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Tokyo

Tokyo
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Tokyo. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Head of Government
Governor Yuriko Koike
A street in Kamakura, in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, packed with tourists on December 17. Photo: Kyodo
Hong Kong tourism

Japan popular with Hong Kong travellers over Christmas, Harbin gaining appeal

Despite row with China, Japan remains popular with Hongkongers, with mainland cities such as Harbin and Yunnan gaining appeal.

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Science

China urged to sue over Japanese royal’s role in Unit 731 crimes

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Retailing

‘C-beauty’ cosmetics brands find retail expansion outside China a slow slog

China-Japan relations

China CP comic fan event stripped of Japanese content, dozens of booths affected

Organisers of the weekend convention in Hangzhou did not name Japan directly in its pivot to a ‘Chinese style’ theme.

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The diplomatic row between China and Japan has spread to Chinese fans of Japanese content at a comic event. Photo: AFP
Japan

Mind your language: Japan considers new fluency bar for permanent residents

While some say Japanese knowledge is a fair demand, others worry it will introduce ‘roadblocks’ at a time when the country needs more workers.

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China-Japan relations

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

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Japan

Japan clears way for Tepco to restart world’s largest nuclear plant

Tepco, operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, has been allowed to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa 15 years after the disaster.

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Tepco’s Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant stands along the seaside in Niigata prefecture. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Open Questions | George Yeo on superpower ‘headaches’ and why the US dollar could crack

Singapore’s former foreign minister also discusses Trump, the latest China-Japan dust-up, and rivalry between Hong Kong and the city state.

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Japan

Losing ground: Japan sounds alarm over foreign-owned land

From next year, anyone buying property will have to confirm their nationality – a move some analysts say is overkill.

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China-Japan relations

Bearly any time left for Japan’s panda lovers? Row with China threatens to end loans

A 50-year tradition of panda diplomacy appears to be reaching its end with the last pair set to leave amid heightened diplomatic tensions.

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Visitors take pictures of giant panda Xiao Xiao at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. Photo: EPA
Japan

More Japanese favour having an empress as Princess Aiko’s public appeal rises

Japan’s conservative politicians are against changing the centuries-old tradition of a male heir for the throne.

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Japanese Princess Aiko arrives at the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo to greet former emperor Akihito and former empress Michiko on her 24th birthday on December 1. Photo: Kyodo
China-Japan relations

China’s military build-up could ‘seriously’ affect Japan’s security, Tokyo warns

Release of defence ministry report comes amid soaring tensions with Beijing and a boost to Japan’s military budget and goals.

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Japan

Japan vows never to possess nuclear weapons, rebuffing official’s idea

The government’s response came after a senior security official suggested that Tokyo needed nuclear arms to deter ‍potential aggressors.

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Pandas

Video | Japan to be without pandas for first time in 50 years

While the twin pandas were born in Japan, they belong to China under a loan agreement and are set to return by February 2026.

Giant panda Lei Lei eats bamboo at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, a day after Japan announced the pandas will be returned to China in January 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan

Steppe in the right direction? ‘Japan is back’ in Central Asia with new summit

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the leaders of five Central Asian nations are expected to establish a new framework for cooperation in AI.

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Vendors sell traditional Uzbek clothing and jewellery inside a madrasah in Registan Square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan In September. Photo: EPA
Japan

Japan boosts scrutiny after Chinese buyers lead property rush near critical sites

Japan to require nationality disclosure for land near key sites after study finds Chinese nationals bought half of 3,498 such properties in 2024.

Japan

Japan and South Korea clash over islets as old grievances resurface

Analysts warn the squabble is a ‘step backwards’ that offers Beijing a chance to drive a wedge between the two US allies.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

A Cathay Pacific jet takes off from Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok on November 28, 2024, the day the third runway was inaugurated. Photo: Dickson Lee
Japan

Japan tremors raise fears of overdue megaquake killing 199,000

Authorities are urging residents to review evacuation plans as simulations suggest a ‘maximum-class’ winter night quake could trap thousands.

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Japan

Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns

Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.

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China-Japan relations

China marks Nanking massacre anniversary with warning against Japan’s militarism

Top Communist Party official says attempts to challenge post-war order are ‘doomed to failure’ as tensions with Tokyo flare.

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Honour guards place floral tributes during a ceremony to mark the 88th anniversary of the Nanking massacre, in Nanjing in eastern China on Saturday. Photo: AFP
Japan

Opinion | From Singapore to Taiwan, Japan must face its past for Asia’s future

Lasting peace in Asia demands that Tokyo abandons its historical revisionism and refusal to acknowledge past crimes.

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A man displays a Rising Sun Flag, the Japanese naval ensign, at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on August 15, the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Photo: Reuters
Japan

‘Didn’t know where to go’: tourists struggle in Japan quake evacuation

Foreign visitors were left scrambling for multilingual information after Monday’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake.

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China-Japan relations

US military sends show of support to Japan as China’s navy, air drills continue

Japanese fighters train with US B-52s and USS George Washington arrives in Yokosuka amid heightened China-Japan tensions.

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Macau

Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki cancels Macau show as Beijing-Tokyo rift continues

‘I sincerely apologise to everyone who was looking forward to it,’ pop star says, with decision following axing of Shanghai show last month.

Japanese singer Hamasaki Ayumi earlier cancelled a show in Shanghai, but still performed to an empty venue. Photo: Handout
Japan

Japan issues megaquake advisory after magnitude 7.5 tremor

The advisory urges preparedness for a possible large quake and tsunami, recalling the 2011 disaster that destroyed Fukushima’s nuclear plant.

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A vehicle rests on the edge of a collapsed road in Tohoku town in Aomori Prefecture on Tuesday following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

‘We’ve been careful’: Japanese firms in China stay calm amid political storm

Japanese businesses in China are under pressure amid a diplomatic row over Taiwan, but they have dealt with political tensions for years.

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China’s military drills

2 Chinese, 7 Russian jets enter South Korean air defence zone near Japan

Chinese defence ministry cites annual joint strategic patrol with Russia, hours after South Korea says aircraft did not violate airspace.

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