https://www.scmp.com/rss/524387/feed The latest news and top stories on Waseda University, a private research university. Founded in 1882, its main campus is in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Waseda offers undergraduate and graduate programs across diverse fields including political science, economics, law, science and engineering. Recognised as one of Japan's top universities, it is notable for its liberal climate and for producing numerous influential alumni, including eight Japanese Prime Ministers and leaders in business and literature. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This article, the third in a three-part series, looks at how US President Donald Trump, Taiwan and war in the Middle East factor into their relationship. Read the second part here. As Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host regional leaders for the Apec summit later this year, observers are closely watching whether the summit could... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347188/uncompromising-takaichis-meeting-trump-seen-key-china-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347188/uncompromising-takaichis-meeting-trump-seen-key-china-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall One of Japan’s largest manga publishers is facing mounting backlash after it emerged that a writer convicted of sexually assaulting a minor had continued producing work for the company under a different name. The controversy has prompted some observers to ask whether Japan’s manga industry is experiencing a belated “#MeToo moment”, as prominent creators pull their works from the publisher’s Manga One digital platform in protest. Tokyo-based Shogakukan said on Tuesday it would set up a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345612/japans-manga-industry-faces-metoo-moment-after-shogakukan-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345612/japans-manga-industry-faces-metoo-moment-after-shogakukan-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Representatives of the Unification Church, the controversial South Korea-founded religious group that became a political flashpoint in Japan after the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, are set to return to court on Wednesday as judges consider whether to strip it of its legal status. The Tokyo High Court is widely expected to uphold a lower court’s order to dissolve the organisation, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, in a ruling that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345196/unification-church-faces-uphill-task-japan-fight-courts-liquidation-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345196/unification-church-faces-uphill-task-japan-fight-courts-liquidation-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 02:00:26 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim South Korea last week protested to the US over a rare stand-off between American and Chinese fighter jets in the Yellow Sea, according to media reports. Analysts said the move signalled Seoul was reluctant to see US forces stationed in South Korea more actively confront Beijing. According to a Yonhap News Agency report on Saturday citing unnamed military sources, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back lodged a complaint with General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea (USFK),... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344369/seouls-protest-over-stand-seen-reluctance-let-us-forces-korea-confront-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3344369/seouls-protest-over-stand-seen-reluctance-let-us-forces-korea-confront-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall For nearly three decades, Washington and Tokyo have pledged to close a controversial US airbase in Okinawa, located in the middle of a densely populated island. But the plan is now facing new uncertainty. The US military would not return its Futenma airbase to Japanese control until Tokyo builds a longer runway than the one being built at a replacement site in the northeast of Okinawa prefecture, according to a report. Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday that the US Department... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344039/why-plan-us-and-japan-relocate-okinawa-airbase-hitting-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344039/why-plan-us-and-japan-relocate-okinawa-airbase-hitting-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall North Korea’s claim that Japan has crossed a diplomatic “red line” by deepening its security partnerships is less about Tokyo’s defence policies than Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election victory, analysts say, as a weaker mandate may have pushed her towards negotiations with Pyongyang. With a commanding majority secured in Sunday’s poll, Takaichi now faces fewer domestic constraints as she signals plans to expand defence cooperation with Western partners and potentially push ahead... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343322/why-takaichis-japan-election-victory-has-sparked-north-koreas-childish-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343322/why-takaichis-japan-election-victory-has-sparked-north-koreas-childish-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is said to be weighing up an early election, a move that could put her in a stronger position with both China and the United States if she secures a decisive win, according to observers. But a diplomatic thaw between Japan and China is not expected any time soon. Media reports in recent days have suggested that Takaichi may call a snap general election to capitalise on her high approval ratings. Citing government sources, the Yomiuri Shinbun reported on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339685/how-snap-election-japan-could-put-sanae-takaichi-stronger-position-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339685/how-snap-election-japan-could-put-sanae-takaichi-stronger-position-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, riding high in opinion polls, is expected to call a general election in the coming months to capitalise on her popularity and seize the opportunity to rebuild a Liberal Democratic Party-led government. Takaichi has done little to play down the possibility, telling a news conference on Monday: “It is important that the public can feel the tangible effects of our measures against rising prices and our economic policies. We are working hard to tackle the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339211/japans-takaichi-tipped-snap-election-gamble-poll-ratings-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339211/japans-takaichi-tipped-snap-election-gamble-poll-ratings-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is turning to artificial intelligence to crack down on manga and anime piracy, aiming to stem copyright losses worth trillions of yen and recover revenue from one of its most valuable cultural exports. The move comes as creators increasingly look to overseas markets for growth amid stagnating manga and anime sales at home, observers say. A report by the anti-piracy organisation Authorised Books of Japan last month estimated that illegal online distribution had deprived publishers of about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335479/japan-turns-ai-hunt-down-overseas-manga-anime-pirates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335479/japan-turns-ai-hunt-down-overseas-manga-anime-pirates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou No winter lasts forever, but the deep chill in the Beijing-Tokyo relationship set off by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan could last a long time. Takaichi has had consistently high approval ratings since taking office, which could encourage her to solidify her position on the island. But there is one big uncertainty – US President Donald Trump’s reluctance to show open support for Japan, America’s closest ally in the region Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have sunk to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334197/how-beijing-tokyo-deep-freeze-over-taiwan-could-harden-takaichis-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334197/how-beijing-tokyo-deep-freeze-over-taiwan-could-harden-takaichis-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:21:06 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim When it deemed remarks on Taiwan by Japan’s new prime minister as provocative, China did not just issue a diplomatic rebuke to Tokyo; it deployed an economic arsenal, and what began as a bilateral spat has since spiralled into a full-blown crisis. China last week warned its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, with major Chinese airlines offering full refunds for flights there. On Wednesday, Beijing said it would suspend Japanese seafood imports. It is not the first time China has wielded its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333562/risks-china-faces-it-deploys-economic-arsenal-against-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333562/risks-china-faces-it-deploys-economic-arsenal-against-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The first meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung could not have gone off to a better start, with analysts noting the two leaders’ warm rapport sealed with handshakes, smiles and vows to look to the future. While they projected goodwill during their summit ahead of the Apec forum in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on Thursday, long-standing tensions over history and territorial disputes, and domestic political pressures arising from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331057/takaichi-lee-meeting-raises-hopes-japan-and-south-korea-burying-history-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331057/takaichi-lee-meeting-raises-hopes-japan-and-south-korea-burying-history-row?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:54:55 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been accused of “taking flattery to the extreme” after she informed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday about her plan to nominate him for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize. According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Takaichi told Trump that she would recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been complaining about the Nobel Committee for not picking him to win the accolade despite what he says are his efforts to end multiple conflicts... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330597/japans-pm-criticised-curry-favour-trump-over-nobel-peace-prize-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330597/japans-pm-criticised-curry-favour-trump-over-nobel-peace-prize-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:22:43 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces the first major test of her diplomatic skills on Monday when US President Donald Trump arrives in Tokyo for a three-day visit, with the Japanese leader using her first week in office to institute policies designed to please her American counterpart. In a policy speech to the Diet on Friday, Takaichi vowed to bring forward a goal of defence spending matching 2 per cent of gross domestic product to the current financial year ending in March, two years earlier... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330258/japans-pm-takaichi-faces-high-stakes-meeting-trump-over-defence-and-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330258/japans-pm-takaichi-faces-high-stakes-meeting-trump-over-defence-and-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 03:00:22 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s scientific community is celebrating two Nobel wins this week, but the accolades have also reignited concern over the country’s ability to retain its top researchers amid growing competition from overseas. The wins have renewed scrutiny of the country’s research system, with observers citing poor funding, job insecurity and rigid institutions as factors driving talent abroad – particularly to China. On Monday, the Nobel Assembly announced that Shimon Sakaguchi and two American colleagues... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328351/japans-nobel-wins-shine-light-worrying-brain-drain-especially-generous-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328351/japans-nobel-wins-shine-light-worrying-brain-drain-especially-generous-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:13 +0000