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August 17, 2026
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 17, 2026
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks on among children during a ceremony commemorating the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, at the city's Nagasaki Peace Park on Aug. 9.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Behind Takaichi¡¯s subtle signals at Â鶹´«Ã½ WWII events
By Kenji Yoshida
From prayers from afar for Yasukuni Shrine to altering key language in a remembrance speech, the moves were seen as signaling to domestic supporters and neighboring countries.

More coverage

At Yasukuni, the politicians followed the script, but the shrine did not
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks on among children during a ceremony commemorating the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, at the city's Nagasaki Peace Park on Aug. 9.
Japan's second-quarter economic growth came in under expectations as corporations held back.
BUSINESS / Economy
Â鶹´«Ã½ economy loses some steam in the second quarter
By Kazuaki Nagata
Consumers are holding back as corporations retreat, giving the Bank of Japan some disappointing data to process.
Commuters disembark a tram in Melbourne in March.
JAPAN
Young Japanese anxious as Australia slows working holiday visa processing time
By Elizabeth Beattie
The move comes as Australia¡¯s top officials have been under political pressure to take a harsher immigration stance.
Ground Self-Defense Force troops take part in an annual New Year's military drill at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in January.
JAPAN
Japan aims to create support agency for ex-SDF personnel as early as fiscal ¡¯27
By Kenji Yoshida
The initiative, spearheaded by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, would serve as a one-stop consultation center in overseeing veterans¡¯ transitions to civilian life.
A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies over Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Monday, after Seoul said that its annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with the United States had started.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Trump orders ¡®inappropriate¡¯ U.S.-South Korean military drills scaled back
By Jesse Johnson
Citing his ties with North Korea¡¯s Kim Jong Un, as well as Seoul¡¯s decision not to join U.S.-led actions against Iran, Trump said he was ¡°not happy¡± with the current situation.
A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies over Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Monday, after Seoul said that its annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with the United States had started.

JAPAN

Extended stays in evacuation shelters can lead to death resulting from physical and mental stress caused by the prolonged displacement.
Authorities shift focus to evacuees¡¯ prolonged displacement after Kumamoto quake
Initial response during the month after a disaster is essential for mitigating deaths resulting from extended stays in evacuation shelters, experts say.
A Chinese research vessel was spotted extending a wire-like object into the sea within Â鶹´«Ã½ exclusive economic zone off Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, prompting the Japan Coast Guard to warn the vessel to stop.
Chinese vessel suspected of conducting survey within Â鶹´«Ã½ economic zone
A coast guard patrol ship observed the Dong Fang Hong 2 extending a wire-like object into the sea west of the Okinawa island of Kume, and warned it to stop.
Kumamon visits quake-hit children¡¯s school to spread cheer
60% in Japan give up activities due to sweat, survey finds
Ferry offers solace in quake-hit Kumamoto
Reconstruction starts on quake-damaged Japanese war memorials in Myanmar

BUSINESS

Convenience store chain Lawson is selling frozen noodles without any toppings priced at ?297 ($1.90), more than 20% lower than that for its frozen noodles with toppings.
No-frills noodles gaining popularity in Japan amid rising prices
Convenience stores and supermarkets are enhancing their lineup of plain noodles to appeal to customers looking for low-priced products.
An artificial intelligence data center, which could become one of Japan's largest, is being planned in Akita Prefecture with a goal of commencing operations in 2030 at the earliest.
Akita eyes AI data center that could become Â鶹´«Ã½ largest
Two firms are cooperating with the city and prefecture to make the center a hub to attract AI-related businesses and human resources.
JAL and ANA to coordinate flight schedules for first time
Rakuten, German startup Helsing test military drones for Japan
By katria alampay
From coffee to hotpot, brands race to grab a bite of China¡¯s growing burger market
Heat waves expose insurance gap as European business losses mount

WORLD

The Nyamurongo cemetery, one of the burial sites receiving a large number of people who have died from Ebola virus disease since the beginning of the outbreak, in Bunia, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on June 13.
Ebola outbreak in Congo becomes deadliest in country¡¯s history
Government data shows that 2,325 people have died from the disease, surpassing the toll from the 2018-2020 outbreak.
Firefighting vehicles and a truck carrying a water tank drive through smoke amid a wildfire in Waimes, in the High Fens region, Belgium, on Sunday.
Belgium races to tame huge wildfire creeping toward Germany
The blaze has mushroomed to 3,000 hectares two days after breaking out in the High Fens park, an area of boggy peatlands and pine forests popular with hikers.
Between cartel threats and U.S. airstrikes, Ecuador fishers have nowhere to hide
The Ukrainian social media channels tracking Russian missiles
By Barbara WOJAZER
Facing invasion and abuse, vulnerable mothers take refuge in Kyiv shelter
U.S. takes risky bet on private ¡®pirates¡¯ to combat cybercrime
By Benjamin Legendre

Sports

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard lifts the trophy after his team's win over Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff, Wales, on Sunday.
Arsenal beats Manchester City to win Community Shield
Arsenal kicks off the ?new Premier League campaign on Friday against Coventry City.
Rams coach: No ¡®invisible deadline¡¯ on Aaron Donald decision
Cristiano Ronaldo says upcoming season likely his last
Red Sox place Masataka Yoshida on injured list with hamstring issue
Scottie Scheffler walks away with dominant FedEx St. Jude win

Opinion

A Buddhist monk protests against nuclear weapons in front of the memorial dome at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima in May 2023.
Â鶹´«Ã½ nuclear doublethink is getting harder to defend
Gearoid Reidy
Â鶹´«Ã½ defense posture has relied on doublethink, being opposed to atomic weapons while sitting under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
The No Surprises Act could be a shock to the U.S. health care system
By Lisa Jarvis
Why the Strait of Hormuz is a warning for Japan
By Yuki Goto
Putin can¡¯t break down NATO¡¯s door. He¡¯s trying the window.
By James Stavridis
The turf wars between politicians and bureaucrats in Tokyo
By Kuni Miyake

ENVIRONMENT

Juvenile wild Bornean orangutans swing from tree to tree searching for food in Sepilok, Malaysia, on Aug.17, 2024.
AI-generated wildlife images are endangering animals and people, experts warn
Hyper-realistic visuals of wild animals behaving like pets can distort public perceptions of wildlife and harm conservation efforts.
Faced with historic drought, the Dutch rethink water management
¡®Horrific¡¯ conditions grip U.K. hospitals unprepared for heat
By Olivia Rudgard
Tidal flat in Nagoya hit by plastic waste pollution
AC vests and UV parasols: East Asia deploys heat-fighting gadgets
By Max Kim

CULTURE

From Edogawa Ranpo to Uketsu, Japanese writers have long put their own twists on the conventions of crime, horror and mystery, creating a literary tradition that can be as unsettling as it is inventive.
Â鶹´«Ã½ macabre literati go global
By Mike Fu
Japanese crime, mystery and horror have hit their stride with English readers, offering a complement and counterpoint to ¡°healing fiction.¡±
Aespa channels summer cheer in Japanese minialbum
By Adam Davidson
The disturbing dream world of ¡®Cattle Muti-Leiko¡¯
By Mark Schilling
An unsolved murder leads to despair and salvation in ¡®The Brightest Sun¡¯
By James Hadfield
Katseye seeks to show raw side in new ¡®Wild Hearts¡¯ film
By Danielle Broadway

LIFE

Premade, chilled "s¨­men" noodles and an umami-forward dipping sauce make for a great, cooling meal when temperatures soar.?
During Â鶹´«Ã½ cruel summer, chilled noodles are a survival strategy
By Elizabeth Andoh
Made in advance, cold ¡°s¨­men¡± noodles are a tried-and-true way to get through summer¡¯s peak without sacrificing flavor.
Slowly but surely, Tokyo is becoming a hot spot for chicken rice
By Weiwen Lin
At Â鶹´«Ã½ all-women powerlifting contest, strength is beautiful
By Farrah Hasnain
A day in the life of an Asakusa rickshaw driver
By Aden Max Juarez
Cruel summer: Searching for an escape from Â鶹´«Ã½ extreme heat
By Eric Margolis

COMMUNITY

The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
The question can be a difficult one for many, particularly those with religious beliefs that might not conform with how death is traditionally handled in Japan.
Ajisai is ready to win your heart
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
By Jessica Speed
This children¡¯s cafeteria in Shikoku serves up free meals and global perspectives
By Jacob Meyer
How foreign workers became an essential part of Â鶹´«Ã½ ubiquitous konbini
By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa

Editors' Picks

COMMUNITY
Unrelenting Russian anti-war protesters in Japan fight through inescapable doubt
By Aleksandra Priimak
Anti-war Russians protest Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in February.
JAPAN
How U.S. bombing survey in Japan shed light on civilian sentiments of WWII
By Tomoko Otake
Residents are seen walking beside rubble in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, in this undated photo taken soon after the end of World War II.
JAPAN
Forty-five meters down, a diver races to record a fleeting moment of WWII history
By Mai Yoshikawa
Kingo Wakasa photographs the kamikaze plane wing section he discovered at the USS Emmons wreck site.
JAPAN
Takaichi needs Aso on her side to solidify position in LDP
By Eric Johnston
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a Liberal Democratic Party meeting alongside LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki (left) and LDP Vice President Taro Aso in Tokyo earlier this month
SUMO
Ikarigata closer to emulating older brother Fujinokawa than many think
By John Gunning
The future Fujinokawa (third from left) and Ikarigata (right) compete against each other at ages 5 and 3, respectively.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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COMFACTS

Regenesome Marks Second Anniversary with ¡°Regenesome Tech Forum 2026,¡± Reporting Two Years of Research and Its Priorities for Year Three
Regenesome Marks Second Anniversary with ¡°Regenesome Tech Forum 2026,¡± Reporting Two Years of Research and Its Priorities for Year Three
SPACE SEED HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

LIFE
Slowly but surely, Tokyo is becoming a hot spot for chicken rice
By Weiwen Lin
One of Singapore's most iconic dishes, the humble chicken rice is given an upscale treatment at a new Marunouchi cafe.
ASIA PACIFIC
South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed DMZ
North Korea's propaganda village Gijungdong as seen from a South Korea's observation post inside the Joint Security Area on the Demilitarized Zone in March 2023
JAPAN
Takaichi drops ¡®remorse¡¯ in her first war memorial address
By Kenji Yoshida
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks onstage during a memorial service ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo on Saturday.
BUSINESS
U.S. to tell partners they must pick sides in AI race with China?
By Michael Martina
People march as they protest against Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative, in Manila on Thursday.
BUSINESS
New shinkansen model delivered to Taiwan
A new Taiwan High Speed Rail train car is unloaded from a cargo ship at a port in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Saturday.