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Japan
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
Maiko (apprentice geisha) are seen in Kyoto, Japan. An ex-maiko describes how she left the geisha tradition - which she describes as an “extremely abnormal world” - after she says she experienced sexual harassment, physical and verbal abuse, and more. Photo: AFP
World of performing arts

‘A system of slavery’: ex-geisha apprentice on the dark side of the tradition

Kiyoha Kiritaka says she left Kyoto’s geisha world after experiencing sexual harassment, physical and verbal abuse, and more.

Electric & new energy vehicles

More foreign marques face a do-or-die moment as Chinese buyers shun petrol cars

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New Openings

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Le Le’s launch to Thong Smith’s debut

Iran

Japan’s Takaichi seeks urgent summit with Iran as Trump’s Hormuz deadline looms

Japan has been bearing the brunt of the Iran war as the resource-poor nation relies on the Middle East for most of its crude oil imports.

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Fuel prices are displayed at a petrol station in Tokyo on March 18. Photo: EPA
Semiconductors

Chip, AI talent race heats up as Taiwan tightens crackdown on alleged poaching

The latest probes are part of Taiwan’s crackdown on mainland Chinese talent poaching, with 100 cases handled since 2020, according to MJIB.

Crime

‘Unable to handle rejection’: the forces driving Japan’s knife crime wave

Experts warn a generation raised on screens is losing the ability to handle real-world rejection.

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Australia

Australia receives fuel export guarantees from Singapore, Japan

Australia is seeking to diversify its sources of oil products as a result of the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including making purchases from the US and Mexico.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) sign a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement during a Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Meeting, at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on October 8 last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Food and Drinks

How Okinawan food evolved with Chinese influences to become ‘truly unique’

Long ago, Okinawa was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a trade hub linking Japan to Asia. Today, dishes like goya champuru reflect this history.

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Artist's Studio

Ayako Rokkaku on feeling her way via finger-painting and interactive art

Multimedia artist Ayako Rokkaku tells David Ho about her biggest work to date at the Landmark and why feeling is believing with her art.

China-Japan relations

Why China is worried by Japan’s plans to change rules on arms sales

The government in Tokyo is considering relaxing its restrictions on exports of lethal weapons amid heightened tensions with Beijing.

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Sanae Takaichi has angered Beijing with her comments over Taiwan. Photo: Reuters
Your Perfect Week

Our cheat sheet for the best things to do in Hong Kong, April 5-18

Enjoy Easter at The Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Palace Museum’s equine exhibition, a kitchen takeover at Zozzona and Aussie cocktails at Bourke’s.

The Repulse Bay’s Easter campaign features a host of activities. Photo: courtesy The Repulse Bay
Tokyo

Safety fears bloom in Japan as ageing cherry trees collapse in Tokyo parks

People love walking or picnicking under the trees during the cherry blossom viewing season.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Hormuz crossings

France and Japan have called for a ceasefire in the conflict, with Macron saying the waterway can only be reopened when the bombing stops.

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United States

US adds 178,000 jobs in March but Middle East war ‘likely not incorporated’

Gains in a slumping market were about three times the forecast, thought to be linked to construction firms doing more in recent warm weather.

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Construction workers in California in March. Photo: via AFP
Diplomacy

Opinion | How America’s stumble in Iran upends East Asia’s security calculus

A region where US allies lose faith in Washington won’t necessarily embrace Beijing; it is a region more likely to reach for its own guns.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-Japan relations

With an eye on China, Japan looks to kamikaze drones and low-cost missiles

Tokyo plans to introduce loitering munitions with a range of more than 1,000km, according to Japanese media reports citing official sources.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US delays Japan’s Tomahawk missile supplies as Iran strikes take priority

The missiles are key to boosting Tokyo’s long-range strike capabilities to deal with challenges from China and North Korea.

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Indonesia

Indonesia rebalances energy policy as Iran war spurs new projects

As oil prices surge, Indonesia aims to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and intensify the use of crude palm oil for diesel blending.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Tokyo on Tuesday. Prabowo has invited Japan to develop Indonesia’s nuclear and renewable energy. Photo: Kyodo
SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s racial divide; Australia and Japan’s jet fuel woes: 7 highlights

From Hong Kong’s restaurant revamps to deep racial divisions in Malaysia, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

China energy security

Strait of Hormuz crisis

China remains relatively sheltered by its strategic oil reserves and investment in clean energy, even as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz sparks a global energy crisis.

South Korea

‘I can’t breathe’: Korean Air sued over in-flight death of passenger

The lawsuit filed in the US alleged that the airline failed to provide oxygen to Porscha Tynisha Brown who died in 2024.

A Korean Air plane takes off from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

Letters | Why KMT leader’s planned visit to mainland China is significant

Readers discuss the chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party’s trip to the mainland, and the approach to treating drug abuse in Hong Kong.

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, interacts with supporters in Taipei, Taiwan, November 1, 2025. Photo: Reuters
China’s private sector

Splashing out: how much would you expect to pay for LV’s latest quirky man bag?

Offbeat designs may not drive sales, but they sharpen brand identity and attract individuality-seeking buyers, analysts say.

On Our Radar

Greg Girard’s photo exhibition shows five decades of Hong Kong and Tokyo

Photographer Greg Girard’s new exhibition puts two Asian metropolises – Hong Kong and Tokyo – in the frame over five decades.

Pacific nations

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

Billy, a resident of the village of Yandina in Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, sits next to unexploded munitions near his home. Photo: UNDP Pacific Office/Christopher Teasdale
US, Israel war on Iran

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

US President Donald Trump points after speaking in a televised address to the nation on the conflict in the Middle East from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

A shaman told him to quit coffee. Now he runs a successful matcha brand

Rocky Xu, who started Rocky’s Matcha in 2022, focuses on selling quality, authentic Japanese tea rather than trying to be a viral sensation.

China-Middle East relations

China’s Iran war strategy, Trump’s Hormuz ask: 7 global relations reads

From a China-Israel call on Iran to an unlikely nuclear deal, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2026.

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