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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
US soldiers stand beside an air defence system during joint military exercises in Zambales province, the Philippines, in April. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

How land power could help US forces counter China in the Indo-Pacific

US commanders say the army’s long-range missiles, air defences and ground operations are vital to deterring China and protecting its forces.

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Central Asia

In Focus | Beyond EVs and perception, how China is gaining ground in Central Asia

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Banking & finance

China cuts US Treasury holdings to 18-year low in August as debt fears mount

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Myanmar

Asian Angle | Asean’s Myanmar peace push needs Japan’s ‘silent diplomacy’

Tokyo knows how to back an Asean-led process without taking ownership of it, as decades of regional mediation show.

Japanese parliamentarian Hiromichi Watanabe (left) meets U Khin Yi, speaker of Myanmar’s House of Representatives and the leader of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, in Naypyidaw last month. Photo: Handout
Smoke rises as fire burns following a Myanmar military air strike in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, last month. Photo: Reuters
People walk through smoke and smouldering debris following a Myanmar military air strike on a market and adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, last month. Photo: AFP
Japan Airlines

Air rage incidents in Japan surge, led by late check-in ‘flashpoint’

More cabin crew are experiencing verbal abuse, physical attacks and sexual harassment from Japanese and international passengers.

The Philippines

Opinion | Philippines’ ‘China-free’ manufacturing strategy is a high-risk bet

Despite support and progress on the Luzon Economic Corridor and Pax Silica initiatives, Manila faces many challenges and much competition.

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China-Japan relations

‘Hot economics, cold politics’: why China gave nod for expanded Japanese trade trip

Allowing more executives to visit Beijing shows that China aims to use economic leverage to pressure Tokyo, experts say.

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In recent months, several legislative and business groups have visited China aiming to break the diplomatic ice. Photo: AFP
Yasukuni Shrine

Japan’s Takaichi sends offering to controversial Yasukuni war shrine

Takaichi, who routinely visited the Shinto shrine before becoming prime minister, has refrained from doing so since taking over the helm.

US-China relations

Americans favour China more than Russia, but both near bottom of G20: Pew report

New study finds Americans have ‘very cold view’ of Russia, while their opinion of China remains more negative than positive.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky asks EU for extra $79 billion to sustain Ukraine’s war effort

Kyiv warns annual wartime costs will hit US$174 billion as European leaders debate tapping frozen Russian assets to bridge funding shortfall.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news conference at the European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, as EU leaders gather to discuss defence support and regional security. Photo: EPA
China-Japan relations

Japan taps foreign tech to plug defence gaps as China’s power grows

From Ukrainian drones to multinational fighters, Tokyo is seeking expertise and capacity to supplement its domestic industry.

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Japan has signed a contract to acquire interceptor drones from Ukrainian start-up SkyFall. Photo: AFP
Science

China’s R&D spending grows by 8.2% as US seeks further funding cuts

China’s research and experimental development spending crossed 3.9 trillion yuan in 2025, National Bureau of Statistics data shows.

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China consumption

LVMH touts ‘special bond’ with China amid ‘subdued’ sales backdrop

Antoine Arnault praises firm’s ‘dialogue with Chinese culture’ during global event after lawsuit backlash and sluggish spending mar results.

United States

Okinawa drops opposition to hosting crash-prone US Osprey aircraft

Governor Genta Koja, who took office last month, reversed the prefecture’s long-standing opposition to the deployment.

The US military’s MV-22 Osprey aircraft are parked at the Futenma air station in Ginowan, Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, in 2018. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Why Japanese PM Takaichi is still keen to roll out the welcome mat for Trump

Tokyo is hoping for a visit by the US president that would signal the strength of the relationship between the two allies.

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Sanae Takaichi and Donald Trump pictured a US naval base in Yokosuka in October last year. Photo: TNS
Fashion

Meet Nina Christen, the quiet force behind your favourite designer shoes

Having co-designed Bottega’s Puddle boot and Loewe’s balloon pumps, Christen has big plans for her namesake label, now stocked at Mytheresa, Lane Crawford, Selfridges and more.

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong investors aim to beat markets – but keep return hopes in check: report

AI-fuelled optimism lifts return expectations across Asia, but Hong Kong investors are taking a more measured view, Natixis survey finds.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Beyond baby bonuses: Hong Kong needs to attract couples with liveability

Tokyo’s struggle to hold on to young adults looking to start families should inform Hong Kong’s efforts to boost the city’s birth rate.

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Parents pose for pictures with their child at the promenade of West Kowloon Cultural District on September 18. Photo: Elson Li
Science

China-led team hits 83% success rate anticipating earthquakes in study

Strong predictive potential shown as anomalous patterns verified against 12 major earthquakes in China between 2022 and 2024.

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High Jewellery

Q&A | Sofia Coppola on Cartier, 20 years of Marie Antoinette and long love affair with Japan

We spoke to the Oscar-winning director in Kyoto at Cartier’s launch of the second chapter of the Le Chœur des Pierres high jewellery collection.

SCMP Highlights

Rare Van Gogh painting in Hong Kong; Merry Berry Love: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a Singaporean grandma deadlifting 67.5kg to Cantopop pioneer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Chataigniers en fleurs (1890), by Vincent van Gogh, with an estimated value of US$180 million, at Sotheby’s Maison, in Central, Hong Kong, on October 13, 2026. The painting will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s New York in November. Photo: Sam Tsang
Accidents and disasters in China

Vehicle may have sparked Mongolia wildfire, putting China rescuers on high alert

3,400 emergency personnel deployed to the Chinese side of the border to combat the latest environmental threat from its neighbour.

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Firefighters work to extinguish a grassland fire at the border area in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
International Property

‘Mild’ AI job displacement set to rein in Asia-Pacific office demand: report

CBRE says 3.9 per cent of office jobs in developed parts of region are vulnerable to replacement by artificial intelligence.

Hong Kong stock market

Mainland China, Hong Kong stocks fall as US inflation spurs Fed tightening fears

Asian markets slump as recent US inflation numbers boost expectations of a rate hike and a plunge in South Korean market dents sentiment.

Artificial intelligence

AI-armed hackers tear through corporate Japan’s neglected defences

For years, the Japanese language was a defence against hacking in and of itself, observers say. But no more.

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A man types on a computer keyboard. More than 500 breaches of Japanese corporate systems have been reported so far this year. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

How a new US Army unit could challenge the PLA’s strategy in a Taiwan conflict

A fourth specialised American task force has been established to counter Chinese efforts to keep enemy warships and aircraft at bay.

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The US Army is seeking to challenge the PLA's approach to keep enemy forces at bay and prevent foreign intervention. Photo: Handout/US Navy
Germany

In US-China rivalry, middle powers urged to be ‘indispensable’ chokepoints

By embedding deeply into supply chains, smaller countries that fear being squeezed out of global decision-making can offer a ‘best’ dish.

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Russia

Video | Russia detains Japanese journalist for alleged espionage

The Hokkaido Shimbun correspondent, identified as Yuki Imai, is accused of gathering information on Russian defence capabilities.

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