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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 heart muscle sheet derived from human stem cells at the University of Osaka. Photo: Kyodo
Medicine

Japan approves world’s first regenerative medicines using iPS cells

Drugs made with iPS, or induced pluripotent stem cells, will be used to treat patients with severe heart failure and Parkinson’s disease.

Hong Kong politics

Protect Hongkongers in Japan, authorities urge Tokyo after tourist attacked

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Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong hotels, tourist-area eateries report brisk trade over Lunar New Year

Singapore

Is Singapore’s plan to regulate blind boxes ‘paternalistic’ or ‘harm reduction’?

The mystery surrounding the purchase of blind boxes has prompted concerns of gambling-style risks faced by consumers, especially minors.

Blind boxes sold in a store in Tampines 1 mall, Singapore. Photo: Kolette Lim
China-Japan relations

Tokyo involvement in Taiwan would amount to aggression against Beijing: UN envoy

Fu Cong, permanent representative to the United Nations, warns of a resolute retaliation if Japan intervenes militarily on the issue.

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Architecture and design

This Hong Kong home sleeps six – and still feels serene

This luminous, Japanese-inspired bolt-hole in Tsim Sha Tsui is a far cry from its gloomy, fragmented beginnings.

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Royalty

‘Enormous failure’: naked man exposes gaps in Japan’s royal security

Princess Kako reportedly witnessed the chaos firsthand as a shrieking intruder stripped off and scaled a barrier below the royal balcony.

(From left) Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko, Princess Kako, Prince Hisahito, Princess Nobuko and Princess Akiko attend the traditional new year’s greeting ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2. Photo: AFP
Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Editorial | Food poisoning cases in Hong Kong must prompt swift mitigation efforts

Amid the latest spate of illnesses, the city needs to adopt proactive and transparent strategies to ensure that customers can dine safely.

Hong Kong society

Japan travel warning after Hongkonger beaten with beer bottle in Sapporo

Visitor beaten on head at a restaurant in the Japanese city, Chinese consulate says.

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South Korea

South Korea to observe first, decide later on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

A former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

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US President Donald Trump holds a signed resolution at the “Board of Peace” charter announcement in Davos on January 22. Photo: Reuters
Chinese tourists

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

Impact ripples through Japan’s retail sector, with falling duty-free sales at top department stores highlighting the pain for the industry.

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Chinese tourists in kimonos seen at the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on November 15, 2025. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

Liancourt rocks

‘A very good thing’: Japan’s Takaichi steps back from Liancourt Rocks pledge

Analysts say Takaichi’s decision not to send a cabinet minister to the event shows she is ‘protecting ties’ with Seoul amid regional tensions.

China education

Opinion | Universities in Japan and China are becoming tools of national strategy

Across Asia, higher education is becoming a central arena where national ambition, geopolitical constraint and human capital intersect.

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People walk through the University of Tokyo on May 27, 2025. Photo: AP
Donald Trump

Trump unveils first Japan investments under trade deal with US

The president hailed the projects – a critical minerals site, a gas power plant and an LNG facility in the US – ahead of PM Takaichi’s visit.

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US President Donald Trump speaks alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington at the US Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan, in October. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

How a punt on an unknown Chinese truck manufacturer paid off in South Africa

Chinese commercial truck builder FAW now outsells major Western and Japanese brands including Toyota, Daimler and Isuzu.

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Cambodia

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

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SCMP Highlights

Indonesia’s tourist visa, Filipino attacked in Singapore mall: 7 Asia highlights

From scrutiny over Indonesia’s tourist visa to workplace pranks in Japan, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Tourists walk through a shopping area in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA
Tourism

Russia emerges as unlikely growth market for Japan tourism as China pulls back

New visa centres in Moscow and St Petersburg reflect a sharp rise in Russian demand as Chinese arrivals fall amid diplomatic tensions.

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Asia elections

Okinawa voters shift away from concerns over US military presence

Analysts point to a shift in priorities among younger Okinawans as a possible factor in the alliance’s bruising defeat in the election.

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China's military weapons

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

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The MQ-9 Reaper has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the Indo-Pacific. Photo: Reuters
Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Hong Kong watchdog finds fragrance allergens in Gucci, Bvlgari perfumes

Consumer Council warns perfumes containing excessive fragrance chemicals may lead to ‘cocktail effect’, increasing health risks.

The Consumer Council has tested 40 perfume products for allergens. Photo: Getty Images
SCMP Highlights

Star Cruises apologises, China goes visa-free for UK, Canada: 5 weekend reads

From the Munich Security Conference to Star Cruises’ fiasco, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Banking & finance

Can Hong Kong’s MPF members repeat record gains in Year of the Horse?

Volatility looms in the Year of the Horse, analysts forecast, after the Year of the Snake delivered estimated earnings of US$32 billion.

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks rise to wrap up best lunar-year performance in eight years

As market closes for Lunar New Year, benchmark hits 32 per cent gain since the Year of the Snake began in January 2025.

A sign in Central shows Hong Kong stock information on February 6, 2026. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Munich Security Conference

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

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Chinese military activities – and the need to respond to them – have been framed as a major driver of cooperation between US allies during this year’s Munich Security Conference. Photo: Xinhua
South China Sea

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

China and the Philippines are both signalling openness to diplomacy alongside continued military flexing, but this may not be sustainable.

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Munich Security Conference

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

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