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Tokyo
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Tokyo. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Head of Government
Governor Yuriko Koike
Hong Kong Airlines customer Yolly Chan, with her dogs Bub and Cobbie in a bag, says she would recommend carrier’s the pet-in-cabin service to friends. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong transport

Exclusive | Hong Kong Airlines to expand pet-in-cabin and family-friendly services

Carrier’s president also reveals plans to introduce new family-friendly products that will benefit toddlers, children and the elderly.

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Japan

China’s overtures a ‘pointed signal’ to stabilise ties with Japan: analysts

Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong or Singapore? Blackpink’s mainland fans tackle tough ticket questions

Japan

Japan patches cybersecurity gaps with new laws, overseas tie-ups

Active cyberdefence law, training of security experts and cooperation with Lithuania among efforts under new strategy to shore up capabilities.

Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani (right) with his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene in Tokyo on May 28. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan reschedules iconic summer festivals to avoid increasingly extreme heat

Faced with record high temperatures and ageing communities, event organisers are adapting to keep traditions alive.

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Hong Kong economy

Blackpink’s ‘Deadline’ world tour to conclude at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium

K-pop superstars to return to city for first time since 2023 with two shows in January.

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Japan

In Japan, North Koreans ‘very angry’ over funding cuts for their schools

Chosen Soren has called for funding to be restored, saying Japan is ‘politically very unfriendly’ to the local North Korean community.

Students at a Korean school in Tokyo walk by a classroom with portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on the wall. Photo: AP
Japan

Appealing offer? Japan offers to assist US shipbuilding amid tariff concerns

Japan is already investing heavily in its own shipbuilding future, driven by strategic concerns over China’s maritime dominance.

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Japan

Man in Japan arrested for forcing store clerk to shave head in apology

The shocking incident happened just days after Japan’s first anti-customer harassment rule kicked in.

Japan

Japan takes aim at ‘kirakira’ baby names with new rules on kanji readings

Changes aim to standardise pronunciation of kanji characters and officials can refuse to accept a name deemed to negatively affect a child.

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A parent holds her child during an event at Sensoji temple in Tokyo in April. Japan has begun enforcing a law aimed at curbing the rise of unconventional and sometimes bewildering baby names. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s Ishiba eyes G7 summit, aims to advance US tariff talks

Speaking in Kyoto, Ishiba said there has been progress in negotiations on trade expansion, non-tariff measures and economic security.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on April 17. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong society

A new hope for Hong Kong comics: artist lands dream Star Wars manga gig

Man Tsang beats artists from around the world to be chosen by Disney to adapt beloved novel about villain Grand Admiral Thrawn.

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Indonesia

Foo Fighters permitted to swear and drink on stage in Indonesia, promoter says

The US band is also allowed to curse, as long as it does not touch on sensitive topics in the Muslim-majority country.

Japan

Japan probes Chinese solar panels over hidden device fears, grid disruptions

The move follows the discovery of suspicious equipment in Chinese panels by the US and Europe, potentially leading Japan to a shift towards domestic clean energy.

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Workers install solar panels at the Ningguoyun Lingwu project in China’s northern Ningxia region. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan’s road safety at risk: accidents spark foreign drivers licensing debate

Surge in inbound tourism and immigration, coupled with ease of permit system, has led to more foreigners unfamiliar with Japan’s traffic rules.

While Japan’s roads are widely regarded as safe, challenges abound for newcomers unfamiliar with the country’s traffic rules. Photo: AFP
Japan

Bar bill scams in Japan use dating apps to prey on disabled and lonely victims

In one case a visually impaired man was bilked out of almost US$5,000, with police warning many more have been similarly hit.

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China consumption

China’s theme park capital in ‘stage of rapid growth’ as foreign capital invests

From Peppa Pig to Lego, Shanghai leads the way in attracting global amusement parks – a sector free from trade tensions, analysts say.

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Asia travel

Looking like an ancient temple, place 50 metres below ground protects Tokyo

People can visit the flood protection facility in Kasukabe, which safeguards Tokyo and has shafts large enough to fit the Statue of Liberty.

KASUKABE, SAITAMA, JAPAN - 2016/06/01: GCANS Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel is an underground water flood control project. It is the largest underground flood water facility in the world and was built to control the overflow of Tokyo's rivers during Japan's monsoon seasons. GCANS has five large containment silos connected by six kilometers of tunnels. Its most famous feature is the large cistern with giant pillars that resemble an underground cathedral or temple. The main job of GCANS is to store, then divert, the overflow of water into the Edo River to avoid flood damage. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Japan

‘Definitely an issue’: in Japan, 6 in 10 admit being addicted to their phones

A new survey reveals a surge in smartphone addiction in Japan post-pandemic, undermining well-being – especially among the young.

China travel

Foreigners flock to China’s Shenzhen as visa-free entries surge 160%

Visa-free policies have helped the southern tech hub become a popular destination for overseas tourists, particularly from elsewhere in Asia.

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Asia travel

4 places in Tokyo to try sento running, exercise based around bathhouses

Go to a bathhouse, rent a locker and running gear, go for a run, return for a bath or shower, and sauna. This is sento running, big in Japan.

Men bathing in Koganeyu, a sento, or traditional public bathhouse, in Tokyo. Visitors to Japan can go “sento running” – have a run from a bathhouse and return for a bath or shower, and sauna. Some rent out running gear. Photo: Yurika Kono
Japan

Will South Korea’s presidential election lead to warmer ties with Japan?

Democratic front runner Lee Jae-myung has hinted at closer trade links, but Tokyo remembers past anti-Japan stances.

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Lee Jae-myung (left), presidential election candidate of South Korea’s Democratic Party, at a campaign event in Seoul on Monday. Photo: AFP
Japan

3 Chinese nationals arrested for running illegal poker den in Japan condo

Police suspect the trio received 5 per cent of winnings as a fee and hosted around a dozen players per day.

Japan

Japan police arrest man who slashed 2 people at Tokyo subway station

The Tokyo Metro’s Namboku line was suspended after the incident.

Art

Inside Kooza: the people bringing Cirque du Soleil magic to Hong Kong

Ahead of its return, meet the artists behind the circus production’s death-defying stunts and slapstick clowning.

Vicente Quirós training for Kooza in Seattle. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Japan

Japanese police arrest man for ploughing his car into children

The seven children, who had been on their way home from school, were injured and rushed to hospital but all remained conscious.

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Police officers investigate the scene in Osaka’s Nishinari district on Thursday after a man was arrested for ploughing his car into seven schoolchildren in a suspected deliberate attack. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong office tenants pay world’s second-highest costs: Savills

City’s office-space costs, which trail only London’s West End, declined 1.1 per cent in the first quarter, property consultancy says.

China travel

Chinese tourists plan stops to smell the cherry blossoms on holiday weekend

Ching Ming Festival trip bookings were up this year compared to last, travel platforms said, with particular interest in ‘flower tourism’.

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