https://www.scmp.com/rss/322894/feed 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. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean athletes are set to step onto South Korean soil for the first time in eight years, raising hopes that sports could again help ease bilateral tensions even as Pyongyang continues to define Seoul as a hostile state. Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea have confirmed their participation in the 2025–2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL). “We have been informed by the AFC that Naegohyang Women’s FC have expressed their intention to participate in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:14:32 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new financing facility aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains across the Asia-Pacific region, as a global push to loosen China’s chokehold over the sector continues. The initiative is designed to help Asia-Pacific nations move up the critical minerals value chain – moving beyond just mining – by equipping them with the technical capabilities to process and recycle the materials, according to the ADB. “Asia and the Pacific should be... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:15:00 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Select FamilyMart convenience stores in Japan have installed boxes to collect used clothing and household goods for reuse, joining similar initiatives taken by retailers, as a step to reduce waste and attract more customers. In a trial launched jointly with Bookoff Group Holdings, which buys and sells used goods, boxes were installed in around 30 FamilyMart stores in residential areas of Tokyo. Bookoff plans to sell some of the collected items overseas, including to Malaysia. FamilyMart said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 04:05:28 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Bai Chongen is a prominent Chinese economist and government adviser. He is the dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and serves concurrently as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. From 2015 to 2018, he was a member of the Chinese central bank’s monetary policy committee. Here, he discusses how China can avoid “Japanification”, what Beijing can do to help cultivate the next Elon Musk, and why the “China shock 2.0” phenomenon is often... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352022/bai-chongen-chinas-new-economic-paradigm-and-closing-us-tech-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352022/bai-chongen-chinas-new-economic-paradigm-and-closing-us-tech-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China may be feeling uneasy about talk of a rare five-year defence cooperation plan between North Korea and Russia that could accelerate Pyongyang’s military modernisation on multiple fronts, analysts said. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov held talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on April 26, with Belousov describing relations between the countries as at an “unprecedentedly high level”. Belousov also said preparations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352265/why-5-year-defence-pact-between-north-korea-and-russia-could-make-china-uneasy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352265/why-5-year-defence-pact-between-north-korea-and-russia-could-make-china-uneasy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo For those who have never visited the Yasukuni Shrine, it is located in central Tokyo and within walking distance of the Imperial Palace. It is easily accessible by subway, bus and taxi. It is beautiful, tranquil and dignified. Admission was free when I first visited it some 20 years ago. The Shinto shrine was established by Emperor Meiji to commemorate those who died in the service of Japan. In the late 1970s, the names of more than a dozen Class A war criminals (to the rest of the world) or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352279/why-resurgent-japan-should-absolutely-scare-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352279/why-resurgent-japan-should-absolutely-scare-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng For decades, the global image of Chinese trade was synonymous with massive container ships loaded with footwear, bags and furniture. However, a profound structural shift is under way. Having conquered the world of physical goods, China is now rapidly ascending the industrial chain as an emerging exporter of manufacturing technology. In 2025, the country’s exports of telecoms, computer and information services reached 808 billion yuan (US$118 billion), marking a robust 13 per cent year-on-year... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352020/footwear-ai-services-china-moves-value-chain-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352020/footwear-ai-services-china-moves-value-chain-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 12:30:12 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two countries have grown increasingly concerned about the changing security and economic environment in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 10:11:29 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Astronomers in Japan have recently launched what they say is the country’s first organisation dedicated to the search for alien life, with radio observations planned in the summer next year. “They must exist somewhere in the universe. I’m excited to be putting this into action,” said Shinya Narusawa, an astrophysical expert at the University of Hyogo and head of the Japanese Society for SETI – the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Narusawa, a 61-year-old leading expert in the SETI field,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 07:07:00 +0000 Akio Takahara Akio Takahara Japan and China are Asian powerhouses that should collaborate responsibly for the peace and prosperity of the region. However, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs since the start of the century and are now at their lowest point after normalisation in 1972. A major cause of this is the widening perception and information gap between the two nations that needs to be addressed through direct people-to-people contact. Some, perhaps many, misunderstand that Japan and China are always... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352140/why-japan-china-ties-can-benefit-promoting-people-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352140/why-japan-china-ties-can-benefit-promoting-people-people-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 01:00:22 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai At the December premiere of the Chinese-dubbed 1957 Billy Wilder classic Witness for the Prosecution in a Shanghai cinema, dubbing artist Qiao Zhen voiced a more immediate mystery: “Do you still enjoy Chinese-dubbed films?” When audience members, mainly nostalgia-seeking fans, responded with applause and shouts of “Yes!”, the 83-year-old veteran became emotional, offering a moving defence of his art form. “Several years ago we felt this profession had fallen into a low point,” he told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352213/why-are-modern-chinese-film-audiences-shying-away-dubbed-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352213/why-are-modern-chinese-film-audiences-shying-away-dubbed-films?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 08:37:09 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Not a sudden, major crash but a series of mini-crises. That, according to some, is the prospect facing the global economy and financial system in the wake of conflict in the Middle East. But what if these mini-crises cascade into a collective collapse? And what if the Trump administration emerges as the only winner in the conflict by virtue of the fact that it has, in engineering the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, locked Europe and Asia into a desperate dependence on US oil and gas, especially... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan and South Korea are closing ranks as they prepare for high-level meetings aimed at steadying ties amid growing regional volatility, with analysts saying the diplomatic push reflects shared concern over China, North Korea and the reliability of US commitments under President Donald Trump. Both countries appear willing to put past differences aside, at least for now, as they confront an assertive China and an unpredictable US administration that has unsettled long-standing allies and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 07:55:15 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Blue Seal ice cream, Spam musubi and taco rice have one thing in common: they are uniquely Okinawan, and locals absolutely love them. Tubarama is a popular Okinawan restaurant and izakaya in Naha. It is famous for its immersive experiences, in which traditional shima-uta, or folk music, is performed, in a setting resembling a pre-war Okinawan village, as local cuisine is served. There are live sanshin – a traditional lute – and other performances every evening on the restaurant’s second... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351992/how-us-occupation-shaped-okinawan-cuisine-spam-musubi-taco-rice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3351992/how-us-occupation-shaped-okinawan-cuisine-spam-musubi-taco-rice?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan and Vietnam are set to agree to boost their partnership in economic security in leaders’ talks on Saturday, as Japan seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical resources amid its diplomatic spat with China and the Middle East crisis. As Tokyo looks to deepen ties with Southeast Asian nations with an eye to China’s increasing economic engagement with the region, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will also give a speech on Japan’s updated vision for its free and open Indo-Pacific policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 03:24:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With his broad smile, Tatsumi Hokuto helps an elderly woman in a Japanese care home almost effortlessly to her feet and makes sure she is steady. At first glance, Hokuto cuts an unlikely figure for a carer role: a powerfully built 27-year-old in tight leggings and a black singlet, with the physique of a dedicated bodybuilder. But for Nagoya-based Visionary, a company that operates nursing and care facilities across Japan, that contrast is precisely the point. Visionary’s “macho carers” like... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352178/rapidly-ageing-japans-macho-carers-lend-muscles-benefit-elderly-disabled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352178/rapidly-ageing-japans-macho-carers-lend-muscles-benefit-elderly-disabled?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US stock market is rising towards more records on Friday after Apple, Estee Lauder and other big companies became the latest to deliver fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. Modest dips for oil prices also helped to steady the relatively few stock markets open worldwide on the May Day holiday. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 per cent and added to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 226 points, or 0.5 per cent, as of 9.35am Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352188/wall-street-rises-towards-more-records-oil-prices-slip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352188/wall-street-rises-towards-more-records-oil-prices-slip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 15:10:50 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Japan has overhauled its overseas arms transfer regulations, a move analysts said paves the way for the country to export high-end weapons and defence platforms, including sixth-generation fighter jets. On April 21, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that her cabinet had amended the Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology and the accompanying implementation guidelines that had constituted Japan’s framework for controlling military hardware and technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352144/will-japans-new-arms-export-rules-spark-high-end-defence-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352144/will-japans-new-arms-export-rules-spark-high-end-defence-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-export rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan said. “This allows us to talk,” Yurii Lutovinov said in an interview at Ukraine’s embassy. “Theoretically, it’s a very big step forward.” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s move last week to ease export rules – Japan’s latest shift away from a strict post-war pacifist stance – has sparked broad... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352184/ukraine-sees-path-getting-japanese-arms-after-tokyo-eases-export-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352184/ukraine-sees-path-getting-japanese-arms-after-tokyo-eases-export-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 13:40:48 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A man who is believed to have struck a 17-year-old high school student in the face with a hammer in Tokyo earlier this week was arrested on Friday after a manhunt on suspicion of attempted murder, according to local police. Teruyuki Takabayashi, 44, was apprehended in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture after allegedly attacking the boy between 7.15am and 7.25am on Wednesday in Fussa, a suburban area in western Tokyo. The boy was part of a group of seven teenagers hanging around a nearby restaurant at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352179/tokyo-man-who-attacked-teens-hammer-arrested-after-manhunt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352179/tokyo-man-who-attacked-teens-hammer-arrested-after-manhunt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:52:28 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A viral video of three elephants sent from Malaysia to a zoo in Japan has sparked public anger after online users said the animals appeared distressed when visitors called their names in Malay – which many viewers interpreted as a sign of homesickness. The footage showed the three pachyderms – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – responding to the Malaysian visitors, while another widely shared clip led social media users to claim one of the elephants appeared to be “weeping”. Other clips and images... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352142/trumpet-call-malaysians-demand-japan-return-elephants-after-viral-weeping-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352142/trumpet-call-malaysians-demand-japan-return-elephants-after-viral-weeping-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:13:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japanese police arrested a man for allegedly incinerating his dead wife at the zoo where he worked, officials and local media said on Friday, following the discovery of human remains. Police arrested Tatsuya Suzuki on Thursday evening on suspicion that he “transported the victim’s body to a tourist facility” in the northern island of Hokkaido and “destroyed it through incineration there”, a local police official said. The victim, 33-year-old Yui Suzuki, was identified by local media as his wife.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352124/man-arrested-japan-burning-wifes-body-zoo-incinerator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352124/man-arrested-japan-burning-wifes-body-zoo-incinerator?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 06:40:14 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Matt King, a 34-year-old graphic designer living in New York, has long grappled with his identity as the son of a Canadian-Chinese mother and white father. Despite being born in the US and raised in Los Angeles, he is aware that mainstream US society does not always see him as a bona fide US citizen. “You’ll always get … a sprinkling of this ‘you’re not truly American’,” the 34-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, said, prompting him to claim his own definition. “To me, being an American is... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352088/many-asian-americans-feel-excluded-true-us-identity-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s shrinking youth population is forcing a reckoning in higher education, with the finance ministry pushing for the closure or merger of hundreds of private universities as campuses struggle to fill classrooms. University insiders broadly agree that Japan has too many small, private tertiary institutions battling enrolment shortfalls and financial pressures, but they also argue the education ministry’s own policies contributed to the problem. “The number of universities they are talking... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352079/japans-higher-education-sector-faces-reckoning-student-pool-shrinks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352079/japans-higher-education-sector-faces-reckoning-student-pool-shrinks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall More than 15 per cent of hospitals and long-term medical care facilities across Japan have recorded cases of sexual assault or abuse of patients, according to a new government report, as concerns mount that the actual figures may be higher. The Children and Families Agency released the results of the survey – the first of its kind – on Tuesday, with 1,113 institutions of the 5,000 invited to take part providing responses. Many of the incidents involved medical staff in psychiatry and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352003/japan-survey-finds-sexual-abuse-15-hospitals-true-scale-higher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352003/japan-survey-finds-sexual-abuse-15-hospitals-true-scale-higher?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre,Sumnima Kandangwa Vincenzo La Torre,Sumnima Kandangwa Whether it’s revisiting the radical energy of the young British artists who shook up the art world in the 1990s or celebrating the enduring influence of global figures like Nigo, this season’s art offerings span exhibitions dedicated to fashion, history and contemporary art in museums and galleries across London and in Kyoto and Venice. Design Museum, London London’s Design Museum is devoting an exhibition to Japanese designer Nigo, one of the most influential figures in global fashion. The... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3351704/4-exhibitions-visit-summer-london-kyoto-and-venice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3351704/4-exhibitions-visit-summer-london-kyoto-and-venice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The row between China and Japan has ratcheted up a notch, with Beijing issuing a strongly worded position paper warning that Tokyo would soon be able to produce nuclear weapons. In the document released on Thursday, China called on the United Nations to make Japan’s potential pursuit of nuclear arms an “important agenda item” at an ongoing convention at the organisation’s New York headquarters. China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and will assume the monthly rotating presidency... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352062/why-china-warning-un-japanese-nuclear-breakout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352062/why-china-warning-un-japanese-nuclear-breakout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:13 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao China will work with Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments in an important “first step” in alleviating supply crunches, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The agreement came on Wednesday as part of Wong’s talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Inputs China supplies to Australia, including jet fuel, support the Australian resources sector, which in turn helps to maintain the flow of commodities that are so important in the bilateral trading relationship,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:16:19 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Bai Chongen is a prominent Chinese economist and government adviser. He is the dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management and serves concurrently as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. From 2015 to 2018, he was a member of the Chinese central bank’s monetary policy committee. Here, he discusses how China can avoid “Japanification”, what Beijing can do to help cultivate the next Elon Musk, and why the “China shock 2.0” phenomenon is often... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351947/how-china-can-avoid-repeat-japans-lost-decades-eyes-top-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3351947/how-china-can-avoid-repeat-japans-lost-decades-eyes-top-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:15:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Common security interests in the region have led to Japan’s unprecedented sharing of its Mogami-class warships with India, according to analysts. The move dovetails with New Delhi’s drive to localise industrial and defence production. Enhanced naval capabilities will also allow India to become a “security provider” in the Indian Ocean. Japan offered India its Mogami design plans and the option to build the frigates in Indian shipyards using Japanese materials, according to recent reports from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351945/why-japan-sharing-its-guarded-mogami-warship-design-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351945/why-japan-sharing-its-guarded-mogami-warship-design-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:12:12 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Chinese solar exports surged in March, doubling to a record high as demand accelerated across dozens of markets, according to a new report. The spike comes as global energy systems react to renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US. The Persian Gulf shipping corridor, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas flows, has become a focal pressure point amid escalating tensions that began on February 28 with US-Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351938/crisis-surge-or-lasting-shift-chinas-solar-exports-double-month?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:08:29 +0000 The Star The Star The three Malaysian elephants sent to Osaka in Japan from Zoo Taiping and Night Safari should be brought home, according to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup. Arthur made the call amid concerns that Japan’s climate is unsuitable for the elephants and that one of them, Kelat, has suffered an injury. Last Friday, a group of protesters gathered outside the ministry, urging the government to bring the elephants back. They cited welfare concerns following... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351937/malaysia-seeks-return-elephants-japan-climate-welfare-concerns-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351937/malaysia-seeks-return-elephants-japan-climate-welfare-concerns-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:08:16 +0000 Divya Singhal,Rebecca Chunghee Kim Divya Singhal,Rebecca Chunghee Kim Can tourism be considered successful if arrivals increase, but the local communities – the very soul of the destination – feel strained and excluded? Too often, tourism success is measured in arrivals, occupancy and revenue. These numbers matter. But they tell only a fraction of the story. We must ask: who is this success really for? Traditional growth metrics are no longer sufficient to protect the residents who host the world or the workers who power the experience. To prevent cultural... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351699/japan-india-overtourism-cries-out-new-success-metrics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351699/japan-india-overtourism-cries-out-new-success-metrics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The United States is stepping up pressure on China across multiple strategic fronts, in moves analysts say could strengthen US President Donald Trump’s hand ahead of his planned high-stakes mid-May meeting with President Xi Jinping. But they cautioned that Beijing was likely to remain unfazed because it had already adapted to earlier curbs by reducing its reliance on the American market. US lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs Committee have advanced 20 new export control measures this month... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351891/chips-oil-and-iran-why-us-raising-pressure-china-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351891/chips-oil-and-iran-why-us-raising-pressure-china-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Marco Vicenzino Marco Vicenzino Even if the immediate phase of conflict subsides, the Gulf is unlikely to return to the status quo. For Asia, the central question is no longer simply whether the Strait of Hormuz is open. It is whether the waterway remains reliable, predictable and politically insulated from coercion. That distinction now matters more than ever. For China and other major Asian importers, it is a question of whether energy flows, shipping routes and sanctions exposure are increasingly being shaped by a crisis... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351638/why-era-managed-hormuz-disruption-wouldnt-bode-well-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351638/why-era-managed-hormuz-disruption-wouldnt-bode-well-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has called on Beijing and Tokyo to work together against “US arrogance”, as the global order is upended by President Donald Trump. Hatoyama, who was Japan’s prime minister from 2009 to 2010, said the two nations should find common ground and work to manage their bilateral relations. “I would argue that Japan and China should jointly confront a self-centred United States and [prevent] the collapse of the world order,” Hatoyama said at an event in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351796/fragmenting-global-order-former-japanese-leader-urges-pivot-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351796/fragmenting-global-order-former-japanese-leader-urges-pivot-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New Zealand officials rejected on Wednesday an application to install a statue commemorating so-called “comfort women” enslaved by Japan before and during World War II after Tokyo suggested it could harm diplomatic relations. Japan forced up to 200,000 women from Korea, China and Southeast Asia into sexual slavery from 1932 until 1945 and the issue remains a sore point in Tokyo’s relations with its neighbours. The Korean Garden Trust had sought to install a statue honouring the survivors at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:23:25 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk One of Japan’s most popular zoos has delayed its reopening after an employee reportedly told police he had burned his wife’s body in an incinerator on its grounds. Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido’s second-largest city of Asahikawa, which had been closed for a seasonal break since April 8, was set to reopen on Wednesday, a national holiday. But the date has been pushed back to at least Friday to allow police to search for the body, according to The Asahi Shimbun newspaper. At a news conference on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351839/zoo-japans-hokkaido-delays-reopening-over-search-body-incinerator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351839/zoo-japans-hokkaido-delays-reopening-over-search-body-incinerator?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:54:27 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au Walk into any serious steakhouse in Hong Kong today and you’ll find dry-aged beef on the menu, often for double the price of regular steak. What was an age-old practice has, in the past decade, made a comeback as chefs seek to unlock a deeper dimension of flavour. But here’s what most diners don’t realise: the technique has moved beyond beef. Across the city, chefs are dry-ageing fish, lamb, chicken and pigeon. Can the same process that transforms a slab of beef do the same for other... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3351650/beyond-steak-how-dry-age-fish-lamb-and-poultry-according-3-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. Your editorial, “Breaches reveal worrying gaps in Hong Kong’s data defences” (April 10), rightly warns that data security failures threaten Hong Kong’s innovation hub ambitions. Recent incidents include the data leak involving more than 56,000 patients served by the Hospital... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351680/data-leaks-surge-hong-kong-needs-mandate-reporting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351680/data-leaks-surge-hong-kong-needs-mandate-reporting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asia’s oil import-dependent economies will benefit from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) exit from Opec, though the ongoing closure of the arterial Strait of Hormuz may not offer any immediate relief from soaring prices, analysts say. Global oil prices continued to surge on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent crude oil prices hitting US$111 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) approaching US$100 a barrel. Before the Iran war, Brent was trading around US$70 a barrel, while WTI was about US$65... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351776/why-uaes-exit-opec-good-news-asias-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351776/why-uaes-exit-opec-good-news-asias-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 03:23:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Plans to build a mosque in Fujisawa, a city southwest of Tokyo, have become the latest flashpoint for Muslim communities in Japan, as a growing need for places of worship meets resistance from some local residents. Muslim community leaders and scholars say the opposition in Fujisawa reflects a broader pattern in Japan, where resistance to mosques has increasingly been shaped by negative overseas coverage of Islam and claims spread on social media. A public meeting in February called to allow... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351746/resistance-new-mosques-exposes-tensions-over-japans-growing-muslim-communities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351746/resistance-new-mosques-exposes-tensions-over-japans-growing-muslim-communities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:31:06 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is a time and a place. Just because you have a right to do something doesn’t mean you should exercise it. The United States and its allies keep claiming they have the right of navigation in international waters by sending their navies through the Taiwan Strait. Their intention to provoke is clear despite their justification under international law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s row with Beijing over her remarks about militarily intervening in a Taiwan crisis has yet to die down.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Thousands of Japanese are defying rising prices at home and the pain of the feeble yen to have one final foreign holiday over “golden week” before airlines increase fuel surcharges. The operator of Narita International Airport anticipates that 1.59 million travellers will pass through the airport on the outskirts of Tokyo between last Friday and May 10. That would be an increase of around 2 per cent from last year’s golden week holiday season, which in Japan refers to a cluster of national... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351741/japanese-travellers-rush-abroad-golden-week-fuel-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351741/japanese-travellers-rush-abroad-golden-week-fuel-price-increases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has started the process of overhauling the country’s major security policies, arguing that Japan must boost its military power in the face of geopolitical threats, including those from China. A Chinese expert said Takaichi’s statements during a gathering of experts tasked with overhauling key policy documents signalled a “fundamental” shift in Tokyo’s strategy, with the country’s security road map likely to become “more aggressive”. Beijing, meanwhile,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351751/japans-revised-security-policy-get-more-aggressive-chinese-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351751/japans-revised-security-policy-get-more-aggressive-chinese-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:09:51 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is stepping up efforts to secure critical sea lanes and protect its overseas assets, as crises at maritime chokepoints – including the Strait of Hormuz – expose growing vulnerabilities in global trade. In response, Beijing has tasked leading industrial enterprises and academic institutions with spearheading research to safeguard strategic trade corridors and overseas port holdings, amid escalating geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran and legal disputes over Panama... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung A Taiwanese army officer has been punished for screening The Eight Hundred, a mainland Chinese war film depicting Kuomintang forces fighting Japanese troops during World War II. The punishment has triggered a political row on the island over Beijing’s state-led messaging to sway opinions in Taiwan as well as historical interpretation and military education on the island. The controversy emerged after ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu revealed during a legislative meeting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351735/it-wrong-show-taiwan-army-officers-film-about-kmt-forces-fighting-japan-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3351735/it-wrong-show-taiwan-army-officers-film-about-kmt-forces-fighting-japan-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East has turned the spotlight on a strategic waterway thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, with littoral states having different ideas on how to control their stake. Indonesian officials last week flirted with the idea of imposing tolls for passing vessels in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia and Singapore, however, have insisted that navigation in the vital corridor remains free. The likelihood of tolls in the strait is low thanks to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:58:19 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang Hong Kong Disneyland Resort posted a 36 per cent drop in net profit to HK$536 million (US$68 million) last year, due to higher costs, increased outbound travel by residents and weather disruptions, although earnings were the second-highest on record and the theme park is now debt-free. The Lantau Island theme park on Tuesday reported its results for the financial year ending last September, with revenue down by 1.35 per cent year on year to HK$8.69 billion and visitor numbers falling by 2.5 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351663/hong-kong-disneyland-profit-drops-36-hk536-million-costs-rise-visitors-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351663/hong-kong-disneyland-profit-drops-36-hk536-million-costs-rise-visitors-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:11:30 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore 2. Why Japan’s earthquake has Bali on edge over magnitude 9 ‘megathrust’ risk 3. 3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled 4. This retiree in the Philippines downloaded an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:18:41 +0000