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Japan’s “Africa Hometowns” Program Sparks Backlash: Misunderstanding, Misinformation, and the Future of Global Ties

When the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) unveiled its new “Africa hometowns” initiative earlier this month, the aim appeared straightforward and hopeful: link Japanese regional cities with African nations through cultural exchange, business cooperation, and…

Japan’s Tipping Culture at a Crossroads: Tradition Meets Tourism

In Japan, the idea of tipping has long been viewed with suspicion, even disdain. To many Japanese, the practice undermines the very foundation of omotenashi, the spirit of wholehearted, selfless hospitality that permeates the nation’s…

The Rising Storm: How Japan’s Sanseito Is Connecting with the Global Far Right

Japan's Sanseito party leader Sohei Kamiya delivers a speech during the party’s rally in Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2025, a day after the upper house election. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

When Sanseito first emerged as a fringe political movement during the pandemic, few in Tokyo’s corridors of power took it seriously. Conspiracy talk, anti-establishment rhetoric, and polemical social media videos marked it as one of…

Rare and Powerful Tornado Strikes Central Japan: Shizuoka’s Deadly September Disaster

On a quiet September afternoon in central Japan, life in Shizuoka Prefecture was suddenly and violently upended. A tornado, later classified as a JEF-3 on the Japan Enhanced Fujita scale, ripped through residential areas with…

A Historic Turn: Japan and South Korea’s Leaders Pledge Partnership After 17 Years

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When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stepped into the summit room in Tokyo, the scene carried profound symbolism. After 17 years of silence in joint declarations, the two countries…

The Battle Over Screen Time: From Toyoake to Canberra, Global Pushback Against Smartphone and Social Media Addiction

Smartphones have become the Swiss Army knives of modern life. They wake us up, guide us through traffic, serve as offices, classrooms, cinemas, and lifelines to friends and family. But with their ubiquity has come…

A Chilling Crime in Kobe: Stalking, Fear, and the Demand for Safety

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On a quiet evening in Kobe, a city known for its calm streets and cosmopolitan atmosphere, the illusion of safety was shattered. A woman walking home was brutally stabbed by a man who had followed…

Russia’s Missile Drills in the Sea of Japan Raise Alarm Across Asia

Russia’s Missile Drills in the Sea of Japan Raise Alarm Across Asia Russia has carried out naval missile tests in the Sea of Japan, heightening concerns among neighboring countries wary of Moscow’s growing military assertiveness.…

Takaichi vs. Koizumi, Markets in Turmoil Amid LDP Leadership Race

Japan is once again standing at the edge of political and economic transformation. Following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) finds itself in the throes of a leadership…