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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 plane lands on a runway of the expanding Narita International Airport in Chiba prefecture. Photo: AFP
Narita International Airport in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo. Around 651 hectares of the Kamo neighbourhood were compulsorily purchased for the airport's expansion. Photo: Kyodo
Visitors walk through a corridor listing the names of Unit 731's victims at a museum in Harbin, northeast China. An estimated 3,000 people died at the facility. Photo: AFP
Japan

Dark past of Japan’s Unit 731 buried under airport expansion

The home village of the biological warfare unit’s commander is being flattened to build a new runway at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

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Food and Drinks

Chefs explain why yams and sweet potatoes are not the same

US-China relations

China and US expand military drone flights near Japan and the South China Sea

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China-Japan relations

Japan and US strike deal on missile assembly as Tokyo expands long-range arsenal

Agreement on AMRAAM assembly follows announcement that Japan plans to conduct missile training exercises in India.

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US Marines load an AIM-120 missile onto a jet during an exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on August 19. Photo: Handout
China-Japan relations

Hello Kitty owner Sanrio scraps Japanese TV show Vivant deal over China backlash

The company best known for its cute characters cuts ties with the drama after strong Chinese criticism of its evocation of wartime torture.

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Japan

No tricks: Japan steps up police patrols, tightens alcohol limits for Halloween

Halloween festivities have increasingly become associated with public disorder – such as street drinking, littering and disturbances.

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Japan

Japanese ex-prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who sought China ties, dies at 90

Known as ‌a diplomatic dove, Fukuda visited China soon after becoming prime minister and invited then Chinese president Hu Jintao to visit.

Japan’s then prime minister Yasuo Fukuda speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on April 30, 2008. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Cooler than Tokyo: Sendai named Japan’s most comfortable city amid record heat

The city’s average maximum temperature was 26.8 degrees Celsius over this summer, the lowest since 2020.

Japan

Why more Japanese women are choosing ‘silver divorce’ after decades of marriage

As children leave home and with changing pension rules, more older Japanese women are choosing to walk away from distant marriages.

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European Union

Chasing Gothic Lolita demand, Japanese businesses expand to Europe

Gothic Lolita blends elements of traditional European clothing with Japanese fashion, as Japanese brands look to expand their presence in Europe.

Gothic Lolita fashion enthusiasts attend a gathering in Berlin in August. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Danger, death and devotion: Japan’s festivals face crisis after fatal accidents

A number of tragic deaths have forced local communities across Japan to reconsider centuries of sacred tradition in the name of safety.

People pull a traditional danjiri wooden float through Kishiwada, Osaka prefecture, Japan, on the first day of the annual Danjiri festival in September 2024. Photo: Kyodo
China-Japan relations

Japan university defence bids surge as post-war taboo fades amid China concerns

Changing security norms and cash shortages push Japanese researchers to pursue state-funded defence tech projects.

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Japan

‘Extremely surprising’: Japan PM Takaichi defies political odds at year 1

Analysts are surprised at her resilience, as attested by opinion polls, despite Japan facing stubbornly high inflation and regional tensions.

Myanmar

What’s behind the quiet US diplomatic thaw with Myanmar?

Talks between US officials and Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing signal a pragmatic policy shift driven by rare earth demands and cybercrime.

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing in Hanoi, Vietnam in September. Once heavily sanctioned following his 2021 coup, Min Aung Hlaing is now seeing signs of a diplomatic thaw with the United States. Photo: Reuters
Japan

In Japan, Takaichi’s first-year leadership style threatens hold on power

Takaichi’s confrontational approach is driven by popularity among voters, which is not always a solid factional power base, experts warn.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at the House of Representatives in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan’s dilemma over frosty ties with Russia deepens after reporter’s arrest

Given Japan’s lack of response to recent provocative Russian moves, Moscow could be emboldened to antagonise Tokyo further, analysts say.

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China-Japan relations

Chinese embassy slams Japan’s Takaichi over Yasukuni ritual offering

Attempts by political figures to pay homage at Yasukuni are efforts to ‘whitewash war crimes’ and speed up remilitarisation, embassy says.

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Hong Kong property

The big office divide: why prime buildings are thriving while others sit empty

The global office market has become deeply divided, with rents in prime buildings rising while others sit empty despite cutting rates.

Premium offices in Central remain highly sought after, but buildings in other parts of Hong Kong are struggling to attract tenants even after cutting rents. Photo: Dickson Lee
International Property

New property disclosure rule in Japan sparks fears it may curb foreign investors

Rising interest rates and new legislation on nationality disclosure are raising concerns that foreign investors may reconsider real estate investment.

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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Japan

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.

The “masakaki” ritual offering sent by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is displayed on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo
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
Japan

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.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

US holds ‘unusual’ civil-military meeting in Tokyo ahead of Trump’s China trip

Diplomatic, administrative and military officials said to have exchanged intelligence and aligned Asia-Pacific priorities and messaging.

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Food and Drinks

4 cafes that serve Hong Kong-style milk tea in Tokyo

Hong Kong milk tea is thriving in Tokyo’s cafe scene, with many spots offering black tea menus, egg tarts, dim sum, pineapple buns and more.

Chenputon Hong Kong Tea Room 1946 serves classic Cantonese snacks and Hong Kong-style milk tea in Tokyo. Photo: Instagram/chenputon_hktr1946
Hong Kong stock market

What tensions? Uniqlo is back in fashion in China despite Beijing-Tokyo dispute

The Japanese clothing brand saw its China sales recover over the past year despite ongoing political tensions and China’s consumer slowdown.

People walk past a Uniqlo retail store inside a commercial shopping mall in Chongqing, southwest China. Photo: Getty Images
China-Japan relations

Trump pushed Xi on Japan ties, but Chinese leader unmoved

At their recent summit, the US president pressed his Chinese counterpart to end the freeze in ties with Japan, but it appears to be too soon for a thaw.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Trump urged Xi to talk to Takaichi and lift export curbs on Japan, sources say

The Chinese president wasn’t receptive to the requests during last month’s summit, warning of the risk of Japanese militarism.

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