Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan
TOPIC
 / location

Japan

Related Topics:
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
Oshikiri station in Japan’s Niigata prefecture no longer has toilet paper service. Photo: Handout
Transport and logistics

Japan’s rural rail crisis hits new low as JR East cuts toilet paper service

JR East’s decision to remove toilet paper at some unmanned stations underscores the financial pressures on rural rail services.

Science

3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears

12
South Korea

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

videocam
Hong Kong economy

Middle East war tests Hong Kong aviation hub status as rivals feel the heat

Flight cuts due to rising fuel prices could affect transit traffic in short run, but impact will depend on duration of conflict, experts say.

Cathay Pacific and HK Express will cut some flights starting next month. Photo: May Tse
SCMP Highlights

Hormuz oil crisis hits China; a family of dentists: 5 weekend reads you missed

From how Pakistan paid the price for mediating in the Iran war to a family of dentists, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Mainland China

‘Not a reliable ally’: Japan eyes Nato as Trump erodes faith in US guarantees

Tokyo and the transatlantic security alliance have a shared problem: what happens if the US walks away?

10
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese cars squeeze out Asian rivals in Europe as exports top 1 million

Surging EV shipments boost China’s market share at the expense of Japan and South Korea, while EU exports to China slump.

People view a BYD car during the Brussels Motor Show in Brussels, Belgium, on January 10, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

videocam
6
Luxury Hotels

Review | Park Hyatt Tokyo reopened after a 2-year renovation – here’s a look inside

You may know it from 2003’s Oscar-winning Lost in Translation with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson – take a look inside the iconic hotel.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Hyundai spearheads foreign EV comeback push in China with Ioniq brand

South Korean carmaker bets on local partnerships and technology as global brands prepare fresh push into China’s fast-moving EV market.

The new cars will be “shaped specifically for the Chinese market, integrating local technologies and partnerships”, according to Hyundai. Photo: Handout
South China Sea

‘A big deal’: military drills show Tokyo’s growing focus on deterring China

Combat-ready Japanese troops are being deployed in the Philippines for the first time since Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II.

25
Soldiers from the US, Philippines and Japan line up for the start of this year’s Salaknib military drill at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines, on April 6. Photo: Handout
Vietnam

Asian Angle | Who is Vietnam’s new Prime Minister Le Minh Hung?

The ex-central banker has the credentials to succeed. Whether he has the political capital remains to be seen.

China property

As I see it | Helpful analysts predict China property recovery now, soon and much later

While some economists draw parallels with Japan’s ‘lost decade’, others note key differences when it comes to China’s sluggish recovery.

US, Israel war on Iran

Japan’s Middle East oil habit gets an Iran war reality check

Almost all of Japan’s oil comes from the Middle East. A closed strait turned that dependence into a trap.

videocam
4
Storage tanks are seen at an oil refinery in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, as Mount Fuji looms in the background. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Girl, 9, in a critical condition with meningococcal infection after holiday in Japan

Girl, who has an underlying illness, visited Japan in a tour group with her family.

The girl is in the intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo: May Tse
Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s Sanae Takaichi tickled pink to meet UK band Deep Purple

The Japanese prime minister, who played in a Deep Purple tribute band in middle school, called drummer Ian Paice her ‘god’.

videocam
Tourism

They came to see the cherry blossoms. A Japanese town isn’t happy about it

Fujiyoshida’s cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji views have sparked overtourism chaos, with a local festival cancelled as a result.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Luxury Hotels

Review | The newly opened 1 Hotel Tokyo, a sustainability-driven hotel in Akasaka

1 Hotels – which has outposts in cities like London, Copenhagen, Melbourne and West Hollywood – has opened its first Asian location in Akasaka, Tokyo.

1 Hotel Tokyo’s design features plenty of natural materials such as stone and wood. Photo: Handout
Ukraine war

Why Japanese firm’s tie-up with Ukrainian drone maker sparks concerns in Russia

The two firms plan to develop drones that can be ‘deployed quickly and at low cost in the real combat conditions of Ukraine’.

videocam
US, Israel war on Iran

Asian economies face ‘formidable test’ as Middle East conflict drags on: ADB

Even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, developing Asia-Pacific countries will still take years to recover, the bank says.

videocam
Transport and logistics

Japan seeks to take back control of the world’s shipbuilding sector. Here’s how

Analysts warn higher costs, labour shortages and lost capacity will affect Japan’s bid for control in a sector now dominated by China.

videocam
6
A shipyard in Japan’s Mie prefecture. Concern over Tokyo’s declining role in the global shipbuilding sector has persisted for more than a decade. Photo: Shutterstock
Architecture and design

An interior designer on finally designing for his own home

After hundreds of client projects, an interior designer creates his own retreat, in Sha Tin, infusing local flavour and personal nostalgia with Japanese sensibilities. Kora Kwok pays a visit.

Hintegro founder Keith Chan’s Sha Tin retreat. Photo: Keith Chan
War and conflict

Opinion | For Asia, US-Iran ceasefire offers little relief – and much uncertainty

What may be coming is neither stable peace nor uninterrupted war, but something in between: a prolonged condition of managed instability.

videocam
Hong Kong society

Japanese band One OK Rock cancels Hong Kong concerts in May

Axing of shows on May 2 and 3 due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ follows cancellation of May 9 concert in Shanghai.

4
Banking & finance

Mainland China and Hong Kong IPOs drive Citic to the top of banking fee rankings

Citic leads Asia-Pacific in fees in the first quarter as IPOs in Hong Kong and mainland China offset weaker debt and M&A activity.

Citic Securities led Asia-Pacific with a 6.4 per cent share of the total investment banking fee pool in the first quarter: Photo. Reuters
Robotics

Unitree to debut cheapest humanoid robot globally via Alibaba: sources

The international launch of the company’s cheapest humanoid robot next week is expected to cover North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore.

videocam
Unitree Robotics’ R1 is one of the world’s most affordable humanoids. Photo: Handout
Tourism

‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

A report claims residents of Dazaifu in Fukuoka prefecture complained about groups ‘making a racket in Chinese’ at a popular hanami spot.

videocam
5
Crime

Desperation grips Japan as authorities scour mountains to find missing boy

Yuki Adachi’s disappearance on March 23 in Kyoto has renewed attention on the fate of missing children in Japan.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement