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July 01, 2026
 

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HUMAN RIGHTS

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi (right) and Kazuki Yuda of Touch Immigration Law Firm during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Monday
JAPAN / Society
Jun 8, 2026
Tighter immigration rules could tarnish Japan’s image, opposition lawmaker says
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi cautions against a shift in Japan toward exclusionism and xenophobia.
Participants in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride march through the streets on Sunday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 7, 2026
Tokyo Pride draws thousands to spotlight important year for LGBTQ rights
Japan remains the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex marriage, even as public support for marriage equality has reached about 67%.
A cotton farm worker in the Xinjiang region of China. Trade and human rights experts said U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff threats would do little to solve widespread issues of abusive employment practices in the global supply chain.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 6, 2026
Trump’s latest tariff salvo no fix for global issue of forced labor
Experts, business groups and some human rights groups say the move could actually make things worse.
A push by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party to criminalize the desecration of the national flag is reviving a long-running debate over the limits of political expression.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
LDP’s flag desecration bill rekindles debate over limits of expression
Advocates say the measure is meant to address a legal gap but critics argue the bill’s language is “extremely vague.”
A government draft calls for raising awareness of gender and sexual diversity in schools, local communities, households and workplaces.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 2, 2026
Japan eyes multilayered approach to promote LGBTQ+ awareness
The government presented the draft program to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which approved it the same day.
Cases in Britain, the United States and Norway highlight growing concerns over alleged Chinese transnational repression and espionage operations targeting dissidents, activists and sensitive infrastructure across democratic countries.
COMMENTARY / World
May 27, 2026
In a single day, three democracies pushed back against Chinese transnational repression
That three liberal democracies acted against Beijing’s long arm on a single day was not coordinated – but perhaps it should have been.
People visit an Alibaba booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
China expands travel curbs to top AI talent at private firms
Government agencies have begun imposing restrictions on individuals involved in advanced AI work and considered strategically important to the country.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions about the criminal procedure law in parliament on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 26, 2026
Takaichi stresses ‘great significance’ of retrial system reform
The government bill prohibits in principle public prosecutors from filing appeals against court decisions to start retrials.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents patrol at LaGuardia International Airport in New York on March 23.
WORLD
May 26, 2026
For minorities, fear of World Cup immigration curbs overshadows soccer devotion
The risk of ICE activity around U.S. matches has sparked concerns among the Hispanic community, 20% of the U.S. population, and the Haitian community.
Students write down scenarios relating to bullying and what they think they can do about it during a comprehensive sexuality education class at Tokai Junior and Senior High School in Nagoya.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Chubu
May 25, 2026
School raises rights and dignity awareness through sexuality education
Guidelines from UNESCO and others outline eight key concepts of comprehensive sexuality education, including relationships, human rights, understanding gender and staying safe.
Temporary street signs warn pedestrians of a Metropolitan Police live facial recognition operation in London on May 11.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 25, 2026
On London’s streets, facial recognition tests the balance between security and liberty
Britain has long been one of the world’s heaviest users of CCTV cameras in public spaces, and Londoners can be caught ​on film up to several ‌hundred times a day.
Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the U.S. will now have to leave the country to apply for green cards, a change with potentially far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump’s sweeping crackdown.
WORLD
May 23, 2026
Trump to make foreign nationals leave U.S. to apply for green cards
The change could have far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump’s sweeping crackdown.
A Japanese national flag outside the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo last July.
JAPAN / Politics
May 23, 2026
LDP OKs draft bill to punish national flag vandalism
The draft calls for penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of as much as ¥200,000 for acts of vandalism that cause “extreme discomfort or disgust.”
Tokyo Detention House guidelines dictate that CCTV surveillance can be used when detainees are at risk of suicide or self-harm, or when there is concern they may try to escape.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 20, 2026
Female death row inmate sues Japan government over 24/7 surveillance
A death-row inmate says she’s been surveilled 24/7 for 24 years. Now, she’s suing the Japanese government for a breach of human rights.
Japan’s foreign resident population rose 9.5% to a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, topping 4 million for the first time, according to data from the Immigration Services Agency.
JAPAN / Society
May 19, 2026
Almost half of foreign residents have experienced discrimination: government survey
The Immigration Services Agency found 47% of foreign residents have experienced some form of discrimination in their everyday lives in Japan, most commonly from strangers.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has presented a draft bill proposing penalties for both public vandalism of the Japanese national flag and the posting of related videos and images on social media, but it withheld approval amid concerns over freedom of expression.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
LDP seeks to penalize sharing national flag vandalism online
The outline also calls for penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to ¥200,000 for individuals who publicly damage the flag.
SWAT members stand outside the Philippine Senate, where Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has sought refuge from an International Criminal Court warrant, in Pasay City in Metropolitan Manila on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2026
Political tension in the Philippines escalates after Senate gunfire
Philippine Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has sought refuge in the Senate after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant against him over his role in a deadly drug crackdown.
The exterior view of the Hague Penitentiary Institution, which also serves as a United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) that holds those on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), in Scheveningen, The Hague, on March 11, 2025
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 14, 2026
Inside Duterte’s ICC detention center
A cell measuring nine square meters, one hour’s exercise outside and a weekly budget of €25 for treats: welcome to the new world of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Osaka High Court in the city of Osaka. While the court did not order specific action in the case of a person seeking a nonbinary gender designation in Japan's family register system, it said that the lack of legal recognition infringes on Article 14 of the Constitution.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2026
High court finds exclusion of nonbinary gender option in family register system unconstitutional
Gender identity is “directly linked to an individual’s personal existence, making it a significant legal good,” the court has said in its judgment.
Former Ukrainian marine Yaroslav Rumyantsev shows a photograph of himself when he was held in Russian captivity.
WORLD
May 12, 2026
Inside the jails where Russia breaks Ukrainian prisoners ‘like dogs’
Former prisoners and families of detainees have described how strong men were “broken like dogs.”
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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