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March 06, 2026
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March 06, 2026
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A MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter departs from the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford on Saturday while supporting Operation Epic Fury.
WORLD / Politics
U.S. insiders see Iran war hurting China-backed ¡®Axis of Chaos¡¯
By Shawn Donnan
That theory ¡ª popularized by Matt Pottinger ¡ª places China at the center of a deepening partnership with countries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea.

More coverage

Iran could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz with drones for months
Apparent use of AI in Iran war raises daunting questions, expert says
A MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter departs from the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford on Saturday while supporting Operation Epic Fury.
Oil storage tanks in Kawasaki. As of the end of last year, Japan had enough oil in its reserves to last 254 days, according to data from the trade ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oil refiners in Japan ask government to tap strategic reserves
By Tsuyoshi Inajima
Japan gets more than 90% of its oil from the Middle East, leaving it vulnerable to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz that¡¯s preventing energy exports.
Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks to marines and sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America at Naval Base White Beach in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 10.
JAPAN
Drones and missiles: U.S. Marines in Okinawa evolve for sea-denial role
By Gabriel Dominguez
III Marine Expeditionary Force chief Lt. Gen. Roger Turner says the force is working with the Self-Defense Forces to boost the defense of islands and other key maritime areas.
Admission fees for the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and 11 other state-run museums are set to increase for visitors from outside Japan.
JAPAN
Japan¡¯s national museums to implement dual-pricing system
By Yukana Inoue
The planned change, a first for state-run museums, will hike admission fees for nonresidents by March 2031.
Terunofuji pictured at Isegahama stable on Jan. 29, 2024
SUMO
Violence in sumo provokes anger but little surprise
By John Gunning
Amid a wave of reproachful articles and reports, as well as emotionally charged fan responses online, few people appear to be surprised by the revelation from Isegahama stable.
Terunofuji pictured at Isegahama stable on Jan. 29, 2024

JAPAN

Kairos No. 3 failed after lifting off from Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, on Thursday.
Space One¡¯s Kairos rocket terminated moments after launch
By Jessica Speed
The decision puts another dent in the firm¡¯s bid to be the first private Japanese company to place satellites in orbit with a domestically developed rocket.
Ground Self-Defense Force troops take part in an annual New Year's military drill at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 11.
Pentagon No. 3 says Japan knows about need to hike defense budgets ¡®better than anybody¡¯
By Jesse Johnson
The remarks, just over two weeks before Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, hint that a spending hike will likely be discussed.
The long, humble history of the umbrella
By Michael Hoffman
Japan Times 1976: Bomb explosion in Sapporo claims 2 lives, injures 85
Adnoc boss and UAE minister Al Jaber meets Sanae Takaichi
By Shoko Oda and Yusuke Maekawa
3,827 teacher positions unfilled across Japan: 2025 survey

BUSINESS

Kao is facing increasing pressure from activist fund Oasis Management for an independent investigation into its supply-chain practices.
Activist fund Oasis calls on Kao to hold shareholders' meeting over supply-chain risks
By Kanoko Matsuyama
The fund received numerous whistleblower allegations concerning Kao¡¯s practices, including potential links to deforestation and human rights violations.
Emirates and Qatar Airways planes sit on the tarmac at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport on Tuesday.
Perishables and plane parts stranded as Middle East conflict hits air cargo
By Allison Lampert, Lisa Baertlein and Julie Zhu
Shipments are in limbo as the conflict reduces the world¡¯s air cargo capacity and pushes up freight rates, with executives bracing for backlogs of goods.
Honda to boost Japan lineup by importing cars from the U.S. and China
By Nicholas Takahashi
China sets lowest growth target since 1991 as old model falters
Japan¡¯s investors sell most overseas bonds since 2024 last month
By Masaki Kondo and Masahiro Hidaka
Japanese labor union group sets more ambitious pay goal as BOJ watches
By Erica Yokoyama and Akemi Terukina

WORLD

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits a military training area to observe the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location in Germany on June 11, 2024.
Iran conflict could divert U.S. weapons from Ukraine
By Dan Peleschuk and Andrea Shalal
Most of the ballistic missiles and drones Iran has fired have been intercepted, including with PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors Ukraine relies on to defend its infrastructure.
The Houses of Parliament in London. The husband of a lawmaker from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ruling Labour party is one of three men to have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
British lawmaker's husband among three accused of spying for China
The case could potentially become awkward for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer who visited Beijing recently as part of his resetting of relations with China.
Nepal election pits former rapper against old guard vying for Gen Zs
By Swati Gupta
Iran war exiles describe terror of daily strikes
By Ionut Iordachescu, Parvaiz BUKHARI, Aida BAHRAMI and Syed ALI
U.S. Senate backs Trump on Iran strikes and blocks bid to limit war powers
By Patricia Zengerle
Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel

Sports

Australia's Robbie Perkins (right) celebrates with teammate Tim Kennelly after hitting a two-run home run against Taiwan in the fifth inning during the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome on Thursday afternoon.
Australia shakes up World Baseball Classic again with Taiwan triumph
By Jason Coskrey
Australians earned a 3-0 win over Taiwan in an electric atmosphere at Tokyo Dome in the first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Australian baseball icon Tim Kennelly prepares to take final bow at WBC
By Jason Coskrey
Aston Martin drivers fear 'permanent nerve damage' from car vibration
Arteta hits back at Brighton criticism after Arsenal boosts title bid
Japan hopes the tea leaves prove auspicious ahead of the WBC
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana arrive in Sydney on Tuesday ahead of his Friday stop in Tokyo, where he will hold talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Canada has an opportunity to redefine its role in the Pacific
Stephen R. Nagy
The solution for Canada is not to seek an alternative to the U.S. in Japan, but to join Japan in the project of keeping the U.S. engaged.
A win ¡ª and a lesson ¡ª from Toyota¡¯s Elliott deal
By Juliana Liu
SoftBank¡¯s Ohio power plant delivers an AI sticker shock
By Liam Denning
The high price of political paranoia
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
AI leaders may spend billions only to lose the market
By Gautam Mukunda

ENVIRONMENT

A shed submerged by floodwaters. Insured losses from natural catastrophes globally reached $107 billion last year, according to reinsurer Swiss Re.
Insurers urge Australia to launch $21 billion flood defense fund
By David Stringer
The funding would be used on tasks including adding more flood-protection infrastructure like dams or levees, and also for a property buyback program.
What Trump¡¯s new tariffs mean for climate tech
By Coco Liu
India celebrates cheetah births to boost reintroduction bid
By Peter Martelli
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals
By Arunabh SAIKIA and Uzmi ATHAR
Indonesia coal plant closure U-turn sows energy transition doubts
By Marchio Gorbiano

CULTURE

South Korean director Sasha Lee¡¯s surreal film ¡°The Popstar Water Deer and I¡± received the mid-length grand prize at this year¡¯s Niigata International Animation Film Festival.
Reeling from loss, Niigata¡¯s animation festival refuses to fold
By Matt Schley
After losing key organizers and the death of its founder, the festival wasn¡¯t sure it could go on. Instead of going dark, however, NIAFF rebuilt from scratch.
Mari Katayama wins inaugural Mori Art Prize
By Jennifer Pastore
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
By Laura Pollacco
¡®Kaneko Fumiko¡¯: Firebrand behind bars shows unyielding resolve
By Mark Schilling
¡®#Viral¡¯: A Faustian tale about internet fame and anti-vax anxiety
By James Hadfield

LIFE

Tokyo¡¯s Jimbocho neighborhood has all kinds of bookshops and cafes, but it is mainly known for its abundance of stores selling secondhand books.
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
By Eric Margolis
Decode shelving systems, publisher groupings and reader slang before making the most of Tokyo¡¯s famed literary district.
From Italy to Japan: Vannelli Coffee opens in Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
In bilingual homes, raising hearing-impaired kids is a long road toward a ¡®normal life¡¯
By Yang Xiong
On westernmost Yonaguni, geopolitics can¡¯t spoil the island¡¯s aura
By Edward J. Taylor
Where Tokyoites go for Chinese hot pot
By Mike Fu

COMMUNITY

The Austrian team at this year¡¯s International Snow Sculpture Contest ¡ª (from left) Michelle Steinmetz, Karl Pont and Daniel Nachbaur ¡ª pose with their creation.
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
By Karl Pont
Working in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, artists from around the world convened in Sapporo this February to continue a tradition 50 years running.
Don¡¯t keep patient Pine waiting any longer
Recentering Okinawa, one story at a time
By Kris Kosaka
Pomelo peps up a Kobe couple¡¯s life
After closures and breaks, Tokyo's 'Little India' regains its footing
By Shyam Bhardwa

Editors' Picks

ASIA PACIFIC
Taiwan¡¯s FM calls for Taipei to be part of 'first island chain' security framework
By Gabriel Dominguez
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung speaks during an interview last week in Taipei. Lin has called on Japan and other partners to step up cooperation in areas such as intelligence-sharing, joint exercises, defense-industry tie-ups, data links and dealing with hybrid threats such as China¡¯s gray-zone activities.
JAPAN
Netflix deal shuts out Japan¡¯s sports bars from freely showing WBC
By Kanako Takahara
Fans react after Japan won the World Baseball Classic final game against the United States, in Tokyo, in March 2023.
JAPAN
¡®My hope has fear inside it¡¯: Iranians in Japan react to attacks back home
By Jessica Speed and Yukana Inoue
Somayyeh Mehri speaks in an interview on Monday in Tokyo. The psychological weight of watching events unfold from Japan is gut-wrenching for Mehri.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani returns to Japan as the center of attention ahead of WBC
By Jason Coskrey
Shohei Ohtani is back with Samurai Japan for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Ohtani was the MVP of the 2023 tournament.
LIFE
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
By Eric Margolis
Tokyo¡¯s Jimbocho neighborhood has all kinds of bookshops and cafes, but it is mainly known for its abundance of stores selling secondhand books.

Podcast

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

Longform

As Japan accelerates AI adoption, policymakers and corporations frame the technology as essential to offsetting a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040.
Japan is betting big on AI. Few workers have used it.
By Eric Margolis

JT Directory Service

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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
Chinese Embassy in Japan issues warning against ¡®bumpers¡¯ after viral video
By Kanako Takahara
The Chinese embassy in Tokyo in November
WORLD
Iran's missile math: $20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots
By Golnar Motevalli and Gerry Doyle
A drone is shown during Iran¡¯s annual Army Day parade on April 18, 2025, in Tehran.
JAPAN
Netflix deal shuts out Japan¡¯s sports bars from freely showing WBC
By Kanako Takahara
Fans react after Japan won the World Baseball Classic final game against the United States, in Tokyo, in March 2023.
JAPAN
Tokyo High Court orders Unification Church to dissolve
By Yukana Inoue
The Japan branch of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church
JAPAN
Three arrested over illegal hiring of Vietnamese workers in Japan
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested three men over alleged involvement in employing Vietnamese nationals without work permits in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture.