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51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale shakes hands with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Thursday.
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Jul 23, 2026
Japan and Solomon Islands leaders agree to bolster ties
In their meeting, the two leaders discussed regional affairs, apparently with China¡¯s growing military and economic coercion in mind.
The Foreign Ministry building in Tokyo
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Jul 23, 2026
Japan and Russia to resume youth exchanges after seven-year hiatus
Some 15 students from Japanese universities and graduate schools will be sent to St. Petersburg for about 10 days.
An Upper House committee discusses a bill on the establishment of a secondary capital, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
JIP¡¯s priorities take center stage even as household relief stalls
By Kenji Yoshida
The Liberal Democratic Party no longer finds itself strictly needing the Japan Innovation Party¡¯s support, yet the latter¡¯s priorities continue to shape the parliamentary agenda.
Public housing units for people hit by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture
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Jul 23, 2026
Public housing completed in Ishikawa for Noto quake victims
This is the first time that construction of public housing units for victims of the January 2024 earthquake has been completed in the prefecture.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi delivers an opening statement during a ministerial meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Japan and China¡¯s top diplomats hold first chat since Takaichi¡¯s Taiwan remarks
By Jesse Johnson
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday he had spoken briefly with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, a day earlier on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Manila.
Liberal Democratic Party's policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi speaks at a ruling parties meeting in Tokyo on July 17.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Parliament extension grounds some lawmakers from overseas travel
By Eric Johnston
The Lower House¡¯s rules committee turned down requests from senior Liberal Democratic Party officials so they would be available to respond to questions during the extension.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to Democratic Party for the People head Yuichiro Tamaki in parliament in Tokyo on July 15.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 23, 2026
How Japan¡¯s would-be kingmakers lost their edge
By Kenji Yoshida
The nationalist Sanseito and the centrist Democratic Party for the People are struggling to maintain the momentum ¡ª and distinct political identities ¡ª that powered their rise.
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 23, 2026
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
By Elizabeth Beattie
Bernhard Sutter, 58, collapsed while ascending Japan¡¯s tallest mountain with his son via the Fujinomiya route ¡ª the shortest way up.
The summer heat hits Ginza, Tokyo, on Thursday. According to the Tokyo Fire Department, 453 people were transported to hospitals due to heatstroke on Wednesday alone.
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Jul 23, 2026
As Japan bakes, over 10,000 rushed to hospital for heatstroke in a week
By Jessica Speed
Some 10,857 people were transported by ambulance from July 13 through July 19, more than double the same period last year.
Among Japan's police forces, Osaka Prefectural Police had the largest number of members slapped with disciplinary action between January and June, at 27.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 23, 2026
155 police officers and personnel disciplined in Japan over six months
The most common reason for discipline was acts related to relationships with the opposite sex.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at NATO's headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Koizumi calls for breaking taboo on nuclear debate
¡°Unless discussions are held without any taboos, no country can any longer ensure its own security on its own,¡± the defense minister told reporters at NATO headquarters.
Incidents of health damage related to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical¡¯s supplements were reported in 2024.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 23, 2026
Japan to mandate reporting on supplement-linked health issues
The move comes on the heels of incidents related to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical¡¯s supplements containing beni k§à?ji red fermented rice.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting on fundamental national policies at the National Diet in Tokyo last week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Cabinet spokesman defends Takaichi¡¯s grueling sleep schedule
The prime minister¡¯s social media post about being unable to get enough sleep drew criticism for running counter to workstyle reform efforts.
The Immigration Services Agency plans to increase the number of its employees to cope with the growing number of foreign residents in Japan.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 23, 2026
Japan to add 200 workers to Immigration Services Agency
The personnel increase is aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal residents and speeding up residency status screenings.

ASIA PACIFIC

Nanik S. Deyang, center, at her inauguration ceremony in Jakarta in June
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Indonesia free-meals boss quits, says job left her ¡®traumatized¡¯
The second leadership change at President Prabowo Subianto¡¯s troubled signature social initiative in less than two months after her predecessor was removed in a corruption probe.
Food delivery bikes arrive at a barricade near the Cockroach Janata Party protest site to deliver food, two days after thousands of protesters marched towards parliament demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 23, 2026
Food, fury and supporters near and far keep India protest alive
By Tora Agarwala
The Cockroach Janta Party, a movement that began as online satire in May, has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated test paper leaks.

WORLD

Damaged tanks are seen in front of the Central Bank of Sudan building, after the Sudanese army deepened its control over Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces, in Khartoum on April 27, 2025.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Surrounded by militias, Sudanese fear endless cycle of war
By Bahira AMIN
Sudan¡¯s army is relying on a new coalition of militias to fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, itself a militia that had come under the auspices of the state.
Washington and Riyadh have for years been discussing a nuclear cooperation deal that would give Saudi Arabia access to U.S. technology and American companies a chance to win big contracts for Saudi atomic energy facilities.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Why is U.S.-Saudi nuclear pact causing alarm in Washington and Middle East?
Worries about security, weapons proliferation and political complications in a tinderbox region have been central concerns.
A combine harvester reaps a field of wheat early in the season due to France's current and late June heat wave in Marly-lez-Valenciennes, northern France, on July 7.
WORLD
Jul 23, 2026
Heat and war deal Europe¡¯s grain harvest biggest blow in decades
High temperatures are expected to cut the region¡¯s corn crop to the smallest in 19 years, as the Middle East conflict conflict has pushed up fuel and fertilizer costs.
Bystanders watch as smoke rises from a fire at the Russian e-commerce firm Wildberries' logistics complexes in the town of Elektrostal outside Moscow on July 18.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Ukraine hits more warehouses of Russia¡¯s top online retailer Wildberries
Wildberries is often described as ?Russia¡¯s Amazon and is one of the country¡¯s biggest employers.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in Avila Beach, California, on Aug. 5, 2025. The Interior Department¡¯s Marine Minerals Administration and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are evaluating the possibility of deploying undersea nuclear power plants.
WORLD
Jul 23, 2026
U.S. weighs putting nuclear power plants in ocean waters
The Interior Department¡¯s Marine Minerals Administration and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are evaluating the possibility of deploying undersea nuclear power plants.
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
While Russian assistance for Iran is longstanding, specific targeting of sensitive ?CIA sites would indicate Moscow is willing to go further in disrupting U.S. operations.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in the White House in Washington on Nov. 18, 2025. An agreement with the Saudis could help American firms gain a foothold in the region.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Trump signs nuclear sharing deal with Saudi Arabia in policy shift
By Ari Natter
The policy shift has alarmed nuclear nonproliferation experts and some members of Congress, who fear it could allow Saudi Arabia to turn uranium into weapons-grade material.
University students walk over depictions of the U.S., Israeli, and U.K. flags while marching in a demonstration to show their support for the Houthi movement amid escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia, at the Sanaa University campus in Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jul 23, 2026
Houthis say they attacked tankers in Red Sea, widening war
The Red Sea has emerged as a vital workaround for crude exports, particularly from Saudi Arabia, amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

BUSINESS

A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2026
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
By Sarah Hilton and Akemi Terukina
The collecting and trading of cards, once a pastime confined to the schoolyard, is now a lucrative global market.
The 55-year-old former president of New Look, who goes by the name Shigenori Kanemoto, is suspected of evading some ?367 million in income tax by concealing about ?2.276 billion in income in 2023.
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2026
Former head of Japanese barbecue chain arrested over tax evasion
The 55-year-old former president of New Look is suspected of evading some ?367 million in income tax by concealing about ?2.276 billion in income in 2023.
Seven-Eleven Japan has warned against franchise owners and employees setting aside popular animation and game character products before putting them on store shelves.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 23, 2026
Seven-Eleven Japan warns stores over unauthorized character item resale
There were reportedly cases where owners and employees bought up or set aside such products before putting them on store shelves and reselling them.
Workers clean photovoltaic solar panels outside Fiotex Cotspin cotton yarn manufacturing factory at Rajkot, Gujarat, India, on April 14.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 23, 2026
India¡¯s solar push idles factories unable to shake reliance on China
Domestic manufacturers face waits of up to eight months for domestic components to replace Chinese imports.
Operating without the usual safety guardrails, OpenAI¡¯s advanced artificial intelligence models carried out a hack in a matter of hours that would have taken a skilled hacker a couple of weeks.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 23, 2026
OpenAI models pulled off hack in hours that usually takes weeks
OpenAI said in a blog post that the ¡°unprecedented¡± hack at Hugging Face occurred after its own AI models escaped a testing environment to reach the wider internet.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2026
Half of economists still see BOJ waiting until December to hike
By Toru Fujioka and Cynthia Li
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s government is seen as a key obstacle to further action, according to a survey.
Eel products sold at an Aeon supermarket in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward on June 24
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 23, 2026
Japanese retailers offer various eel products for Day of the Ox
Two major supermarket chains have cut prices for their mainstay grilled eel items after a bountiful fry catch last year.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission aims to curb the market dominance of Big Tech companies such as Google and Apple.
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2026
Japan antitrust watchdog to add new bureau to tackle Big Tech
The Japan Fair Trade Commission aims to curb the market dominance of companies like Google and Apple and ensure fairer transactions for small businesses.
Nike plans to invest in its own retail locations, which number more than 200 in China, and is working with partners to improve physical stores.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 23, 2026
Nike severs Chinese distribution deals in strategic shift
By Lily Meier
China has been a persistent pain point for CEO Elliott Hill, even as Nike sees signs of progress in regions like North America and demand in its running business.
Daiwa Asset Management President Kei Sano sees institutional investors such as pension funds and universities as a potential new target market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 23, 2026
Daiwa AM boosts staff in shift toward institutional investors
By Nao Sano and Ryo Horiuchi
The company will seek new clients including those from public and corporate pension funds, as well as endowments and foundations of universities.
The release of Moonshot¡¯s Kimi K3 model upended assumptions that Chinese AI capabilities were meaningfully behind U.S. leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 23, 2026
White House official says Moonshot accessed banned Nvidia chips
By Maggie Eastland
The official claimed the Chinese company violated U.S. export control rules and companies¡¯ terms of service to build its product.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Japan could enlist the BOJ to support yield management through a more active role in the bond market, potentially by resuming bond purchases.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2026
Japan may move to managing yields, not yen, Deutsche Bank says
By Naomi Tajitsu
Controlling the yield curve to tamp down borrowing costs is a tactic Japan has deployed in the past, between 2016 and 2024.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that non-patented drugmakers would have two years to move production to the U.S. or face a 100% import tariff, which would double a year later.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 23, 2026
Indian drugmakers rattled by Trump¡¯s 100% levy on generics
By Satviki Sanjay
The U.S. president says non-patented drugmakers would have two years to move production to the U.S. or face a 100% import tariff, which would double a year later.
A worker inspects a shoe on a production line at Brazilian footwear manufacturer Kissol, as new U.S. tariffs are set to hit a range of Brazilian goods, including the footwear industry, which counts the U.S. as its top foreign market, in Franca, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, on July 17.
BUSINESS
Jul 23, 2026
New U.S. 25% tariff hits billions of dollars in Brazilian exports
By Luciana Magalhaes
The new tariff ?threatens between $7 billion and $11 billion of Brazilian exports to the U.S.

ENVIRONMENT

A drone view shows the cooling towers of the defunct Orlando Power Station, in Soweto, South Africa, on May 12, 2025. President Cyril Ramaphosa this month hailed the growth of data centers as essential for the country's security and its businesses.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 23, 2026
South Africa¡¯s data center ¡®gold rush¡¯ risks resource crunch
By Kate Bartlett
South Africa boasts advanced digital infrastructure, including connections with international sub-sea cables, helping to make it home to 70% of the continent¡¯s data centers.
Residents look at the sky illuminated by wildfires in Le Porge in southwestern France, early on Thursday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 23, 2026
Spain and France continue to battle wildfires as intense heat grips Southern Europe
Wildfires have burned more land in Europe this year than the annual average in the past two decades, as the continent has ?endured three virtually back-to-back heat waves.

Opinion

A 20?year?old restaurant worker and Gen?Z protester raises a shovel in defiance in the wake of anti?corruption protests in Kathmandu last September.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2026
Why Nepal¡¯s Gen Z protestors are back in the streets
By Brabim Karki
Nepal¡¯s Gen Z did not take to the streets last year simply to replace one government with another. It demanded a government that would be more accountable.
A man drinks from a water fountain amid a heat wave in New York City on July 4.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2026
Energy efficiency is no communist plot
By Mark Gongloff
Politics, not policy, drives the backlash against power conservation in the U.S.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron address journalists before their meeting in Bruehl, Germany, on July 16.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 23, 2026
Can Germany become a reliable pillar of European security?
By Kikyo Taguchi
Germany¡¯s military buildup under Chancellor Merz reflects a broader European effort to reduce reliance on the U.S. while taking greater responsibility for the continent¡¯s security.

Sports

Santos midfielder Alvaro Barreal (left) and Universidad Central defender Kendrys Silva fight for the ball during the first leg of a South American Cup knockout round match in Valencia, Venezuela, on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Jul 23, 2026
Soccer provides welcome distraction as quake-hit Venezuela tries to move forward
The magnitude?7.2 and?7.5?quakes on June 24 hit the north of the country hardest, especially the coastal state of La Guaira, outside Caracas.
The Knicks' Jalen Brunson celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Trophy during the team's championship parade in New York on June 18.
BASKETBALL
Jul 23, 2026
Jalen Brunson says Knicks players have not discussed White House visit
Knicks owner James Dolan, a friend of U.S. President ?Donald Trump, said ?last month that a visit to the White House was in the works, ?pending ¡°details.¡±
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton competes during the qualifying session at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, in Spa, Belgium, on Saturday ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jul 23, 2026
Lewis Hamilton hoping to head into F1¡¯s August break on high note
By Alan Baldwin
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was wary ?of talking up the team¡¯s prospects, even if others were already doing so.
Spectators in a Citroen 2CV wave flags as the peloton rise past during the 14th stage of the Tour de France pack of riders between Mulhouse and Le Markstein, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 23, 2026
Tour de France routes come from 3-year labor of love
Beautiful scenery is a key consideration because ¡°people also watch the Tour for the beauty of its landscapes.¡±
Miho Takagi celebrates after the final race of her career in Heerenveen, Netherlands, on March 8.
OLYMPICS / Speedskating
Jul 23, 2026
Speedskater Miho Takagi to receive People¡¯s Honor Award
Takagi, 32, participated in four Winter Olympics and won a total of 10 medals, the most for a Japanese female Olympian.

CULTURE

Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 23, 2026
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
Fuji Rock Festival has long been known for its international headliners, but Kaze Fujii is poised to make a big splash on the Green Stage.
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 23, 2026
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
By Patrick St. Michel
The members discuss artistic trust, existential questions and the creative process behind their immersive third album, ¡°Sepia.¡±
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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