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Japan
The latest breaking news and stories on Japan, a country in East Asia known as a constitutional monarchy, and the world’s fifth largest economy. Also covering Japan’s relationship with China and Asia, plus commentary and updates on Japan’s economy, politics, society and trade.
Capital
Tokyo
Head of State
Emperor Naruhito
Head of Government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida
A view of Exchange Square in Central on December 30, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks trade near 1-week low on China jitters, tariff dispute

Investors wait for more policy signals after reports showed fourth-quarter growth decelerated and property prices continued to slide.

History

Will artefacts of sunken Japan ship give new voice to WWII tragedy?

Brazil

Brazilian beef exports seen as stable in 2026 ‘despite Chinese safeguards’

US-China relations

How narrowing China-US gap could reshape global power play by 2035

Political scientist Yan Xuetong predicts Beijing will be on ‘equal footing’ in strategic rivalry with Washington in the post-Trump era.

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China and the US have been working to keep the peace ahead of possible reciprocal visits by US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right), shown here in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: AFP
China’s military drills

PLA urged to find a way to operate effectively under the gaze of US and Japan

Analysts say that after rapid response to latest drills around Taiwan, military must move away from emphasis on trying to avoid detection.

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Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

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Hong Kong property

Fancl distributor couple buys Lippo Centre office, shop in US$38.3 million deal

Purchase by the Japanese skincare brand’s distributor marks a 60 per cent cut from 2017 price as cash-rich local investors hunt for bargains.

The sun is reflected on the Lippo Centre in Admiralty. Photo: Dickson Lee
SCMP Highlights

Trump reacts to China-Canada deal, ‘messy’ year for Philippines: 5 weekend reads

From China’s attempt to shut out US tech to Japan being urged to return relic, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Fukushima nuclear disaster and water release

Alarm bells ring for Japan’s Tepco as glitch delays nuclear restart

The delay was reportedly due to an alarm malfunction that occurred during equipment testing over the weekend.

Sanae Takaichi

‘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.

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Foreign tourists pack Kiyomizuzaka in Kyoto. Japan has seen a surge in tourist arrivals in recent years. Photo: Kyodo
Food and agriculture

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

The alligator weed can proliferate even from fragments. Photo: Conservation Auckland
Food and Drinks

He wasn’t allowed to grill for years. That’s how he mastered yakitori

The chef behind Tokyo’s Torishiki brings his gospel of succulent skewers, steady discipline and generous mentorship to Torikaze in Hong Kong.

Pop culture in Asia

Language Matters | Senpai, bingsu, ramyeon: new Korean and Japanese words in the OED

The latest additions to the Oxford English Dictionary include many words and phrases from popular Korean and Japanese culture.

Crime

Fears of growing school violence in Japan as bullying clips go viral

Experts cite social media as a key factor contributing to rising bullying cases in schools, warning of cases that go unnoticed.

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Schoolchildren cross a street in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
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
US-Venezuela conflict

How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

Beijing is trying to present itself as a more responsible power, but analysts say concrete actions will be needed to win over its neighbours.

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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’.

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Art

Japanese tattoo artists still face stigma despite landmark legal victory

The practice of tattooing has long been associated with the yakuza and many places in Japan still bar people bearing the body art.

Tattoo artist Horisho works on a foreign tourist at Good Times Ink tattoo studio in Osaka. Photo: Kyodo
Mainland China

In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency

China has reportedly imposed curbs on rare earth shipments to Japan, and there are concerns that these could be extended to medical products.

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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.

Architecture and design

A conversation with design visionary Naoto Fukasawa

The legendary product designer gave an exclusive interview to Style on the sidelines of Hong Kong’s BODW In the City, an extension of Business of Design Week.

Naoto Fukasawa gives a talk at B&B Italia, Colourliving, in Hong Kong, in November 2025. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong passport ranks 15th globally, rising 3 places in visa-free access index

Hongkongers improve in travel mobility, with visa-free access to 171 destinations, but still trail leader Singapore, as well as Japan and South Korea.

Hongkongers hold the world’s 15th most powerful passport, according to this year’s Henley Passport Index, which measures visa-free access. Photo: Fung Chang
US-China relations

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

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China society

Outside In | Plight of Hebei’s freezing elderly shows urgent need for pension reform

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Donald Trump

Trump invests US$51 million in bonds linked to his own policy agenda

Without a blind trust, Trump builds wealth as president with bond trades in firms his policies affect, drawing scrutiny over conflicts of interest.

Donald Trump reacts to a question from a reporter after signing a series of executive orders at the White House in February 2025. Photo: TNS
Chinese tourists

Video | Japan ramen joint bans Chinese customers amid menu price row

The restaurant says it had to call police over unruly Chinese diners, but online sleuths say the real cause of the trouble was dual pricing on its menus.

Iekei restaurant in the western city of Osaka has ignited controversy by slapping a ban on all Chinese customers, accusing them of being troublemakers.
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Video | Railway power outage delays commuters in Tokyo

Trains on JR East’s Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines were halted in all directions with no immediate timetable for service resumption.

US-Japan relations

Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence ties despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

‘We talk about America first, yes, but it doesn’t mean America alone,’ Pentagon chief Hegseth tells Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi.

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