries including Britain, Canada and […]
Read MoreCan Japan shake up the UN Security Council? Ishiba to make last-ditch appeal
By Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is expected to urge sweeping reform of the UN Security Council, which Tokyo has long criticised as “dysfunctional” and unfit for today’s world order. Ishiba left for New York […]
Read MoreJapanese researchers earn Ig Nobel Prize stripes by painting cows like zebras
A Japanese research team that painted cows with zebra-like stripes to protect them from biting flies has received this year’s Ig Nobel Prize in Biology, marking the country’s 19th consecutive win at the tongue-in-cheek science awards. The prize, awarded in a ceremony at Boston University on Thursday, honours research that “first makes people laugh, then […]
Read MoreWill China’s 731 film on Japan’s war crimes worsen already frayed ties?
By Vanessa Caiin Shanghai For a movie about a particularly dark chapter of China’s history, 731 has been doing exceptional business. The film, released on Thursday, focuses on Japan’s Unit 731, which conducted biological warfare in northeastern China during the second world war, using disease prevention research as cover to kill civilians. It has topped […]
Read MoreJapan and Bahrain eye greater business cooperation
TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa held talks here on Friday to boost business cooperation. Iwaya highlighted frameworks for such cooperation including the Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry reported. Iwaya and his Bahraini counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani held the first […]
Read MoreWhy the US is backing Japan’s entry into Aukus: ‘a logical next step’
By Julian Ryall The United States is backing Japan’s entry into the Aukus security pact, with analysts calling it a long-overdue move to harness Tokyo’s advanced defence technology and bolster Western military cooperation with a key ally in the Indo-Pacific. Quoting an unpublished US State Department report to Congress, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Washington […]
Read MoreJapan ends long-running Russia outreach as war, Western pressure and suspicions take toll
By Julian Ryall Tokyo will close all six of its government-funded Japan Centre offices in Russia – long tasked with promoting trade, language education and business ties – citing major changes in bilateral relations and the view that their mission has run its course. While Japanese officials framed the move as a functional decision, analysts […]
Read MoreWho will be Japan’s next PM? A ‘poisoned chalice’ of leadership awaits LDP’s winner
By Julian Ryall Less than 24 hours after Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation as prime minister, Japan’s ruling party faces a leadership contest that few seem eager to win and even fewer to survive, as it lays bare internal rivalries. Few within Japanese politics were truly taken aback when Ishiba confirmed his decision to step […]
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