Advertisement
Advertisement
-
TOPIC
 / location

Tokyo

Tokyo
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Tokyo. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Head of Government
Governor Yuriko Koike
Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho in a still from Tokyo Taxi (category: IIA, Japanese), directed by Yoji Yamada.
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Tokyo Taxi: Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho lead moving Yoji Yamada drama

Tokyo Taxi is an utterly captivating ride that sees an elderly woman bond with her taxi driver while reminiscing about her eventful life.

videocam
Japan

Will rice crackers, rock ‘n’ roll help Japan’s Sanae Takaichi bag youth votes?

videocam
Tourism

Simply magical! Sailor Moon shines on in a new permanent theatre in Tokyo

Japan

Do voters expect smiles? Why masks hurt female politicians in Japan

While there was no decline in support for masked male politicians, their female counterparts saw a significant drop, the survey showed.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves to supporters during an election campaign event in Kawasaki on Saturday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Japan

Japan’s Takaichi seeks mandate, improved majority with snap election: poll

The election outlook remains uncertain, with almost a quarter of voters undecided ahead of the February 8 election.

4
China’s military drills

PLA Navy warns off foreign jets with jamming missiles near Taiwan: CCTV

State broadcaster says Yanan destroyer encountered aircraft near the island and took ‘electronic countermeasures’.

8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Britain

Japan, UK agree outer space, critical mineral supply chains collaboration

PMs Sanae Takaichi and Keir Starmer also said they’d work together in other areas, including cybersecurity, trade and defence.

videocam
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a press conference after their bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Saturday. Photo: via dpa
Japan

Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

A lower house election victory would give flight to Prime Minister Takaichi’s fiscal expansionism – and introduce upheaval far beyond Japan.

Japan

Video | South Korea and Japan’s defence ministers face off in table tennis

The defence ministers of Japan and South Korea agreed to strengthen cooperation with the United States amid growing security risks, particularly with North Korea.

Japan

Brazen nighttime robbery: Tokyo gang flees with US$2.7 million in cash

One of the victims, a Chinese national, was allegedly attacked with pepper spray by the group before escaping with the bags.

High-rise buildings in central Tokyo, Japan. A group of suspects stole suitcases with 420 million yen in cash from five people in the area. Photo: Kyodo
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong travellers continue to favour Japan despite geopolitical tensions

Flights from city to Japan remain unaffected while weaker currency is attracting Hongkongers to the popular destination.

People walk through the Nakamise Shopping Street at the Asakusa district in Tokyo on January 8, 2026. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Pawsitively posh: Hong Kong Pet Show takes luxury to new heights

More than 1,000 exhibitors at Hong Kong Pet Show, with global pet economy on track to hit US$134.46 billion this year amid sustained growth.

Japan

Japan’s ‘new-wave yakuza’: tokuryu gangs take control of lucrative sex business

The arrest of a leader of Japan’s largest tokuryu has put the spotlight on how the gangs are edging out the yakuza and worrying the police.

5
Japan

Why more Japanese than ever support strengthening the military

A record-high survey result reflects how the war in Ukraine and regional tensions have reshaped Japan’s once cautious security outlook.

videocam
5
A launch ceremony for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force’s newly built submarine Sogei at a Kawasaki Heavy Industries shipyard in Kobe, western Japan, on October 14, 2025. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Will North Korea compensate Japanese citizens lured into ‘paradise on Earth’?

A Tokyo court has ordered Pyongyang to pay damages, but the plaintiffs are now bracing for a long fight to enforce the ruling.

5
Plaintiffs, their lawyers and supporters gather outside the Tokyo District Court after winning its decision ordering North Korea to pay damages over its decades-long human rights violations after luring them to move to the North by Pyongyang’s false promises of living in “paradise on Earth”, on Monday in Japan. Photo: AP
Hong Kong entertainment

What were lead singer Rosé’s local snack choices at Blackpink’s Hong Kong shows?

Classic street foods take the spotlight as K-pop star samples local favourites throughout the group’s world tour finale at Kai Tak Stadium.

Japan

How a Japan doctor lost everything to his friend after agreeing to reunion

‘I lost all my savings and couldn’t even hold a proper funeral for my mother. My life has been destroyed,’ the victim says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan

Why 25 years after Tokyo rail tragedy, ‘drunk passenger’ problem still persists

The 2001 tragedy, where two men died trying to rescue a drunk passenger, spurred a series of upgrades, including installation of platform doors.

Pedestrians cross the street in front of Shin Okubo station in Tokyo, Japan. A 2001 tragedy at the station spurred a series of safety upgrades. Photo: dpa
Pandas

Video | Panda fans in Japan bid farewell to popular pair

Online applications for panda viewing lottery slots were 25 times the available 4,400 places.

Japan

Japan halts world’s largest nuclear plant hours after restart

TEPCO halted the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart after a monitoring alarm sounded, but confirmed the reactor is stable with no radioactive impact.

Japan

‘I was a victim’: survey reveals surge in men groped on Tokyo transit

Experts say the 15.1 per cent figure is striking and a reminder that women are not the only targets of molestation on public transport.

videocam
Commuters travel on a train in Tokyo. Experts say the 15.1 per cent figure for male victims of groping – as revealed in a recent survey – is particularly striking. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima under close scrutiny

The No 6 unit at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reached criticality on Wednesday, a key step in Japan’s push for stable energy despite lingering safety fears.

A Tepco employee opens a watertight door inside the unit 7 reactor building at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in August 2024. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

Japan’s last 2 giant pandas set for early trip home to China as tensions spiral

Return of twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei to mark first time Japan will be without any pandas since normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1972.

videocam
Japan

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

8
Timepieces

Horology’s most storied addresses: watch museums, workshops and archives

These locales, from museums to brands’ own premises, are hallowed grounds for watch fans, giving them insights and a peek into timekeeping history.

A fresco at the Musée International d’Horlogerie in Switzerland. Photo: Handout
China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

videocam
22
The Tang Honglu Well Stele pictured at its original site in Lushun in the early 20th century. Photo: Handout
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | What a Chinese hero’s fatal love of raw fish warns us about uncooked food

The recent sale of the most expensive tuna in Tokyo reflects sushi’s popularity, but an episode in Chinese history shows raw food’s dangers.

Japan

Japan’s next-generation fighter jet project gets boost as European rival stalls

Germany, France and Spain have put their project on hold, prompting speculation that some may turn to the Japan-UK-Italy programme.

7
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement