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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
Cantopop singer Chris Wong’s concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum is part of the first batch of tokenised shows. Photo: handout
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong firm to test tokenised concert stakes ahead of digital gold trading

Hong Kong firm unveils crypto-based concert funding model, marking the city’s latest step in fintech innovation and gold tokenisation.

Food and Drinks

Can Cadbury chocolate-fed Wagyu outshine Japan’s finest beef?

Trending in China

Video | Shoppers go bananas for Ikea orangutan plush

Offbeat

Future of Japan’s ‘naked festival’ in doubt after 3 men left unconscious

Organisers said they would review safety rules after six men collapsed during the annual scramble for good-luck talismans.

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Participants at the Saidaiji “naked festival” gather inside the temple hall before sacred talismans are thrown in Okayama City on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo
China travel

Chinese tourism to Japan plunges 50% over Lunar New Year as Thailand cashes in

Thailand was the top destination for China’s outbound travellers over the extended holiday, with tourists avoiding Japan amid rising tensions.

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Donald Trump

No takebacks: Japan wants US to stick to trade deal amid tariff turmoil

Japan could see extra tax burdens on some goods if Trump’s new 10 per cent tariffs were to be applied unilaterally, the trade minister said.

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Scams and swindles

‘K-wave’ scams exploiting Brazil’s superfans trigger police pact

South Korea and Brazil are taking action to protect fans from fraudsters cashing in with phantom merchandise and exploitative ‘oppa’ tours.

BTS fans who flew from Brazil to see the K-pop super act’s members Jungkook and Jimin released from military service pose with flags in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on June 11 last year. Photo: AFP
SCMP Highlights

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

China travel

‘Chinese everywhere’: why tourists ditch Tokyo for Seoul as Japan ties sour

Diplomatic row with Japan sent more Chinese travellers packing for Korea, filling its hotels over the nine-day holiday and offering relief to a sluggish domestic economy.

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China-Japan relations

China adds Japanese entities to export control list, turning up heat on Tokyo

Beijing has also added 20 Japanese firms and institutions to a watch list for the export of goods with potential military applications.

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China has added 20 Japanese entities to an export control list amid heightened tensions with Tokyo. Photo: AFP
China-South Korea relations

Seoul’s protest seen as reluctance to let US Forces Korea confront China

South Korean complaint highlights growing difficulty in balancing ties with both security ally US and top trading partner China: analyst.

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Seoul’s defence minister has protested to the head of US Forces Korea about a stand-off between US and Chinese fighter jets in the Yellow Sea, according to South Korean media. Photo: AP
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks retreat on AI worries, China markets rally in Year of the Horse

Tech heavyweights drag Hong Kong stocks lower as investors fret over AI disruption following Wall Street’s decline.

Science

Nearly all advanced nations are part of a defence pact. Will China try to join?

International regime controls defence tech exports but a push for self-reliance has seen Chinese weaponry surpass that of Western nations.

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Hong Kong society

Bird flu outbreaks in parts of Japan, Denmark trigger Hong Kong poultry bans

Holbaek municipality in Denmark and Japan’s Iwate prefecture have been hit by outbreaks of highly pathogenic strains.

Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5 strains of bird flu have been reported in the two countries. Photo: EPA-EFE
Social media

Video | Fans flock to Japan zoo to see viral baby monkey

The baby monkey went viral for dragging a stuffed orangutan around as a surrogate mother after he was abandoned.

Fans have been flocking to a zoo in Ichikawa, Japan, to catch a glimpse of a baby monkey who went viral on social media.
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Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s ‘Traitor Takaichi’ hit with online smear campaign using fake accounts

Using AI-generated images and simplified Chinese characters, a network of 3,000 fake accounts reportedly tried to sway Japan’s election.

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Trade

Tariff whiplash throws Asia’s recent US trade deals into doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

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Tokyo

Tokyo Skytree tower closed after 20 trapped in lift for 5 hours

Operator apologises after ‘elevator malfunction’ at famous Tokyo landmark traps visitors until 2am.

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The Tokyo Skytree. Photo: AFP
Jobs

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

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US-China trade war

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

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China's military weapons

Satellite images show first glimpse of China’s Type 095 nuclear submarine

Next-generation SSN features advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity, narrowing tech gap with rival US.

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The Chinese navy has been rapidly expanding its SSN fleet amid an intensifying underwater arms race in the region. Photo: Shutterstock
Viral stories

Japan youth share before and after cosmetic surgery photos raise copycat fears

AI-generated before and after images posted online raise fears about promoting risky procedures; warping youngsters ideas about beauty.

Japanese youngsters are sharing AI-generated before and after photographs of themselves following cosmetic surgery, raising fears about psychological damage. Photo: SCMP composite/X.com
Thailand

Thailand ‘buzzing’ with travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves

The country’s heavy investment in wooing Chinese visitors appears to have paid off as it overcomes safety fears to secure holiday growth.

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Tourism

The Shiba Inu story: where does the popular Japanese hunting dog come from?

One woman’s research has sparked interest in the heritage of Shiba Inus and local revitalisation in the city where the first one lived.

US-China relations

Is China’s Xi set to host a weakened Trump after tariffs setback in US court?

The big question is whether a weaker hand for US president at coming Beijing summit will give any advantage to China.

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US President Donald Trump will be visiting China from March 31 to April 2, his first such trip since returning to office last year. Photo: dpa
International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Macroscope | Why the IMF is right to press Japan on its fiscal risks

The fiscal and monetary policies of advanced economies have global repercussions, and Takaichi’s expansionary fiscal agenda risks market pushback.

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Japan’s Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi speaks during an election campaign event in Tokyo on February 7. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Unrestrained military AI could doom us all. The window for a global middle-power alliance to rein in the superpowers is closing fast.

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China-Japan relations

What next for China ties as Japan’s Takaichi targets Chinese ‘coercion’?

Japan facing ‘most severe and complex’ security scenario since World War II, prime minister says.

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