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July 07, 2025
 

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COMMENTARY

World

World
Japan
Residential buildings under construction in Shanghai in July 2022. The Chinese government risks long-term decline by repeating Japan’s policy mistakes in handling its real estate and demographic crises.
COMMENTARY / World
China’s housing crisis is worse than it seems
Chinese policymakers — who are facing an even more severe housing and demographic crisis than Japan —are at risk of making the same mistakes.
COMMENTARY / World
Geoengineering’s risks need to be studied more
With for-profit organizations already releasing chemicals into the oceans, it’s important for scientists with no financial stake in this industry to collect data.
COMMENTARY / World
Nuclear proliferation cannot just be bombed away
The most powerful deterrent for any state is possession of nuclear weapons or membership in an alliance that offers a nuclear umbrella (like NATO).
This digital visualization shows the small modular nuclear reactor being developed by Rolls-Royce SMR, which is set to be the first in the U.K. A widely cited IEA report says global data center electricity demand will more than double by 2030 to 945 TWh — more than Japan’s current total usage.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2025
Data centers and small reactors could change Asia’s nuclear dynamic
By Brad Glosserman
An estimated 402.74 million terabytes of data are created each day and storing and processing all that information creates virtual volcanoes.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in the NATO summit on June 24. Trump's unilateral strike on Iran without consulting NATO allies has deepened divisions within the alliance, raising doubts about its relevance and collective security framework.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2025
NATO leaders’ price for supporting Ukraine is their self-respect
By Max Hastings
Last week’s summit in The Hague focused more on appeasing Trump than serious strategy.
Taiwan, under constant threat from AI-powered disinformation by authoritarian regimes, has emerged as a global leader in digital democratic defense.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2025
Taiwan provides a model for digital defense of democracy
By Duncan Barron
As the U.S. and others struggle to confront AI-driven disinformation, Taiwan’s resilience has become its latest key export.
China is preparing to counter the rising threat of U.S.-backed digital dollars by leveraging its powerful e-commerce firms and Hong Kong’s crypto-friendly financial system to promote stablecoins tied to local currencies.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2025
China is more than ready for U.S. stablecoins
By Andy Mukherjee
E-commerce prowess and Hong Kong’s financial chops can ward off the threat from digital dollars.
U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte attend the opening of the NATO leaders summit in The Hague on June 25.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2025
NATO’s Donald Trump dilemma
By Ahmet Davutoglu
NATO's fate — and the future of global stability — will hinge on whether European leaders push back.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 16.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2025
Canada's middle power myths give way to harsh realities
By Stephen R. Nagy
The goal is not to become America’s 51st state but to make such absorption unthinkable because Canada provides more value as a sovereign partner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 24. Rio de Janeiro will host the two-day BRICS Summit starting July 6, where leaders from 10 member states and others will explore ways emerging economies can shape global development. 
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2025
A BRICS+ development agenda for the Global South
By Fernando Amorim Teixeira
An effective BRICS+ development agenda will require a coordinated mobilization of resources and institutional efforts.

Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
Elon Musk says he has created a new U.S. political party
Elon Musk looks on during a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 30.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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