Aug. 21, 2025 | Scrolling for truth: News for the swipe generation
Younger people in Japan aren’t avoiding the news — they’re consuming it differently. In this episode, we look at how platforms like TikTok, LINE, and Instagram have replaced the front page and the eve...
21 Aug 20257min
Aug. 8, 2025 | 80 years after the Pacific War Japan’s reckoning with history
August 2025 marks 80 years since Japan surrendered in World War II, ending the Pacific War. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how Japan is commemorating the anniversary — from the H...
15 Aug 202514min
Aug. 1, 2025 | Why these Japanese homes are so cheap (and so creepy)
Would you live in a house where someone died? In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the world of jiko bukken — Japan’s so-called “stigmatized properties.” These are homes where someone...
15 Aug 20258min
July 18, 2025 | Japan’s far-right surge: Sanseito and ‘Japan First’ politics in 2025
In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we examine the rise of Sanseito, a new political party gaining traction with Japan’s disillusioned voters. Is it a grassroots call for reform — or something m...
15 Aug 202517min
July 11, 2025 | Is Trump blowing up Japan-US relations?
In this episode, we look at rising tensions between President Trump and Japan. From the on again-off again-on again 25% auto tariffs and pressure to buy more U.S. rice, oil and weapons, to a national ...
11 Jul 20258min
July 4, 2025 | Japan's newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation
Japan’s newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation. Circulation is down, trust is fading and younger readers have moved on to digital platforms like LINE and YouTube. What do...
4 Jul 20258min
June 27, 2025 | Japan's big heat: June's deadly start to summer
Japan’s Big Heat: June’s Deadly Start to Summer It’s only June, but heatstroke deaths are already being reported across Japan. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at why the extreme hea...
27 Jun 20258min
June 20, 2025 | Why Japan’s 2,000-year imperial family may not survive this century
Japan’s imperial family: Too old to modernize? Japan’s imperial family is the world’s oldest monarchy — but is it still relevant in 2025? With just three heirs, no reigning empress allowed and billi...
20 Jun 202522min
