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July 12, 2026
 

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IRAN

Former economics professor and Bank of Japan board member Junko Koeda is the second among members who voted in favor of holding settings steady at bank's last policy meeting to have since signaled the likelihood of rate hikes to come. But she has also hinted at caution, saying it’s important to assess the impact stemming from the Middle East conflict.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
BOJ should raise policy rate at appropriate pace, says board member Junko Koeda
Koeda was among those who voted with the majority in favor of holding settings steady at the last policy meeting on April 28.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump arrive at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Pool / via REUTERS
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 21, 2026
Why the Trump-Xi summit ended in an impasse
Given Xi’s reluctance to address Trump’s Iran concerns, he should be unsurprised that the U.S. has not fully endorsed his new framework for U.S.-China relations.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday. Only one repair vessel for cables, owned by United Arab Emirates-based e-Marine, is currently in the Persian Gulf.
WORLD / FOCUS
May 21, 2026
Iran’s threat to Strait of Hormuz submarine cables
Iran’s threat to impose “permits” on submarine fiber-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz “calls international law into question,” said a former French naval officer.
Japan's trade balance in April was a ¥301.9 billion ($1.9 billion) surplus on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry, remaining in the black unexpectedly on strong exports and a sharp drop in energy imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
Japan’s trade surplus remained in the black in April as energy imports plunged
Exports remained robust, with chip exports rising 44% amid strong demand for artificial intelligence-related products.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, at Downing Street in London on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Britain clinches $5 billion Gulf trade deal in shadow of Iran war
The deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council comes after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran prompted Iranian attacks on countries in the region, straining energy and food supplies.
Vessels sail through the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday.
WORLD
May 21, 2026
Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with checkpoints and diplomatic deals
With Iran now in de facto control of the strait, the system can involve intense vetting by the Iranian government and sometimes fees in exchange for safe passage.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to resume attacks on Iran, but added that he could wait a few days to "get the right answers."
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Trump says willing to wait for a few days to get ‘right answer’ on Iran peace deal
The ceasefire has yielded little progress, and soaring gasoline prices continue to ​weigh on the president’s approval ratings.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin take part in a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
Xi and Putin unite in criticism of U.S. on nuclear and security issues
At a summit, the leaders stressed the closeness of the Russia-China ties that they sealed in 2022 with the signing of a strategic partnership treaty.
Naphtha shortages and a shrinking labor force mean those buying a new air conditioning unit may pay more than last year and then be forced to wait up to a month to have it installed.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 20, 2026
Installation delays and price hikes hit air conditioners just before summer
Fears of naphtha shortages and a smaller labor force mean those buying a new air conditioner may pay more than last year and then be forced to wait up to a month for installation.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping greets U.S. President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during their two-day summit on May 14.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 20, 2026
How will Japan react to Trump’s China pivot?
For Tokyo, the critical issue is whether the U.S. is fundamentally rethinking its approach toward China — and whether that shift could leave Japan dangerously exposed.
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, on April 22
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
NATO not drawing up plans for Hormuz mission, top commander says
Any decision to launch ​a mission would require the approval of all NATO’s 32 members and several have already signaled opposition.
A picture obtained from the media office of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant on Feb. 13, 2020, shows the power plant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A fire broke out following a drone strike on the plant on Sunday.
WORLD
May 20, 2026
UAE says drone that hit near its nuclear plant was launched from Iraq
Iraq is home to powerful Iranian-backed militia ​groups that have claimed attacks against “enemy bases ⁠in Iraq and the region” during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pose for a photo during their meeting in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2026
At talks, Takaichi and South Korea’s Lee agree to bolster energy security
The move comes as concerns over energy supplies continue to rattle Asia amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Jared Kushner (left) and Steve Witkoff, special peace envoys, take part in a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran on April 12 in Islamabad.
COMMENTARY / World
May 19, 2026
The high cost of Donald Trump’s crony diplomacy
Together, Kushner and Witkoff have spearheaded negotiations on Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.
Only 29.2% of respondents in a recent survey said they liked the United States, apparently reflecting negative views of the Trump administration following U.S. strikes on Iran and the ensuing energy crisis.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 19, 2026
Japanese favorability toward U.S. falls below 30%, survey finds
Negative views of the Trump administration might have contributed to the decline, particularly following its military strikes on Iran and the resulting energy crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies toward Iran, science, education, diplomacy and democratic institutions are accelerating a self-inflicted decline of U.S. global power.
COMMENTARY / World
May 19, 2026
America’s superpower suicide in the Trump era
At a minimum, a superpower must be a modern state that includes, through the rule of law and other institutions, a substantial body of citizens committed to a common endeavor.
Real gross domestic product rose 2.1% on an annualized basis in the first quarter, according to a Cabinet Office report on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 19, 2026
Faster economic growth supports BOJ’s case for hike
Real gross domestic product rose 2.1% on an annualized basis in the first quarter, according to a Cabinet Office report.
A man brings an empty liquefied petroleum gas canister to a depot in New Delhi on Monday. India is the second-largest importer of LPG in the world and is suffering acute shortages of the fuel, used in cooking gas and industrial processes.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 19, 2026
How India’s cooking fuel shortage is driving up California’s gas prices
Both symptoms of the worst-ever energy supply disruption, they are directly connected and evidence of the effects across the global economy of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Eric Trump, right, a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a Trump family crypto firm, at a cryptocurrency conference in Dubai on May 1, 2025
BUSINESS / Tech
May 19, 2026
How Trump’s crypto venture and Iran’s top exchange tapped into the same industry networks
Sharing crypto networks with an Iranian company performing sanctioned transactions highlights the potentially conflicted position in which the Trumps’ sprawling business interests have placed the U.S. presidency.
A street in Tehran on Monday. "Surrender is fundamentally incompatible with Iran's identity," one senior Iranian official said.
WORLD / Politics
May 19, 2026
Growing risk of fresh conflict in Middle East as deadlock and pain deepen
The concern among policymakers is not whether a deal is near, but how long tensions can persist before a miscalculation triggers renewed hostilities.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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

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