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Tokyo

Tokyo
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Tokyo. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Head of Government
Governor Yuriko Koike
Sapporo is a popular winter holiday destination and hosts a world-famous annual snow festival in February. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong society

Attack on Hong Kong man in Sapporo caused by ‘dining etiquette’ dispute

Incident has already prompted Chinese consulate to warn nationals against travel to Japan, amid heightened tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

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Japan

Japan’s Takaichi pushes to scrap food tax, ignoring economists’ warnings

Japan

Why plan by US and Japan to relocate Okinawa airbase is hitting turbulence

Hong Kong politics

Protect Hongkongers in Japan, authorities urge Tokyo after tourist attacked

Concerns over attack on resident in Sapporo amid tense relations between China and Japan over Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan comments.

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Travellers cross the road in Sapporo. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

‘Enormous failure’: naked man exposes gaps in Japan’s royal security

Princess Kako reportedly witnessed the chaos firsthand as a shrieking intruder stripped off and scaled a barrier below the royal balcony.

Japan

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

Impact ripples through Japan’s retail sector, with falling duty-free sales at top department stores highlighting the pain for the industry.

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Indonesia

Indonesians weigh peril and promise of Jakarta – the world’s most populous city

Extreme heat, floods, pollution, congested traffic and a tough job market are some of the major challenges faced by the city’s residents.

A view of traffic during evening rush hours in the business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 3. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Macroscope | How robust domestic financial markets could ease era of AI uncertainty

Attempts to develop financial centres must go beyond luring global capital and talent.

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China-Japan relations

Beijing and Tokyo in maritime stand-off after Japan seizes Chinese boat, captain

Beijing urges Tokyo to protect Chinese crew members’ rights after incident off southwestern Nagasaki prefecture.

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North Korea

Why Takaichi’s landslide victory in Japan has North Korea on edge

North Korea has accused Japan of resurrecting its wartime ambitions by expanding its defence and pursuing security alliances.

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Military personnel hold national flags of Japan and the US during a Japan Ground Self-Defence Force training at Camp Narashino, near Tokyo, on January 11. Photo: EPA
Japan

Is Japan’s US$550-billion Trump ‘signing bonus’ a deal with strings attached?

Tokyo races to fund US projects to keep a 15 per cent tariff rate, as critics question if the ‘signing bonus’ is a gift or a high-interest loan.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) reacts while speaking to US troops aboard the USS George Washington with US President Donlald Trump in Yokosuka in October 2025. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Leaked letter spotlights Philippines’ South China Sea tug of war

The letter by Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro warns against public exchanges that could narrow the country’s ‘diplomatic space’.

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South Korea

South Koreans swap ancestral rites for Japan getaways this Lunar New Year

Short holidays and a weak yen drive the ‘aeroplane instead of the ancestral table’ trend.

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Japan

‘Job terrorism’: 1 in 4 workplaces in Japan victims of employee pranks

Psychologists say the quest for online clout is driving the rise in ‘meaningless’ workplace pranks, also known as part-time job terrorism.

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A chef picks his nose and then wipes his finger on some dough in a “baito tero” video. Photo: Handout
China-Japan relations

How Takaichi’s big win in Japan may complicate Beijing’s Taiwan policy

Taiwan’s opposition leader warns against ‘being reduced to a pawn in strategic competition’, urges efforts to prevent conflict in strait.

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The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has secured a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament after Sunday’s snap election. Photo: AFP
China trade

Businesses to ‘keep doing it’ as Japan-China trade stays defiant after election

Neither side likely to want escalation in months-long dispute but near-term outlook uncertain, analysts say.

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Asia housing and property

The View | Asian property markets’ supply constraints are a double-edged sword

The narrow pool of high-quality assets benefits landlords and affluent investors but poses a challenge to prospective buyers and renters.

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Japan

Is Japan’s labour shortage to blame for surge in police crime, ‘lax discipline’?

National Police Agency figures showed that 337 personnel had to be disciplined last year, the highest in a decade.

Police officers stand guard near the Horyuji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara prefecture on January 14. Photo: Kyodo/AP
Japan

Japan workshop helps young voters spot deepfakes ahead of general election

Digital platforms are trying to curb the adverse impact of disinformation and fake news on Generation Z ahead of Japan’s election on Sunday.

Pokemon

Video | Tickets sell out fast for Tokyo’s Pokemon theme park

Social media video shows visitors brought to tears as Pokemon ‘comes to life’.

Japan

Video | Viral ‘sanamania’ craze boosts Japan PM’s popularity

‘Sanakatsu’ fever turns Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi into unexpected youth icon ahead of election.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks next to Hirofumi Yoshimura, Japan Innovation Party leader, at an election campaign event on the first day of campaigning for the February 8 snap election, in Tokyo, Japan, January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
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US-Japan relations

Trump announces White House visit by Japanese PM Takaichi on March 19

The US and Japan have been working to strike a ‘very substantial’ deal on trade, as well as collaborating on national security, Trump said.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Thursday. The country’s first female leader will visit the White House next month, it was confirmed on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong property back as a top choice for foreign investors, study says

Commercial sector rebounds after missing top 10 a year ago, CBRE says, as Knight Frank research shows recovery in luxury residential deals.

Japan

Exams or election? Japan’s young voters face ‘extremely unreasonable’ choice

Opposition members have criticised Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for holding an election during the university entrance exam period.

Japan

Could a ‘shock’ Pyongyang visit cement Japan PM Takaichi’s snap election bid?

Despite scepticism, a leading campaigner claims Pyongyang is ready to return surviving abductees for ‘immediate, large-scale’ aid.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech in support for a local candidate at a campaign rally near Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Tokyo Taxi: Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho lead moving Yoji Yamada drama

Tokyo Taxi is an utterly captivating ride that sees an elderly woman bond with her taxi driver while reminiscing about her eventful life.

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Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho in a still from Tokyo Taxi (category: IIA, Japanese), directed by Yoji Yamada.
Japan

Will rice crackers, rock ‘n’ roll help Japan’s Sanae Takaichi bag youth votes?

The social media-savvy prime minister, 64, is surprisingly popular with voters under 30, according to polls.

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Tourism

Simply magical! Sailor Moon shines on in a new permanent theatre in Tokyo

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon’s legacy continues to thrive with a new, permanent Tokyo theatre, which will feature an original story.

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