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Tag - central-asia

 
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July 25, 2026
 

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CENTRAL ASIA

Taliban fighters celebrate the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul in the Afghan capital on Aug. 15, 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 16, 2026
The toll on Afghanistan of five years of Taliban rule
Afghans are asking the world: How long and to what extent must the Taliban continue internal repression and support for terrorism before the world recognizes the threat?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves as she departs a Royal Australian Air Force base in Canberra on May 5, after a three-day official visit.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2026
Was Japan¡¯s recent Golden Week diplomatic offensive effective, let alone ¡®strategic¡¯?
Prime Ministger Takaichi risks continuing a pattern of compressed, opportunistic diplomacy ¡ª busy, but not always effective.
Monuments of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the U.S.S.R., are an awkward reminder of an era that no longer fits with the times in Central Asia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
May 5, 2026
Soviet architecture vanishes as Central Asia drifts away from Moscow
Over the past decade, the region has shown little interest in preserving its Soviet heritage.
Orthodox priests arrive for a ceremony in the cathedral of Saint Etchmiadzin near Yerevan, in Etchmiadzin, Armenia on May 3.
WORLD
May 4, 2026
Ancient faith to AI future: Five things to know about Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has cautiously deepened engagement with the European Union and the United States, seeking economic support and political backing.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right), during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) ahead of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
Armenia summits show Europe¡¯s Caucasus rivalry with Trump and Putin
Long the dominant force in the region, Russia now faces growing competition from the U.S., as well as from Turkey, the European Union and China.
A monument to Russian Czar Alexander III on the embankment of the Siberian Ob River in Novosibirsk, Russia. Climate change is undermining Central Asia¡¯s water supply by shrinking glaciers and rivers, prompting interest in the river as a potential source to meet the region¡¯s needs.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2026
A Soviet-era water scheme returns as a Eurasian lifeline
The convergence of climate, economic and geopolitical crises has transformed this once-impractical proposal into an urgent policy priority.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a summit with five Central Asian nations in Tokyo on Saturday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Dec 20, 2025
Japan sets $19 billion business target in Central Asia
Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev meet in Tokyo on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 19, 2025
Takaichi hosts first summit with Central Asia leaders
The summit comes as Tokyo competes for influence in the resource-rich region.
Solar panels power an environmentally friendly mosque in Kazakhstan¡¯s capital, Astana. Japanese companies are supporting green energy projects across Central Asia, promoting renewable power, climate resilience and sustainable development.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 10, 2025
Japan should unveil a ¡®Green Master Plan¡¯ for Central Asia
Japanese companies are driving green energy projects across Central Asia, advancing renewable power, climate resilience and sustainable development.
In an effort to reduce the influence of China and Russia, Japan hopes to confirm its cooperation with Central Asian countries in maintaining and strengthening an international order based on the rule of law.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 27, 2025
Japan-Central Asia summit to be held in Tokyo in December
Japan aims to bolster its relations with these countries, which are located in a strategically important region sometimes referred to as the ¡°backyards¡± of China and Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a dinner with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in the East Room of the White House on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 7, 2025
Trump meets Central Asian leaders to boost critical mineral ties
The White House meeting emphasizes the Trump administration¡¯s efforts to expand and secure U.S. supply chains through new global agreements.
The Arch of Independence in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Central Asia¡¯s Turkic nations, united by shared history and culture, are emerging as a strategic counterbalance to Russia and China, offering Japan opportunities for investment and influence.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 4, 2025
Why Japan ¡ª like the U.S. ¡ª needs Central Asia
The C5 ¡ª Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ¡ª concerns Japan more directly than seems immediately obvious.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, China, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 31, 2025
Putin and Modi in China for summit hosted by Xi
The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ¡ª sometimes touted as an alternative to NATO ¡ª is being held in the port city until Monday.
A July 24 U.N. report warns that the Islamic State group's ISKP affiliate, al-Qaida and related groups remain active in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, posing serious threats to regional and international security.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2025
Is the Taliban¡¯s Afghanistan a safe haven for terrorist organizations?
¡°The de facto authorities in Afghanistan continued to maintain a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups,¡± a U.N. report says
Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Aug 20, 2025
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to visit Central Asia from Aug. 24
Iwaya will meet with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov respectively to boost bilateral ties with Japan.
One of the entrances to Pao Compound, a nine-story Silk Road-inspired complex in Tokyo's Higashinakano neighborhood
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 19, 2025
Touring the Silk Road ¡ª without leaving Tokyo
Located near Higashinakano Station, Pao Compound is an eclectic mix of restaurants, event spaces and an affinity for cultural exploration.
The Arch of Independence in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Central Asia is shaking off its Soviet past, driven by economic momentum, demographic strength and strategic diplomacy, even as hurdles remain.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 7, 2025
Central Asia changes its playbook
In recent years, the five Central Asian countries have managed to rebuild their economies, stabilize their politics and deepen their engagement with the rest of the world.
The skyline of Astana, Kazakhstan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Kazakhstan for the third time since 2020, making the country of 20 million people one of his favorite destinations in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed his global travels.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 16, 2025
Xi visits Kazakhstan for talks with Central Asian leaders
The summit in the Kazakh capital Astana is taking place in parallel to the Group of Seven¡¯s event in Canada.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (right) and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov shake hands at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Apr 16, 2025
Ishiba¡¯s expo diplomacy begins with hosting of Turkmen president
The two leaders released a joint statement calling for maintaining ¡°the free and open international order based on the rule of law.¡±
This aerial photograph taken on July 8 shows lakes of snowmelt in the Tian Shan mountain range.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 18, 2024
¡®Disappeared completely¡¯: Melting glaciers worry Central Asia
The effects of a warming planet have been particularly visible in Central Asia.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
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.
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.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
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.

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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