Vietnamese crab exporterdouble-skinned crabs
Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan
TOPIC
 / location

Japan

Related Topics:
Japan
Japan
The latest breaking news and stories on Japan, a country in East Asia known as a constitutional monarchy, and the world’s fifth largest economy. Also covering Japan’s relationship with China and Asia, plus commentary and updates on Japan’s economy, politics, society and trade.
Capital
Tokyo
Head of State
Emperor Naruhito
Head of Government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida
A person dangles from a drone in this still from footage obtained by Korean broadcaster JTBC allegedly showing a practice run for Park Wang-yeol’s escape. Photo: YouTube/JTBC_News
SCMP Highlights

South Korean killer’s escape foiled, Duterte trial looms: 7 Asia highlights

From Singaporean minister’s Mandarin diplomacy to Indonesia’s Whoosh debt burden, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Tokyo

Video | Typhoon Dujuan brings deadly floods and landslides to Japan

US-China relations

Shadow of Xi summit hangs over Trump’s high-stakes talks with Japan’s Takaichi

videocam
29
China technology

Consumer MLCC frenzy cools in China, but AI server demand remains high

Shenzhen distributors say speculative buying in consumer MLCCs is fading, but demand for AI server parts continues to strain supply.

Shops inside a mall in the Huaqiangbei commercial district in Shenzhen. Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine

Russia targets ‘unfriendly nations’ as asset seizures spook Japanese firms

The takeover of Swiss and French brands raises the spectre of retaliation against some 230 Japanese businesses still in Russia.

videocam
Food and Drinks

Hong Kong-style milk tea that has customers queuing out the door – in Tokyo

Despite none being from Hong Kong, the three founders of Urushi to Hibi have created a unique – and popular – cultural fusion experience.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
2026 Xi-Trump summits

US, Japan and South Korea launch economic-security talks before Xi summit

Three allies target economic coercion and industrial overcapacity while reinforcing calls for stability across the Taiwan Strait.

videocam
17
From left, Korea Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Canada

Southeast Asia supports multilateralism, wary of US or China leadership: survey

A recent Rockefeller Foundation survey shows strong regional belief in global cooperation and a reluctance to accept superpower dominance.

Extreme weather

Flights axed, over 1 million urged to evacuate as Typhoon Dujuan hits Japan

Four people died in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, while over 46,000 households near Tokyo were without power.

China-Africa relations

Djibouti base upgrade may give PLA eyes on foreign military in Middle East

Commercial imagery reveals two new communication sites built near foreign military bases in East Africa, US think tank says.

videocam
China’s military base in Djibouti as seen in a satellite image taken on May 13, 2025. Photo: Google Earth
Artificial intelligence

AI investors in Asia seen shifting focus to earnings ahead of Xi-Trump summit

Investments in artificial intelligence increasingly hinge on monetisation, Bank of America survey finds, as ‘fundamentals drive everything’.

In a recent Bank of America survey of fund managers, four out of five respondents said proven, tangible AI monetisation would most increase their conviction to add to AI-related stocks. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China tech war

Neither the US nor China can win the AI race alone, BofA analyst says

American power grid limits and China’s reliance on overseas chips mean both nations must lean on international cooperation.

Kyoto University

Japan surgeon cuts healthy brain, leaving patient on ventilator

The veteran doctor ignored negative biopsy results during the 10-hour surgery at Kyoto University Hospital, leaving the tumour intact.

4
China stock market

China’s stamp duty on stock sales spikes over 80% as AI frenzy drives trading

Average daily trading values on mainland China’s stock markets rose 72 per cent in first eight months of the year.

The Ministry of Finance headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Environment

Japan asks for US$43 million to weed out cherry tree-devouring longhorn beetle

Further growth in the ‘invasive’ beetle population could make it difficult to enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the spring.

A Koshigaya city government employee explains the damage caused to a tree by the invasive red-necked longhorn beetle species in Soka, Saitama prefecture, on June 16. Photo: Kyodo
World Gold Council

As China’s consumption of gold jewellery slumps 34%, sellers pivot abroad: WGC

Domestic gold jewellers are seeking to leverage advanced crafting techniques as market sees turbulence, says World Gold Council executive.

Art

Mariko Mori’s landmark Tokyo retrospective traces an extraordinary cosmic journey

From 1970s anime to ancient Jōmon culture and Buddhist thought, the Japanese artist’s retrospective explores cosmic connections.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Style Edit

Style Edit: 45R marks 20 years in Ginza with new 4-storey flagship store

The Japanese brand’s latest Tokyo address brings indigo-dyed denim and seasonal collections into a striking new space, with matcha and art on the top floor.

An inside look at the first floor of 45R’s new Ginza flagship. Photo: Handout
My Life

Wing Shya: photographer to Wong Kar-wai on working with the great and good of Hong Kong cinema

Wing Shya’s candid Hong Kong photography journey – from street snaps to Wong Kar-wai collaborations, Leslie Cheung portraits and iconic film stills – reveals art born of instinct, accident and unwavering passion.

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong customs seizes 13kg of suspected ketamine at airport, man arrested

Officers found suspected ketamine in checked luggage of a 22-year-old man who arrived in city from Frankfurt.

North Korea

North Korea fires 2 missiles in 3 hours amid tensions over US drills

North Korea’s ‌Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong-un, blamed US-led military drills for worsening tensions on the Korean peninsula.

People sit near a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a train station in Seoul on Sunday. Photo: AFP
China exports

China’s trade limits continue to bite into Japan’s rare earth imports

Rare earth magnet imports fall 17 per cent, following a 52 per cent plunge in July, amid deteriorating ties between Beijing and Tokyo.

China is the world’s largest supplier of rare earth permanent magnets, as well as rare earth materials more broadly. Photo: AP Photo
Extreme weather

The cooling trap: how Asia’s air conditioners are making heatwaves worse

As heatwaves intensify across Asia, soaring air-conditioner use is threatening power grids and warming urban nights.

videocam
6
Malaysia

Malaysia deploys air force aircraft for cloud seeding to combat worsening haze

An Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft will be used as the main asset for the cloud seeding operations.

videocam
Artificial intelligence

Japanese convenience stores turn to AI for novelty sweets

Lawson is launching three new food items created using AI around the theme: ‘What on earth is this? But it’s delicious’.

FamilyMart’s sweet potato “canele” with caramel sauce. Photo: Kyodo
History

Crouching dragons: the suicide divers Japan never sent to war

Sealed in diving suits with mines attached to poles, Japan’s ‘fukuryu’ frogmen waited beneath the waves for an invasion that never came.

A photograph obtained by Japanese broadcaster CBC Television shows a diving suit used by the “fukuryu” suicide diver units in WWII. Photo: YouTube/NextTVCBC
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Trump signs bill targeting China’s Russia energy imports days before Xi’s US visit

US president gives backing to ‘Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’ before next week’s Xi-Trump summit in Washington.

videocam
16
Tokyo

Video | Japan’s ‘Suica penguin’ to be replaced in public vote

The public will pick the penguin’s replacement from among 3 candidates by September 23.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement