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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
Sakie Yokota (left), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, speaks at a rally on the abduction issue in Tokyo on May 30, 2026, where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (front row, middle) also attended. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan PM vows ‘breakthrough’ with North Korea in abduction issue

Japan officially lists 17 Japanese nationals as having been abducted by North Korea, with five returned in 2002.

Taiwan

‘Illegal and void’: China condemns Japan-Philippines maritime border talks

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Japan

Japan Airlines wants to blast human culture into space and land it on the moon

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Japan

Japan enacts law centralising intelligence gathering

The move is a significant first step in the government’s plans to expand Japan’s counter-espionage architecture.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media at her official residence in Tokyo on Monday. Establishing the council is a key aim in the governing agenda for Takaichi, a security hawk who has pledged to strengthen intelligence and counter-espionage capabilities. Photo: Kyodo/via Reuters
Japan

Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war

Japan scrambled its fighter jets 448 times in nine months last year. Most of the intercepts involved Russian or Chinese aircraft.

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Japan

Japan baseball manager quits after arrest over alleged assault on daughter

The Japanese baseball team’s manager allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their Tokyo home.

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US-China relations

Why the US missile system heading to Japan could be a ‘sitting duck’ for China

This approach could be used ‘to strike our land-based targets on one hand, and block vital maritime passages on the other’: Chinese analyst.

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The coming deployment will mark the second time the US has positioned the Typhon missile system in Japan. Photo: Reuters
Japan

19 taken to hospital in Japan after suspected tear gas released in Tokyo mall

More than 50 emergency vehicles were activated after police received a call about an irritating smell and people coughing inside the mall.

Asia housing and property

The View | The 2 main sources of resilience in Asian real estate

The shock absorbers of supply constraints, a flight to quality, the search for safe havens and domestic demand provide a robust base.

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Japan

Dozens injured in Japan after man sprays mystery liquid in Tokyo shopping centre

An elderly woman said her throat started ‘stinging and hurting’ as she approached the ATM where the liquid had been sprayed.

Emergency personnel help a woman who was inside the Ginza Six Shopping Centre on Monday. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea’s Lee hails ‘deep friendship’ as he hosts Japan’s Takaichi in hometown

The talks in Andong, a city famous for its centuries-old folk village, come after the two met in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara in January.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hold a joint news conference in Andong on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
China’s military drills

Chinese carrier kicks off drills in western Pacific amid tense Japan ties

The Liaoning carrier group will hold live-fire drills months after stand-off with Japanese fighter jets during a December exercise.

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Hyrox's Rise in Asia

How to recover after a Hyrox race, according to experts

From what to eat in the first 2 hours, to contrast therapy, compression and sleep optimisation, here’s how to recover after a gruelling Hyrox race.

Supported by
Hyatt Asia Pacific
Japan

Russian hiker becomes Japan’s latest bear attack victim as a new record looms

After a year with more than 50,000 sightings and 238 injuries, Japan’s vanishing hunting communities are struggling to contain the problem.

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A bear is spotted on a riverbank in Morioka, Iwate prefecture, in October 2025. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

How a Japanese deal to appease Trump resulted in Texans protesting in Tokyo

Community groups from the Freeport area are urging Japanese financiers and ministries not to back fossil fuel infrastructure.

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A tanker carrying crude oil from Venezuela docks at Port Freeport in Freeport, Texas, on January 15. Photo: Reuters
Asia travel

From Hamburg to Hong Kong, the art of the tourist nap explained

The culturally immersive and sensory-rich siesta – for a uniquely restorative travel experience.

Japan

Japan’s ‘ibasho’ sense of belonging helps disaster survivors heal, study finds

Research into the 2011 earthquake and tsunami shows fostering social connection and purpose helps survivors rebuild and staves off dementia.

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Japan

Japan-South Korea ‘comfort women’ row stoked by statues abroad

The removal of wartime sex slave memorials in Germany and New Zealand has electrified certain LDP hardliners, risking a diplomatic rift.

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A former South Korean “comfort woman” holds the hand of a statue symbolising Japan’s wartime sex slaves in Seoul in 2021. Photo: Reuters
Soho House

Review | Soho House opens in Tokyo’s fashionable Aoyama neighbourhood

Soho House’s Tokyo outpost brings luxury accommodation, rooftop pool views, a Taschen bookshop and a distinctly Japanese-Western sensibility.

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi backs aide over smear claims against LDP rivals

Analysts say Japan’s prime minister used an ‘excellent non-answer’ to shield an aide against claims of orchestrating a smear campaign.

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Japan

Japan’s new spy agency: a shield against China or ‘militarist surveillance’?

Japan has not had a centralised intelligence service since World War II. Sanae Takaichi wants to change that.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs from Canberra on May 5 after a three-day official visit to Australia. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s late-night cafes open doors to soothe mothers of crying babies

The idea of a ‘nighttime crying cafe’, which appeared in an online comic nearly a decade ago, is now gaining real-world traction.

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The Creative French Toast in Tokachi cafe turns into a night-time haven for mothers of crying babies. Photo: Facebook/Creative French Toast in Tokachi
2026 Xi-Trump summit

China, US confirm Seoul trade talks days before Trump-Xi summit in Beijing

Meeting follows Paris round in March and a video call in April as both sides prepare for Trump’s state visit.

US-China relations

Opinion | China shouldn’t view a tired US as signifying a Europe ready to pivot

As fractures within the US’ network of alliances deepen, China’s strategic window opens a little wider, with some key caveats.

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Japan

Mogami momentum: why Japan’s warship is winning over New Zealand

Japan’s Mogami and Britain’s Type 31 are the top two contenders, but Australia may have already tipped the scales.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force frigate JS Mogami sailing in an undisclosed location. Photo: Australian Defence Force / AFP
The Philippines

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

Defence chief Gilberto Teodoro says the Diaoyu Islands are now considered a ‘serious concern’ and the Balikatan drills will also be expanded.

Philippine troops take part in counter-landing live‑fire exercises during the Balikatan joint military exercises at Long Point Beach in Palawan, the Philippines, on April 27. Photo: Reuters
Hyrox's Rise in Asia

Hyrox races are taking Asia by storm, redefining fitness culture

The rise of the hybrid format is fuelled by its community-driven races, accessible indoor fitness structure, and strategic partnerships.

Supported by
Hyatt Asia Pacific
Japan

Trump’s last diehard Japanese fans lose faith as Iran war chaos spreads

Concerns in Japan are also mounting over the security ties between Japan and the US as Trump seeks to withdraw more troops from Europe.

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