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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
People walk through Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, earlier this month. Photo: AFP
South Korea

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

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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Hong Kong economy

Impact of Middle East war on Hong Kong’s aviation hub status ‘relative’: experts

SCMP Highlights

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

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?

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Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte stands in front of Japanese and Nato flags during a visit to Tokyo in April last year. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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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.

The famous bamboo grove at The Peak Lounge & Bar at Park Hyatt Tokyo. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

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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.

Le Minh Hung (centre) attends a swearing-in ceremony in Hanoi on Tuesday after being elected as Vietnam’s new prime minister. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/Xinhua
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.

A woman walks through a residential compound in Shanghai on January 20. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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’.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives Made-in-Japan drumsticks to Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: Reuters
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.

Mount Fuji is seen through cherry blossoms at Arakurayama Sengen Park, in Fujiyoshida, Japan, on April 8, 2026. Photo: AP
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.

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’.

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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.

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A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on Thursday. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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.

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Demonstrators against military action in Iran after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, outside the White House in Washington on April 7. Photo: Reuters
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.

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Japanese band One OK Rock has abruptly cancelled the Hong Kong leg of its highly anticipated “Detox” Asia Tour. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

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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.

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People use boats on Chidorigafuchi, one of the moats around the Imperial Palace, to look at the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo on April 2. Photo: AFP
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.

Yuki Adachi, 11, has been missing since March 23 after failing to turn up for class. Photo: handout
Architecture and design

From Hong Kong’s Taikoo Square to Seoul’s Gangnam forest and Chengdu’s Hyperlane, nature is reshaping Asia’s cities

Urban greening is evolving: Asian cities are embracing biodiverse urban forests, moving beyond mere decoration to create ecological, human-centric spaces.

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

MPF growth streak breaks as assets fall 6 per cent in March

Average pension savings fell HK$20,071 in March, leaving members HK$4,556 lower for the quarter.

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