Japan’s aspiring leader drums to relieve stress. She has many reasons to reach for her sticks

By Hanako Montgomery, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — For most of her life, Sanae Takaichi has loved heavy metal. Since drumming in a college band, the 64-year-old politician has remained a fan of groups like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. She used to play so...

Japan’s Ruling Coalition Collapses, Complicating Takaichi Sanae's Bid for Prime Minister

Saito Tetsuo, leader of Japan’s Komeito Party, announced on Friday that Komeito will break from the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over concerns about corruption. Komeito’s departure significantly increases the...

Japan To Make American And Canadian Tourists Pay New Fee To Visit Iconic City

While South Korea and China remain the top source markets for visitors to Japan, the United States ranks fourth and stands as the leading non-Asian country sending travelers to Japan, with record-high visitor numbers. The U.S.–Japan relationship,...

Japan, Ukraine Trial Remote Operation of Heavy Machinery with Aim to Clear War-Related Debris, Boost Employment

Courtesy of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry A participant in Kyiv remotely operates a heavy machinery in Kobe on Thursday. The Yomiuri Shimbun 11:35 JST, October 11, 2025 The Japanese infrastructure ministry conducted a trial...

Japanese discount retailer Daiso opens its Salinas store Saturday

Daiso, the cult-favorite Japanese discount store, will open its doors at Harden Ranch Plaza at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, marking the retailer’s first location on the Central Coast. The store will host a grand-opening celebration this weekend...

Japan's next PM faces task of finding buyers for $520bn in JGBs

Bonds Japanese banks lack capacity to pick up slack as BOJ winds down purchases The Bank of Japan has moved to taper its Japanese government bond holdings, which has contributed to the rising yields of long-dated JGBs. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) RYO...

Japan’s city with a two-hour cap on phone use

TOYOAKE - Police won’t be rounding up people glued to phones in Japan’s Toyoake, but the mayor believes his two-hour limit can help residents find a healthier relationship with their screens. Masafumi Kouki told, he has worried for many months...

Japan’s Nobel Laureates: Two Scientists Recognized in 2025

In 2025, Sakaguchi Shimon received a share of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work related to the immune system and Kitagawa Susumu received a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of promising new materials. Two...

Japan-assisted Mumbai’s first underground metro line fully operational, linking South and North Mumbai in 45 minutes

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 11 (ANI): The Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor) became fully operational on October 8, marking a major milestone in the city's transport network. The 33.5 km underground corridor, supported by...

Japan’s Iron Lady: A Prime Minister for the Trump Era?

A protégé of Abe Shinzo, newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Takaichi Sanae inherits her mentor’s approach to social, economic, and foreign policy. Given U.S. President Donald Trump’s admiration for strong conservative leaders and his...

Japan’s role in building Markham’s Rice Fields

Five miles south of the Colorado River at the junction of FM 1468 and FM 2431 off Highway 35, the unincorporated community of Markham took shape where water, rails and farmland met. The ground itself traces to the Daniel Etherton and Richard...

Japanese diet may help ease depression, anxiety

A new study from Japan suggests that a traditional Japanese diet, rich in vegetables, fermented fish and seaweed, can significantly reduce symptoms of depression among workers, regardless of age, gender or workplace stress levels. The findings...

Azzet Unpacked: Tech full circles this week in business

All the top moves, shakes, and red-hot takes from Azzet's editorial team are right here in your weekly business wrap every Friday (10 October, 2025). AMD's circular economy moment As Washington lurched into its second week of paralysis, Wall...

The end of fair trade?

The global trading system faces a crisis. Anchored so far by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a rules-based multilateral order, it is now being reshaped by geopolitics and contestation, search for economic security and regulatory defences,...

Japanese fans leave lasting impression at Under-20 World Cup in Chile

Chile will feel a little quieter now that Japan is out of the men's Under-20 World Cup. With drums, banners, flags, and signs, the Japanese fans stole the show with their heartfelt support as their team advanced to the round of 16 following a...

Norwegian Company Expands Business Outside Europe as Tokyo Gas Starts Using Its Digital Platform for Offshore Wind Farm Development

Tokyo Gas has begun utilising a digital platform for offshore wind project development provided by Vind AI. The Norwegian technology company says that with its platform, developers can complete business cases for offshore wind projects more than...

Japanese business groups concerned over ruling coalition split

Major Japanese business groups on Friday expressed concern over the possible political instability arising from the Komeito party's withdrawal from its coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japan...

Sanae Takai: Japan’s First Female LDP Leader with a Rock Spirit

Tokyo is a center of contrasts between the city’s hustle, culture, and shimmering ambitions. It is here that the story of Sanae Takai unfolds, a woman who blends a passionate love for drums with the political ambition to lead Japan. For most of...

40 Years After Plaza Accord, Global Trade Imbalances Still a Tough Issue for Nations to Address

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Leaders gather for a photo at the G20 Summit held in 2019 in Osaka, where Japan directly raised the issue of global imbalances in an effort to avoid protectionism. By Akihiro Okada 8:00 JST, October 11, 2025 Forty years...

Alternator company adding $52.4 million and 200 jobs to Tennessee Plant

Nidec Power announced October 9 it would expand operations in its Lexington, Tennessee alternator factory. According to a company release, the new $52.4 million expansion will add 200 jobs at the plant, which currently employs 400, and increase...