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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
Beef from Brazil on sale at a supermarket in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo Kylie Knott
Brazil

Brazilian beef exports seen as stable in 2026 ‘despite Chinese safeguards’

Beef lobby Apiec said volumes not sold to China, which last year bought roughly ‍half of Brazil’s total beef shipments, could be redirected.

US-China relations

How narrowing China-US gap could reshape global power play by 2035

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China’s military drills

PLA urged to find a way to operate effectively under the gaze of US and Japan

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Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

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Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan in December 2025. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong property

Fancl distributor couple buys Lippo Centre office, shop in US$38.3 million deal

Purchase by the Japanese skincare brand’s distributor marks a 60 per cent cut from 2017 price as cash-rich local investors hunt for bargains.

SCMP Highlights

Trump reacts to China-Canada deal, ‘messy’ year for Philippines: 5 weekend reads

From China’s attempt to shut out US tech to Japan being urged to return relic, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

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Fukushima nuclear disaster and water release

Alarm bells ring for Japan’s Tepco as glitch delays nuclear restart

The delay was reportedly due to an alarm malfunction that occurred during equipment testing over the weekend.

An aerial photo shows the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant on April 2021. Photo: Kyodo/AP
Sanae Takaichi

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

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Food and agriculture

Japan snaps into action as alligator weed chokes waterways

The seemingly innocuous alligator weed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, poses a real problem, especially to rice farmers.

Food and Drinks

He wasn’t allowed to grill for years. That’s how he mastered yakitori

The chef behind Tokyo’s Torishiki brings his gospel of succulent skewers, steady discipline and generous mentorship to Torikaze in Hong Kong.

Chef Yoshiteru Ikegawa uses Kishu binchotan, a revered type of charcoal from Wakayama prefecture. Photo: courtesy Torikaze
Pop culture in Asia

Language Matters | Senpai, bingsu, ramyeon: new Korean and Japanese words in the OED

The latest additions to the Oxford English Dictionary include many words and phrases from popular Korean and Japanese culture.

Bingsu is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert. The word bingsu was recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary along with other Korean and Japanese words such as senpai, ramyeon, sunbae and ajumma. Photo: Shutterstock
Crime

Fears of growing school violence in Japan as bullying clips go viral

Experts cite social media as a key factor contributing to rising bullying cases in schools, warning of cases that go unnoticed.

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Timepieces

Horology’s most storied addresses: watch museums, workshops and archives

These locales, from museums to brands’ own premises, are hallowed grounds for watch fans, giving them insights and a peek into timekeeping history.

US-Venezuela conflict

How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

Beijing is trying to present itself as a more responsible power, but analysts say concrete actions will be needed to win over its neighbours.

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US actions are fuelling fears that the Donald Trump administration is dismantling the rules-based global order. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

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The Tang Honglu Well Stele pictured at its original site in Lushun in the early 20th century. Photo: Handout
Art

Japanese tattoo artists still face stigma despite landmark legal victory

The practice of tattooing has long been associated with the yakuza and many places in Japan still bar people bearing the body art.

Mainland China

In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency

China has reportedly imposed curbs on rare earth shipments to Japan, and there are concerns that these could be extended to medical products.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | What a Chinese hero’s fatal love of raw fish warns us about uncooked food

The recent sale of the most expensive tuna in Tokyo reflects sushi’s popularity, but an episode in Chinese history shows raw food’s dangers.

A Kiyomura staff member holds meat from the 243kg bluefin tuna the company recently bought at a Tokyo fish auction for a record US$3.2 million. Photo: Reuters
Architecture and design

A conversation with design visionary Naoto Fukasawa

The legendary product designer gave an exclusive interview to Style on the sidelines of Hong Kong’s BODW In the City, an extension of Business of Design Week.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong passport ranks 15th globally, rising 3 places in visa-free access index

Hongkongers improve in travel mobility, with visa-free access to 171 destinations, but still trail leader Singapore, as well as Japan and South Korea.

US-China relations

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

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China trimmed its holdings of US Treasuries in November to the lowest level since 2008. Image: Shutterstock
China society

Outside In | Plight of Hebei’s freezing elderly shows urgent need for pension reform

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Trump invests US$51 million in bonds linked to his own policy agenda

Without a blind trust, Trump builds wealth as president with bond trades in firms his policies affect, drawing scrutiny over conflicts of interest.

Chinese tourists

Video | Japan ramen joint bans Chinese customers amid menu price row

The restaurant says it had to call police over unruly Chinese diners, but online sleuths say the real cause of the trouble was dual pricing on its menus.

Video | Railway power outage delays commuters in Tokyo

Trains on JR East’s Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines were halted in all directions with no immediate timetable for service resumption.

Passengers evacuated from a stranded train on the Keihin-Tohoku line walk to Tamachi station in Tokyo, Japan, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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US-Japan relations

Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence ties despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

‘We talk about America first, yes, but it doesn’t mean America alone,’ Pentagon chief Hegseth tells Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) welcomes Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Pentagon in Virginia on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP
Science

Could China’s Yaogan-47 satellite have a lens as wide as the Hubble Telescope?

Chinese satellite will be used for national land surveys, urban planning, environmental management and comprehensive disaster prevention.

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Trending in China

Japan ramen eatery bans ‘troublesome’ China diners, charges more for English menu

Restaurant says it had to call police over unruly Chinese diners; online sleuths claim real reason for ‘trouble’ is dual pricing policy.

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