Tetsuya Yamagami fired a homemade gun at Abe while the former leader addressed a campaign rally in the city of Nara, Japan. He was immediately arrested. Abe was hit twice and died shortly afterward, aged 67.
President Trump’s quest to reorder global trade through personal diplomacy will be tested during his tour of Asia this week, as he faces the tantalizing prospect of a pact with China and the chance to bust through obstacles to completing deals with other key trading partners.
On Sunday, Trump won some momentum by winning tariff agreements with a handful of Southeast Asian nations. He also sounded an optimistic note on China ahead of a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned for later this week. “I think we are going to come away with a deal,” Trump said Monday aboard Air Force One en route to Japan.
BEIJING (Reuters) -China has called on its neighbours Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries to make greater efforts in science and technology, including carrying out joint scientific and technological research, according to the official Xinhua.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang pointed to opportunities in artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedicine, brought about by scientific and technological revolution and an industrial transformation.
In remarks at a leaders’ meeting with ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea in Malaysia and published by Xinhua late on Monday, Li said China is willing to continue to cooperating in the digital economy, electric vehicles and clean energy.
“We must persist in properly resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, oppose external interference, and avoid artificially creating tension and conflict,” he said in a speech at the meeting.
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Michael Perry)
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump are in the final stages of preparing a joint document on securing rare earths and other critical minerals and strengthening supply chains, the Asahi Newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The agreement, which the two leaders plan to sign during their meeting later on Tuesday, aims to address economic security concerns following China’s move in October to tighten export controls on rare earths, which are crucial for a wide range of products from smartphones to fighter jets, the paper said citing Japanese government officials.
In response to China’s dominance in global production, the White House had initially planned to impose a 100% additional tariff on Chinese exports. But Washington and Beijing on Sunday reached a framework for a trade deal that could pause planned U.S. tariffs and Chinese export controls on critical minerals.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea to sign off on the terms.
(Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Stephen Coates)
(Reuters) -Global companies have a long list of concerns around the U.S.-China trade war. They will closely monitor President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected meeting in South Korea on Thursday, hoping that the world’s two biggest economies begin to resolve their differences.
Below are the biggest issues for global companies.
The U.S. semiconductor industry will closely watch the talks for indications of a deal over whether U.S. firms can sell powerful artificial intelligence chips to China. While Nvidia is the market leader, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel are trying to gain market share, and a raft of other chip companies from Broadcom to Marvell Technology that help develop AI chips will feel the impact. Also critical will be discussions over critical minerals and materials, which affect chip manufacturers such as Intel and GlobalFoundries. Those materials have become a flashpoint in the tussle between the U.S. and China over Chinese access to the tools needed to build out its own semiconductor manufacturing industry. Those tools come from U.S. firms such as Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA.
China is an important manufacturer of both finished pharmaceutical products and key ingredients of drugs used in the U.S.
In 2024, China was the eighth-largest exporter of pharmaceutical products to the U.S., accounting for more than 3.5% of those products imported for the year, according to U.S. trade data.
More importantly, China is the largest manufacturer globally of the key building blocks used to make pharmaceutical ingredients. According to a report published earlier this month by U.S. Pharmacopeia, China is the sole supplier of over 40% of the key starting materials for U.S.-approved pharmaceutical ingredients.
The top Chinese drug companies include Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, WuXi AppTec, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and Sinopharm Group.
U.S. energy companies, particularly LNG exporters including Venture Global LNG and Cheniere Energy, will be paying close attention to see if the Trump-Xi meeting can restart frozen energy flows after China levied a 15% tariff on American LNG in February.
China had been a major buyer before that, purchasing nearly 6% of U.S. exports of the fuel in 2024. Since the tariffs were imposed, Chinese companies have not signed any new long-term supply deals with U.S. LNG producers, and the country has been diverting U.S. cargoes to the European market in a move that has tempered global prices.
The U.S., meanwhile, has not exported any oil to China since February, when a 10% tariff was also imposed on crude. Exports to China totaled only about 4% of American shipments abroad – about 150,000 barrels per day – in 2024, down 42% from the previous year.
Top exporters of U.S. crude to China have previously included Occidental Petroleum; Unipec, the trading arm of China’s Sinopec; and Atlantic Trading & Marketing, an arm of French oil major TotalEnergies, according to shipping flows data from Kpler.
A wide range of global companies will be watching to see if the Trump administration intends to follow through on a plan to curb an array of software-powered exports to China. If implemented, it would make good on Trump’s threat earlier this month to bar “critical software” exports to China by restricting global shipments of items that contain U.S. software or were produced using U.S. software. It could disrupt global trade, given that many items are made with U.S. software, like jet engines from General Electric, or cars from companies like Toyota that use software in safety features. Chips worldwide are also produced with U.S. chip-design software from Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys.
Carmakers have much riding on the geopolitical dynamics between Trump and China, including a slate of still-unresolved tariffs between the two countries. Most pressing, though, is the threat of a shortage of chips from Chinese-owned firm Nexperia. China has banned exports of Nexperia’s finished products amid a dispute with the Dutch government. The inexpensive chips are used widely in car electronics, and automotive lobbying groups that represent Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford have warned of likely factory disruptions if the dispute is not quickly settled. China’s stepped-up export controls on rare-earth metals as well as battery materials and equipment also have raised fears among automakers and suppliers of production snags.
Agribusinesses including Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge Global and privately held Cargill will be watching for any lifting of tariffs that have halted Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and other farm goods and driven crop prices to multiyear lows. Soybeans are the largest U.S. farm export by value, with $12.6 billion in shipments to top buyer China in 2024, according to U.S. government data. Farm equipment makers such as Deere, AGCO and CNH Industrial will also be eying any easing of duties that have hammered farmer income and chilled sales of tractors and combine harvesters.
Boeing faces rising pressure as Xi-Trump talks spotlight aerospace trade. Beijing’s push for domestic jets and retaliatory tariffs risk eroding Chinese demand for Boeing aircraft. With China historically a top market for Boeing, escalating trade tensions could threaten the company’s long-term growth. If Trump-Xi talks go well, Boeing could increase its access to China’s aviation market, but if they falter, the company risks deeper isolation. Meanwhile, Trump’s threat to restrict Boeing aircraft parts exports to China could disrupt the nascent jet production of state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, which relies on U.S.-made engines and avionics.
(Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago, Stephen Nellis in San Francisco, Mike Erman in New York, Mike Colias in Detroit, Chris Sanders in Washington, Nathan Crooks in Houston and Joe Brock in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
TOKYO—The British aren’t the only ones who can sprinkle a little royal stardust when President Trump comes to town.
As Trump pays a visit to Tokyo this week, his Japanese hosts are counting on some face time with the emperor to set a positive tone—even if the reception fell short on pomp.
President Trump arrived Monday in Japan, where new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is banking on building a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to ease trade tensions.
Mr. Trump’s Asian tour, which kicked off over the weekend, has a heavy focus on business ties, and speaking to journalists as he flew into the Japanese capital, he predicted that a U.S.-China trade agreement would be done before he returned to Washington.
But first, the meeting with Takaichi will be an early diplomatic test for Japan’s first woman leader. She took office only last week, and has a tenuous coalition backing her.
During the flight to Tokyo, he came back to the press cabin on Air Force One, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He said he’d talk about the “great friendship” between the U.S. and Japan during his visit.
President Trump gestures after alighting from Air Force One upon arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 27, 2025.
PHILIP FONG/AFP/Getty
“I hear phenomenal things” about Takaichi, Mr. Trump said, noting her closeness with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with whom Mr. Trump had a good relationship during his first term.
“It’s going to be very good,” he said. “That really helps Japan and the United States.”
Mr. Trump’s only scheduled event on Monday following his arrival is a meeting at the Imperial Palace with Emperor Naruhito, Japan’s ceremonial head of state.
The American leader spent Sunday in Malaysia, participating in a regional summit of Southeast Asian nations where he struck preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Trump says he expects trade deal with China done this week
Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he expected to reach a trade agreement with China in the coming days.
Officials from the world’s two largest economies said Sunday that they’d reached an initial consensus for Mr. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to try to finalize during a high-stakes meeting later in the week.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I think we’re going to come away with a deal,” Mr. Trump said.
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet attendees waving American and Chinese flags during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, in a Nov. 9, 2017 file photo.
After his visit to Japan, Mr. Trump is set to end his Asian tour in South Korea, where he’s expected to meet with Xi on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
Trump renews openness to meeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Mr. Trump also said he would be willing to extend his trip to Asia if there was a chance to talk with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Kim. Since South Korea is the president’s last stop before returning to the U.S., “it’s pretty easy to do,” he told reporters on Air Force One.
Mr. Trump’s overtures to reconnect with Kim have gone unanswered.
“If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea,” Mr. Trump said.
Trump downplays notion of becoming U.S. vice president
On other matters, Mr. Trump rejected the possibility of running for vice president as a way to get back to the presidency, saying, “I’d be allowed to do it” but wouldn’t because “it’s too cute.”
Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, has repeatedly said the president could serve a third term despite a constitutional prohibition. Mr. Trump himself has flirted with the idea.
On Air Force One, Mr. Trump said, “I haven’t really thought about it.”
He praised Rubio and Vance as potential future Republican candidates. “I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” he said.
South China Sea, Taiwan, and tariffs
There’s no shortage of security issues in the region, including access to the South China Sea and the future of Taiwan. But Mr. Trump’s focus has undoubtedly been trade and his desire to realign the international economy in his vision of “America first.”
For the most part, that means tariffs, or at least the threat of them. Mr. Trump has frequently used taxes on imports — from allies and adversaries alike — in an effort to boost domestic manufacturing or seek more favorable terms.
However, his unilateral power to enact tariffs remains contested. The president is awaiting a Supreme Court decision in a case that could solidify his authority or limit it.
The president flew to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he attended the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He participated in a ceremonial signing of an expanded ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which fought earlier this year. Trump helped pressure both countries to stop by threatening to withhold trade agreements.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese sushi legend Jiro Ono won three Michelin stars for more than a decade, the world’s oldest head chef to do so. He has served the world’s dignitaries and his art of sushi was featured in an award-winning film.
After all these achievements and at the age of 100, he is not ready to fully retire.
“I plan to keep going for about five more years,” Ono said last month as he marked Japan’s “Respect for the Aged Day” with a gift and a certificate ahead of his birthday.
What’s the secret of his health? “To work,” Ono replied to the question by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, who congratulated him.
“I can no longer come to the restaurant every day … but even at 100, I try to work if possible. I believe the best medicine is to work.”
Ono, the founder of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny, 10-seat sushi bar in the basement of a building in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district, turned 100 Monday.
Born in the central Japanese city of Hamamatsu in 1925, Ono began his apprenticeship at age 7 at the Japanese restaurant of a local inn. He moved to Tokyo and became a sushi chef at 25 and opened his own restaurant — Sukiyabashi Jiro — 15 years later in 1965.
He has devoted his life seeking perfection in making sushi.
“I haven’t reached perfection yet,” Ono, then 85, said in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” a film released in 2012. “I’ll continue to climb trying to reach the top but nobody knows where the top is.”
Director David Gelb said his impression of Ono was “of a teacher and a fatherly figure to all who were in his restaurant.”
At the beginning, Gelb felt intimidated by the “gravitas” of the legend but was soon disarmed by Ono’s sense of humor and kindness, he told the Associated Press in an interview from New Orleans. “He’s very funny and very sweet.”
“I was filming an octopus being massaged for an hour, and he was worried about me,” Gelb recalled. Ono told him he was afraid the director was making the most boring film ever and that he could leave if he wanted to.
“He was so generous and kind of humble of him to do that,” Gelb said. “Of course I was determined, and I was like, no way … Massaging the octopus to me is fascinating.”
Regulars come first
Ono is devoted to what he serves to his regular clients, even turning down the Japanese government when it called to make a reservation for then-U.S. President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014.
“I said no as the restaurant was fully booked, then they agreed to come later in the evening,” Ono recalled. “But (Obama) was enjoying sushi and I was happy.”
Ono’s son Yoshikazu, who has worked with his father and now serves as head chef at the Ginza restaurant, said Obama smiled and winked at them when he tried medium fatty tuna sushi.
His restaurant earned three Michelin stars in 2007, as he became the first sushi chef to do so, and has kept the status until 2019, when he was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant, at age 93 years and 128 days.
In 2020, Sukiyabashi Jiro was dropped from the guide because it started taking reservations only from regulars or through top hotels.
In recent years Ono serves sushi only to his special guests, “as my hands don’t work so well.”
But he hasn’t given up. His son says Ono, watching television news about the death of Japan’s oldest male at 113, said 13 more years seems doable.
“I will aim for 114,” Ono said.
“I cherish my life so I get to work for a long time,” Ono says. He doesn’t drink alcohol, takes a walk regularly and eats well.
Asked about his favorite sushi, Ono instantly replied: “Maguro, kohada and anago (tuna, gizzard shad and saltwater eel).”
“It’s an incredible thing that this tradition continues and that he’s still going strong 100 years in … It’s an inspiration to everyone,” Gelb said, wishing Ono happy birthday in Japanese.
TOKYO/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Tokyo on Monday, where he was scheduled to meet Japan’s emperor and newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as part of an Asia trip aimed at securing trade deals, investment and increased defence spending.
Trump, on his longest journey abroad since taking office in January, announced a slew of deals with Southeast Asian countries and oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia during his first stop in Malaysia.
His trip is expected to conclude in a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday, as negotiators for the world’s top two economies seek to avert rekindling a devastating trade war.
While Trump has already landed a $550 billion investment pledge from Japan in exchange for respite on punishing import tariffs, Takaichi is hoping to further impress Trump with promises to purchase U.S. pickup trucks, soybeans and gas.
“Just leaving Malaysia, a great and very vibrant Country. Signed major Trade and Rare Earth Deals, and yesterday, most importantly, signed the Peace Treaty between Thailand and Cambodia. NO WAR! Millions of lives saved,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social shortly before his departure.
“Such an honor to have gotten this done. Now, off to Japan!!!”
Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister last week, told Trump that strengthening their countries’ alliance was her “top priority” in their first phone call on Saturday.
Thousands of police have been deployed across the Japanese capital for Trump’s arrival, with the arrest of a knife-wielding man outside the U.S. embassy on Friday and an anti-Trump protest planned in downtown Shinjuku adding to the tension.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his Japanese counterpart Ryosei Akazawa, architects of the tariff deal agreed in July, are set to hold a working lunch on Monday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, travelling with Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is also expected to meet with his new counterpart Satsuki Katayama for the first time.
IMPERIAL WELCOME FOR RETURN OF TRUMP
Trump’s first engagement in Japan will be to meet Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in the heart of Tokyo.
Trump was the first foreign leader to meet Naruhito after he came to the throne in 2019, continuing an imperial line that some claim is the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy. Naruhito’s role, however, is purely symbolic and it will be with Takaichi on Tuesday that the meaty diplomacy will take place.
Takaichi was a close ally of assassinated Japanese premier Shinzo Abe, who formed a bond with Trump over hours spent on the golf course during his first term, and appears to have already impressed the U.S. president.
“She’s great… we’re going to be seeing her very soon. She’s very friendly,” Trump told reporters on Saturday after their call. “She was a very, very close ally and friend of Prime Minister Abe and you know he was one of my favourites.”
The two are due to meet at the nearby Akasaka Palace, the same venue that Trump met Abe six years ago, where Trump will be welcomed by a military honour guard.
As well as investment pledges, Takaichi is expected to reassure Trump that Tokyo is willing to do more on security after telling lawmakers on Friday that she will accelerate Japan’s biggest defence build-up since World War Two.
Japan plays host to the biggest concentration of U.S. forces abroad and Trump has previously complained that Tokyo is not spending enough towards defending its islands from an increasingly assertive China.
“Some kind of statement on standing shoulder-to-shoulder together to deter and respond to attempts to change the status quo in the region by force or coercion would be useful,” said Kevin Maher, a Japan expert at NMV Consulting in Washington and former U.S. diplomat.
While Takaichi has said she will accelerate a plan to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP, she will struggle to commit Japan to any further increases that Trump asks for due to her weak political standing, sources told Reuters earlier.
To do that she would need to win approval from parliament. Her coalition government is two seats short of a majority in the decision-making lower house.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly and John Geddie in Tokyo and Trevor Hunnicut in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, told U.S. President Donald Trump that strengthening their countries’ alliance is her government’s “top priority”, in their first phone call on Saturday.
Takaichi also told Trump that Japan is “an indispensable partner” in terms of the U.S.’s strategies towards China and the Indo-Pacific, according to comments posted on the Japanese premier’s official website.
“I conveyed to him that strengthening the Japan–U.S. Alliance is the top priority for my administration’s foreign and security policy,” she said, according to the post.
“We confirmed our shared commitment to further elevating the Alliance to new heights.”
Takaichi spoke to Trump from Malaysia, where she is attending a regional forum, which began on Sunday. Trump spoke from Air Force One while on his way to Malaysia.
Trump will visit Japan from Monday, and hold a summit with Takaichi on Tuesday.
Trump began their phone call by congratulating Takaichi on her appointment last Tuesday as prime minister, and the two also reminisced about late former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s political mentor, she said.
Takaichi said her impression of Trump was that “he is a very cheerful and engaging person.”
(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Sonali Paul)
The U.S. will impose an additional 10% tariff on Canada, President Trump said on Saturday, a punitive measure in response to an ad campaign that he said misrepresented comments by former President Ronald Reagan.
“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
President
Trump put the world on notice in his first term that the U.S. was preparing for an era of intensified military and economic competition with Beijing.
But as he left for his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House, striking a new trade deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has moved to the top of Trump’s agenda, spurring apprehensions among allies that the dealmaking might come at their expense.
Japanese artist Izumi Kato’s humanoid hybrid creatures exist in a fluid space between worlds, hovering somewhere between ancient totems, unborn spirits and extraterrestrial beings. They emerge as sudden, epiphanic visions that reveal unprecedented truths about our evolutionary path while profanely suggesting new possibilities for more symbiotic and sustainable survival on this planet.
In just a few years, Kato has risen to international and institutional prominence, building a strong market presence through powerhouse gallery Perrotin and steadily climbing auction results. He has established a global reputation with a distinctive symbolic language and a sense of mystery and magic that unites Japan’s ancient folklore and Shinto spirituality with underground manga aesthetics and a contemporary, saturated visual sensibility that feels attuned to the world ahead.
Izumi Kato. Photo: Claire Dorn, courtesy of the artist and Perrotin
Both in Kato’s soon-to-close show at Perrotin and in his works for Aichi, his biomorphic characters take on watery, fluid forms. Existing somewhere between human and aquatic beings, suspended in a plasmatic or amniotic dimension, they evoke the evolutionary arc from aquatic to amphibious to human life while hinting at a possible reactivation—or even inversion—of this cycle as a path toward ecological survival.
As Kato acknowledges, his painting practice continues to evolve. “Most recently, I’ve begun incorporating living sea creatures into my work,” he explains, noting that it’s been 30 years since he last painted while directly observing his subject. “Now, I paint these forms as I need them, as a way to express what painting means to me at this moment.”
His figures feel both ancient and futuristic, alien and human. Kato’s vivid primary palette heightens this tension. “Colors are sensory for me, and I use them intuitively,” he says. “I don’t begin with a fixed color plan; instead, I decide on each color one by one as I paint.” Balancing primal immediacy with an aesthetic partly influenced by the digital landscape is likely what makes his work so resonant for contemporary viewers.
While his figures do not directly reference evolutionary history, Kato sees the planet itself as a living entity in continuous transformation. “Earth is home to countless life forms, though definitions of life can vary from person to person,” he says. “I see the planet itself as a living entity. It’s something mysterious and deeply fascinating to me, and I find myself thinking about it often.”
An installation view of Kato’s solo exhibition at Perrotin Seoul. Photo: Hwang Jung Wook, courtesy of the artist and Perrotin
Throughout his evolving practice, Kato has constructed an expansive symbolic narrative that envisions hybridization between species as an alternative path for humanity. Moving fluidly across mediums and often incorporating natural materials like wood and stone, his oeuvre feels like a continuous, urgent exercise in worldbuilding—a form of mythopoiesis aimed at imagining new destinies for human society. His work draws unconsciously from Japanese folklore and Shinto beliefs, though he clarifies that he does not intentionally reference any specific motif. Those connections surface organically, shaped by his personal and familial background.
Kato acknowledges that autobiography inevitably seeps into his art. “It’s hard to answer that clearly, but everything I experience in life affects me in some way, and those influences likely appear in my work, often unconsciously,” he explains. Painting, for him, serves as both a pathway and a tool to absorb, process and translate these personal traces.
“I’m definitely influenced by the local culture and upbringing I experienced in Shimane, where I grew up,” he says, recalling how parents would warn children about an imaginary sea creature—a snake with a woman’s face—that appeared at night to scare them away from the water. Kato’s paintings capture the same tension animating most fairy tales: the balance between innocence and menace. His figures appear childlike yet unsettling, gentle yet otherworldly—existing between birth and death, body and spirit, human and nonhuman. These myths, he reflects, ultimately serve as a form of survival wisdom. “I only realized recently how much the environment I grew up in has influenced my work.”
It is by inhabiting a symbolic third realm of myth and fairy tales—one that bridges the physical and the psychological—that Kato’s images achieve their universality, subtly conveying timeless messages about the nature of human existence. However, he says that he doesn’t view the recurring motifs in his work as characters, since they lack personalities and are not part of any linear narrative or deliberate storytelling. “I use human-like figures to strengthen the composition of the painting and to spark the viewer’s imagination,” he explains. At the same time, he acknowledges that these otherworldly, symbolic visions of alternative forms of life likely belong to another realm and time—whether future or past—where species coexist in harmonious hybridization before emerging in painterly or sculptural form. Kato admits it is difficult to articulate in words, but his paintings inhabit a memorial, imaginative and spiritual realm that precedes and transcends language, defying conventional categories. They speak both to and beyond the human, offering prophecies of alternative possibilities for cosmic life within and beyond this planet and time.
Kato’s figures often appear suspended in a distinctly plasmatic dimension yet animated by an inner radiance—a kind of energetic aura. “I don’t really know where it comes from, but I believe art itself is energy,” Kato says, responding cryptically when asked what this energy represents. “I’m glad one can sense that energetic aura in my work.”
In a time defined by destruction and chaos, the mythopoiesis underlying Kato’s epiphanic, profane and totemic works offers contemporary viewers a regenerative narrative reminiscent of ancient myth, reminding us that life, evolution, decay and rebirth are part of a continuous cycle. Mapping the liminal space between collapse and renewal, his hybrid creatures inhabit that threshold, carrying the deep knowledge that decay is never the end but a necessary passage. Suggesting a survival code rooted in eternal truths and expressed through symbolic language, Kato’s works—mythological in essence and, in the spirit of Joseph Campbell’s “metaphors for the mystery of being”—bridge our waking consciousness with the vast, enduring mysteries of the universe.
The Haneda Airport in Japan is getting a kaiju-sized new feature in the form of a big-ass Godzilla installation. The King of the Monsters is packing his bags to move into position at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 as part of a partnership between Toho Co., Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd., and the Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation.
In 2024, the legendary icon celebrated his 70th anniversary—and the festivities continue with the “Haneda Godzilla Global Project.” The installation will include a few different immersive elements, including artwork decorating the arrival lobby and a statue of Godzilla from the recent Oscar-winning film Godzilla Minus One, also in the arrivals area.
The chonky dino’s biggest impact, though, will be positioned for the benefit of departing travelers. It’s going to be colossal: the statue will measure approximately 131 feet wide and 20 feet high, according to a press release.
Currently, there are only renderings to tease the massive scale of this Godzilla, which will be on display from December 2025 through December 2026. We love a tourist attraction based on the sheer prominence of Godzilla’s glory. Like yes, Godzilla also has to deal with TSA and baggage claim.
We can’t wait to see it all in person before heading off to zipline into Godzilla’s mouth at the Nijigen no Mori Park on Awaji Island—or checking out the new attraction, Godzilla the Ride: Great Clash (directed by Minus One filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki), at Seibuen Amusement Park in Tokorozawa.
Separate bear attacks in Japan killed one and injured four on Friday, officials said, days after the government vowed to toughen measures because of a record year of deadly assaults by the animals.
Before Friday’s attacks, bears had killed a record nine people this year, surpassing the previous high of six in the fiscal year that ended in March 2024.
The animal has been increasingly encroaching into Japan’s towns due to factors ranging from a declining human population to climate change.
In a mountainous village in the northern region of Akita, police received a report of a bear mauling on Friday involving four people.
“One died and three are being treated at a hospital” after the attack, a local police officer told AFP.
Public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported that two of those hurt were doing farm work at the time of the attack, while the other two were injured as they went to help.
A local hunter reportedly killed a bear nearby, and police are investigating if it is the one that attacked the four.
In a separate incident in central Toyama region, an official told AFP “a woman in her 70s was injured in a bear attack” on Friday.
This week Japan’s new environment minister vowed to get tough on bears, calling the attacks “a serious problem.”
“We are committed to further strengthening various measures including securing and training government hunters and managing the bear population,” the minister said.
In one of the previous fatal attacks, a 60-year-old went missing earlier this month while cleaning an open-air bath in northern Iwate prefecture, an environment ministry official told AFP.
Bears have attacked tourists, entered stores and appeared near schools and parks, particularly in northern regions. In August, a hiker in northern Japan tried to fight off a bear but was pulled into the nearby woods where he was found dead.
Japan has two types of bear: Asian black bears — also known as moon bears — and the bigger brown bears that live on the main northern island of Hokkaido.
A bear in shown roaming in Japan in this undated screenshot from a video.
Thousands of bears are shot every year.
The impacts of climate change on the bears’ food sources and hibernation cycles has been cited by experts as a key factor, but there are also implications as Japan’s aging population shrinks and humans abandon more rural areas.
That depopulation has left bears “a chance to expand their range,” biologist Koji Yamazaki, from Tokyo University of Agriculture, told CBS News‘ Elizabeth Palmer in 2023.
A Newsweek map shows five Chinese research vessels conducting surveys in Japan’s exclusive economic waters this year, alarming the U.S. treaty ally.
When reached for comment, the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong referred Newsweek to remarks that then-Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya—who left the role on October 21—made last week. Iwaya said China must immediately stop conducting such activities without Tokyo’s consent.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
Operating the world’s largest fleet of research vessels, China could use oceanographic research to support its military by gathering critical data about the world’s oceans—an approach known as dual use—the Center for Strategic and International Studies said.
Japan and China have overlapping exclusive economic zones, or EEZs, in the East China Sea. While both countries have yet to delimit their EEZs, Tokyo has accused Beijing of accelerating development of natural resources in the disputed maritime area.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an EEZ extends up to 230 miles from the coastline, where the coastal state has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage resources, as well as jurisdiction over scientific research.
What To Know
Using data provided by the Japanese coast guard, a Newsweek map shows where Chinese research vessels were spotted conducting activities in Japan’s EEZ since May across the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea, which are marginal seas of the western Pacific.
The Jia Geng is the only Chinese research vessel tracked by the Japanese coast guard in the Philippine Sea near Okinotorishima, Japan’s southernmost island. The remaining vessels were observed transiting in the East China Sea, west of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
Japan’s four main islands and the outlying Ryukyu Islands form part of a north-south defensive line under the U.S. island chain strategy, which aims to contain China’s military activities in the western Pacific by using territories of the U.S. and its allies.
The four other Chinese vessels are the Hai Ke 001, the Haiyang Dizhi 9, the Xiang Yang Hong 22—which was reported twice by the Japanese coast guard—and the Tong Ji.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported on October 17 that the Xiang Yang Hong 22 was seen extending “pipeline-like objects” into waters while operating on the Japanese side of the geographical equidistance line between Japan and China in the East China Sea.
The Japanese coast guard said foreign oceanographic research ships must obtain consent from Tokyo before operating in Japan’s EEZ, and their activities must be consistent with the approved scope; otherwise, they will be viewed as “unusual behaviors.”
While China’s motives in deploying research ships to Japan’s EEZ remain unclear, Kyodo News said the vessels could be gathering intelligence for military operations, including studying ocean currents to support the Chinese navy’s submarine deployments.
“We are not in a position to explain what intentions the Chinese side may have. We will continue to take a calm and resolute approach to these activities,” Iwaya said on October 17, adding that Chinese research vessels “have become active recently.”
What People Are Saying
Then-Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a news conference on October 17: “Each time such activities are confirmed, the Japan Coast Guard issues a demand for their suspension. In addition, through diplomatic channels in both Beijing and Tokyo, Japan lodges strong representations and protests, stating that maritime and scientific surveys conducted in our EEZ without Japan’s consent are unacceptable and must be immediately stopped.”
Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on August 26: “China is committed to comprehensively and effectively implementing the principled consensus on the East China Sea issue. This position has not changed. We hope Japan will work with China to play a constructive role in the early resumption of intergovernmental negotiations between the two countries.”
What Happens Next
China’s maritime research activities across the western Pacific are likely to continue. It remains unclear how Japan will enhance its response to safeguard its economic waters.
Tina Kotek, center, was accompanied by her wife Aimee Wilson, right, as Kotek was sworn in as Oregon governor at the state Capitol building in Salem, Ore., on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP, Pool)
SALEM, Ore. – Governor Tina Kotek is leading an Oregon delegation to South Korea and Japan this week to promote the state’s economic strengths, deepen cultural ties and expand trade, investment and tourism opportunities.
The weeklong mission, which runs from Oct. 23–30, includes First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson and representatives from Business Oregon, the Port of Portland, the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Travel Oregon, economic development groups and about a dozen Oregon small businesses pursuing export opportunities in agriculture and advanced technology.
The governor said she will continue to monitor state business while abroad.
Japan and South Korea consistently rank among Oregon’s top five agricultural trade partners, purchasing more than $758 million in goods combined, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Governor Kotek’s schedule includes meetings with Korean Air and Delta Air Lines to advocate for the return of nonstop passenger flights between Portland and Asia, a top priority for state tourism and business leaders.
The delegation will also host “Friends of Oregon” receptions in Seoul and Tokyo to celebrate long-standing cultural and economic relationships.
TOKYO—Japan’s exports rebounded in September, snapping a four-month run of declines despite the impact of U.S. tariffs.
Outbound shipments rose 4.2% from a year earlier after August’s 0.1% decline, finance ministry data showed Wednesday. Still, the September print undershot the 5.7% rise expected in a poll of economists by data provider FactSet.
President Trump moves so fast and announces so much that it’s hard to sort the real from the hype. Cases in point are the invest-in-America promises that foreign governments have made as part of Mr. Trump’s trade deals. They’re so large they’re unlikely to happen, and they raise serious questions about American governance and the power of the purse.
Mr. Trump heads to South Korea later this month for the annual APEC meetings, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Administration is “about to finish up” negotiations over Seoul’s promise to invest some $350 billion in the U.S. In return Mr. Trump cut his tariff on South Korea to 15% from 25%. Japan has also agreed to cut the U.S. a $550 billion check in return for a tariff reduction.
Just off the southern coast of Kyushu lies Tanegashima, an island where tropical beaches, wellness retreats, and rocket launches coexist. Part of Kagoshima Prefecture, it’s the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands. Unlike its neighboring secluded Japanese island, Yakushima, Tanegashima is relatively flat with gentle slopes that lead to wide stretches of beach and fields of sugarcane. Its subtropical climate supports lush vegetation, including banyan and palm trees. With clear waters lapping at the shore and a scenic landscape, Tanegashima offers a place to swim, practice yoga, and even watch rockets launch into orbit from the island’s space center.
Long before it became known for rocket launches, Tanegashima played a key role in Japan’s first encounter with Europeans. In 1543, a Portuguese ship accidentally landed on the island after veering off course. With them came advanced firearms, a technology previously unknown in Japan. Tanegashima’s local lord recognized their value and purchased several weapons. He later commissioned local swordsmiths to reproduce both the guns and their gunpowder. This encounter sparked a major shift in Japanese warfare. Centuries later, in 1969, Tanegashima underwent another transformation when the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan’s largest rocket launch facility, was developed.
View rocket launches from the Tanegashima Space Center
Satellite towers between hills and by the beach in Tanegashima – Norimoto/Getty Images
There were several practical reasons why Tanegashima was chosen as the site for Japan’s space center. Its location closer to the equator lets rockets take advantage of Earth’s rotation and makes launches more efficient. The island’s remoteness also minimizes disruption to Japan’s fishing zones. Additionally, Tanegashima had the necessary infrastructure to support space operations. This included available land, along with access to communication systems, water, electricity, and public transportation.
Today, the Tanegashima Space Center covers nearly 104 million square feet and serves as Japan’s primary launch site for orbital missions. The facility includes areas for assembling satellites, inspecting parts, and launching rockets. Visitors can watch live launches from the Takesaki Observation Stand, which offers wide views of the coastline. The complex also features a free Space Museum with hands-on exhibits and real rocket components that visitors can touch. Within the museum, the Liftoff Theatre lets guests experience a simulated rocket launch that consists of sound and smoke effects.
Explore Tanegashima’s coastal beauty and yoga destinations
Rocks over blue waters and along a sandy beach in Tanegashima – norinori303/Shutterstock
Along with exploring the space center, Tanegashima’s coastline is one of the main attractions of the island. Its beaches are known for white sand and calm water, which makes them ideal for a range of activities. On the island’s northern tip, Urada Beach offers swimming and snorkeling in clear waters where colorful tropical fish are usually visible. Toward the southern coast, near the space center, Takezaki Beach is a popular surfing spot among sandstone cliffs. About 18 minutes away by car, Hamada Beach is home to the Chikura no Iwaya cave. Visitors can enter the sea cave during low tide and take in views of the ocean.
Beyond outdoor recreation, Tanegashima is a destination for wellness travelers. In 2020, Nishinoomote City was certified as a “Sacred Place of Yoga.” The designation was given because of its natural landscapes, which are believed to support physical and mental well-being. Yoga sessions are usually held on beaches or coastal overlooks, where participants can meditate by the sea.
Travelers can reach Tanegashima by flying into Tanegashima Airport from either Osaka, nicknamed “Japan’s Kitchen,” or Kagoshima, often called the “Naples Of Japan.” Alternatively, ferries leave regularly from Kagoshima Port. Travel times vary from 45 minutes to three and a half hours, depending on the type of vessel. Once on the island, rental cars are the most convenient way to get around. To see some of Tanegashima’s scenic highlights, the Tanegashima Route offers a recommended driving course that passes beaches, coastal roads, and the island’s space center.
