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October 14, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
October 14, 2026
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House budget committee session in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Scandal-hit minister Kazuo Yana now accused of election violation
By Kenji Yoshida
Opposition parties grilled the prime minister on Tuesday on not just her policies, but also her new farm minister’s election campaign in January.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House budget committee session in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech during an extraordinary session at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Takaichi to finalize Japan’s foreign resident policy by March
By Jessica Speed
The policy will consider future population projections, as the country seeks to balance a reliance on foreign workers with a shrinking population.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said that her administration will "join forces with relevant countries to support" the International Criminal Court's activities, while maintaining “close communication” with the U.S. over its sanctions on the body.
JAPAN / Politics
Takaichi pledges support for the ICC and its Japanese president
By Maddie Baker
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan will continue to communicate with the U.S. after Washington slapped sanctions on the court.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama is set to become the first Japanese official to chair the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Development Committee since its establishment in 1974.
BUSINESS
Katayama to be first Japanese chair of IMF-World Bank development panel
By Erica Yokoyama
The committee, established in 1974, is currently chaired by Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
Nao-Cola Yamazaki's first book, "Don't Laugh at Other People's Sex Lives," was published in 2006 and nominated for the prestigious Akutagawa Prize.
CULTURE / Books
Nao-Cola Yamazaki is your favorite writer’s favorite writer
By Kris Kosaka
More than 20 years after their literary debut, two of Nao-Cola Yamazaki’s books have finally appeared in English translation for the first time.
Nao-Cola Yamazaki's first book, "Don't Laugh at Other People's Sex Lives," was published in 2006 and nominated for the prestigious Akutagawa Prize.

JAPAN

Attendees take part in a sleep competition organized by a mattress brand in Tokyo on Oct. 5.
Ready, set, snooze: Sleep-deprived Japanese compete for best-rested
Self-described elite “competitive sleepers” vied to nap the fastest and deepest in a Tokyo contest organized by a mattress company.
Nursery school children wave to a train as the Hisatsu Orange Railway resumes full service on Tuesday in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, after sections of the line were suspended following an earthquake in July earthquake.
All railway lines in areas affected by Kumamoto quake in July back in service
Train services on a section of the Hisatsu Orange Railway in Kumamoto Prefecture resumed Tuesday, 77 days after the July 28 earthquake.
Japanese municipalities with over 5% foreign nationals up more than twofold
Komeito’s new chief eyes political realignment
Lawmakers split on including nuclear submarine study in security documents
Japan and U.S. review troops’ off-duty rules after Okinawa killing

BUSINESS

The number of people in Japan with loans from three or more moneylenders reached a 12-year high of 1.55 million at the end of fiscal 2025, as rising prices may be driving more people to borrow to cover living expenses.
Number of multiple-debt borrowers in Japan hits 12-year high
At the end of fiscal 2025, 1.55 million people had three or more unsecured, unguaranteed loans from moneylenders.
Kanetetsu Delica Foods representatives promote "Hobo Tako," a plant-based octopus alternative, in Tokyo on Sept. 10.
Food makers turn to plant-based alternatives as seafood prices rise
One company in Hyogo Prefecture began offering a plant-based product to substitute Akashi brand octopus after prices for it skyrocketed.
BOJ is said to lean against back-to-back rate hike in October
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Japan-controlled tankers return to Middle East after months away
IMF raises Japan’s growth forecast for 2026 to 0.7%
AI and latest digital technologies on display at CEATEC show in Chiba

WORLD

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae attend the opening ceremony of the Defense Revolution Museum on Sunday in this image released Tuesday.
North Korea’s Kim visits new defense museum as Trump floats meeting
By Jesse Johnson
The North Korean leader inaugurated the museum — chock full of advanced weaponry — as the U.S. president teased the idea of a summit next month.
Two girls overlook a camp for displaced people in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on June 23.
UNRWA warns Gaza is becoming an increasingly unlivable place
Gaza faces persistent shortages of medical supplies due to delivery restrictions. Hygiene conditions also remain dire.
NASA’s Perseverance rover breaks record for off-planet driving on Mars
By Will Dunham
South Korea soccer players’ boasts spark rethink of military service exemptions
India’s youth shift tactics as police clamp down on election protest
Thailand eyes $30 departure tax for tourists in revenue push

Sports

DC United's Hosei Kijima (front) and New England Revolution midfielder Brooklyn Raines vie for the ball during a match in Washington on Aug. 19.
DC United’s Japanese connection grows with Kijima at its heart
By Zach Lowy
Kijima is part of a trio of Japanese players on the DC United team.
Swiatek aiming to end year on a positive note as WTA Finals spot hangs in balance
Josh Allen powers Bills past Rams in overtime
Brewers beat Dodgers as Guardians rally past Rays in MLB playoffs
Brewers edge Dodgers 2-1 in National League Championship Series opener

Opinion

The Bank of Japan's shift toward higher interest rates is keeping more capital at home, forcing foreign borrowers to offer better returns.
A Japan with higher rates changes everything
Gearoid Reidy
France might be the first casualty, with other borrowers potentially being seen as expensive compared to what Japanese investors can get at home.
It’s time for Thailand to amend its controversial lese-majeste law
By Alexis Deswaef
And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to the opposite of Trump
By Andreas Kluth
Iran’s moment of opportunity
By Abdullah Gul
Another Iraq power vacuum: Is the third time the charm?
By Kuni Miyake

ENVIRONMENT

A local resident walks in a flooded area after heavy rain in Oami-Shirasato, Chiba Pref., on Aug. 14.
Extreme rain is testing Japan’s flood defenses
By Alex K.T. Martin
More intense rain is overwhelming flood defenses and reaching places outside predicted risk zones, leaving residents to confront unexpected dangers.
Weather-roiling El Nino hits record strength, Japan weather agency says
Walking through flames: Orangutan rescued in Indonesia fires
Inside the deadlock at the world’s top climate science body
By Kate Abnett and Sudarshan Varadhan
Climate needs same urgency as defense spending, COP31 chief says
By Ishika Mookerjee

CULTURE

Netflix's "Plastic Beauty" is an unflinching look at the plastic surgery industry and the people at its center. The multinational entertainment company typically provides bigger production budgets and longer timelines compared to terrestrial TV networks, but the limitations of the labor pool in Japan are an ongoing challenge.
Netflix vies to be a cut above in TV production
By Gabriella Geisinger
Netflix Japan’s dramas are pushing the boundaries of storytelling and uplifting domestic TV standards, though not without growing pains.
‘Children Untold’ shines a light on the plight of postwar orphans
By Mark Schilling
Yayoi Kusama Museum new exhibition unveils a ‘ladder to heaven’
By Zoria Petkoska
What to know before the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival
By Mike Fu
Adrian Bianco championed Japan’s underground culture
By Ora Margolis

LIFE

This elevated take on a staple ingredient of Japanese cuisine is an easy way to impress dinner guests without much extra effort.
Win friends and influence people with nori ‘caviar’
By Simon Daly
It doesn’t have to be caviar to have the same culinary cachet, and this nori ‘caviar’ recipe proves it.
Still-simmering ‘Japanese Ramen Simulator’ is already worth a slurp
By Owen Ziegler
Saving for the future is making some investors ‘NISA broke’
By Yuko Tamura
Tokyo walks away with two spots on 50 Best Bars list
By Weiwen Lin
$200 tuna-cutting dining events offer ‘point of connection’ with sushi culture

COMMUNITY

The Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa Ward. Under updated guidelines from the Immigration Services Agency that took effect on Oct. 1, officials are enforcing stricter household income benchmarks for those seeking to qualify for permanent residency, along with deeper audits of pension and social insurance history.
The do’s and don’ts when applying for permanent residency in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa
What to know about income requirements, pension payments and the all-important statement of reasons.
People-loving Autumn is ready for a new home
Amid shifting attitudes toward immigrants, disinformation unsettles Vietnamese in Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie
How students in Japan strive to escape the international school bubble
By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
Amid Japan’s immigration squeeze, foreign residents ask: Should we stay?
By Mai Yoshikawa

Editors' Picks

COMMUNITY
The do’s and don’ts when applying for permanent residency in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa
The Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa Ward. Under updated guidelines from the Immigration Services Agency that took effect on Oct. 1, officials are enforcing stricter household income benchmarks for those seeking to qualify for permanent residency, along with deeper audits of pension and social insurance history.
ENVIRONMENT
Extreme rain is testing Japan’s flood defenses
By Alex K.T. Martin
A local resident walks in a flooded area after heavy rain in Oami-Shirasato, Chiba Pref., on Aug. 14.
CULTURE
Nao-Cola Yamazaki is your favorite writer’s favorite writer
By Kris Kosaka
Nao-Cola Yamazaki's first book, "Don't Laugh at Other People's Sex Lives," was published in 2006 and nominated for the prestigious Akutagawa Prize.
JAPAN
Tokyo’s palace runners say respect vital as Chiyoda considers new safety measures
By Elizabeth Beattie
In response to complaints from pedestrians, Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward has said that it will examine whether new safety measures are needed for runners around the Imperial Palace.
CULTURE
Elvis comes back as a ghost in a noh theater play
By Kenji Kurabayashi
Theatre Nohgaku will bring its original noh play “Blue Moon Over Memphis” to the sophomore edition of Autumn Meteorite Tokyo, one of Japan’s largest performing arts festivals.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A local resident walks in a flooded area after heavy rain in Oami-Shirasato, Chiba Pref., on Aug. 14.
Extreme rain is testing Japan’s flood defenses
By Alex K.T. Martin

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COMFACTS

Kotozna Launches “Pre-trip Booking,” an AI Agent to Streamline Pre-stay Inquiries and Drive Direct Hotel Reservations
Kotozna Launches “Pre-trip Booking,” an AI Agent to Streamline Pre-stay Inquiries and Drive Direct Hotel Reservations
KOTOZNA, INC.

WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMUNITY
The do’s and don’ts when applying for permanent residency in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa
The Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa Ward. Under updated guidelines from the Immigration Services Agency that took effect on Oct. 1, officials are enforcing stricter household income benchmarks for those seeking to qualify for permanent residency, along with deeper audits of pension and social insurance history.
JAPAN
Two die and 16 hurt in Osaka danjiri float festival accidents
The Osaka Prefectural Police department is investigating the fatal festival float accidents that left two dead over the weekend.
JAPAN
Driver’s license data breaches becoming major concern
Image data on about 1.6 million people, including photos of their driver’s licenses showing their faces, is believed to have leaked from the Times Car service.
JAPAN
Rubio cites ‘necessity’ of U.S. sanctions on ICC in call with Japanese counterpart
By Jesse Johnson
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi as they meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21.