Tomoyasu Website 2026

1. The Japan Meteorological Agency has lifted its tsunami advisory for northern Japan’s Pacific coast. The advisory was triggered after a quake hit the region late Friday morning.
2. A survey has found that more than half of Japanese manufacturers with overseas operations say their business has been negatively affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs.
3. China’s new vehicle sales rose in November on the back of robust demand for electric models and soaring exports.

1. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has come in third on the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2025. The US business magazine on Wednesday released its annual list of influential women in politics, business and other categories. It bases the ranking on marks such as the scale of countries or companies and media mentions.
2. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the winner of this year’s Noble Peace Prize, greeted her supporters in Oslo shortly after she arrived in the Norwegian capital on Thursday. Machado missed Wednesday’s award ceremony. But before dawn on Thursday, she appeared on a hotel balcony in Oslo and spoke with her supporters.
3. Two Japanese winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes took part in the award ceremony in Sweden on Wednesday. Kitagawa Susumu, an executive vice-president of Kyoto University, is among the three winners of the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

1. The United States has criticized China after at least one of its fighter jets intermittently aimed its radar at Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft. The incident took place on Saturday. A spokesperson for the US Defense Department commented on the issue on Tuesday, saying that that China’s actions are “not conducive to regional peace and stability.” The person added: “The US-Japan alliance is stronger and more united than ever. Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other issues.”
2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will be ready to hold a presidential election in the next 60 to 90 days if the United States and Kyiv’s European allies can ensure the security of the vote.
3. France’s Renault Group and US auto giant Ford Motor have formed a strategic partnership to develop electric vehicles for the European market. The companies said on Tuesday that the partnership agreement is primarily aimed at producing two distinct Ford-branded EVs for European customers. The new models will be designed by Ford and produced by Renault in northern France.

1. Japan is on alert for a possible mega quake after a magnitude 7.5 tremor hit northern regions late on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings. Authorities say the next few days will be critical. The city of Hachinohe recorded tremors with an intensity of upper 6 on the Japanese intensity scale of 0 to 7. Authorities in Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures have reported 33 people injured, as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
2. Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has called for national unity as the country marked a year since the fall of the autocratic regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. The Assad regime, which controlled Syria for more than half a century over two generations, collapsed on December 8, 2024. The country is trying to rebuild itself under Sharaa, who had been a leader of anti-government forces.
3. Group of Seven finance ministers say the nations will work together to diversify and derisk supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earths. They warned that export controls on the minerals used in a vast array of electronic devices are a threat to the global economy. The ministers issued a statement after an online meeting on Monday. The statement doesn’t mention any country by name, but China imposed export controls on rare earths this year.

1. A Tokyo court ruled Monday that a man who deceived a woman he met through a dating app must pay about 1.5 million yen, or nearly 10,000 dollars in damages. The married man had told the plaintiff, who lives in Kanagawa Prefecture neighboring Tokyo, that he was single, even though he was married. The woman sued and demanded about 50,000 dollars in damages after discovering he was a married father.
2. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said using search radar during training flights is normal to ensure safety. At a news conference Monday, Guo said Japanese fighter jets had entered the Chinese military’s training area without permission and had obstructed its activities. Guo also said Japan distorted the facts and blamed China. The spokesperson said China expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and lodged a strong protest.
3. This year’s two Japanese Nobel Prize winners spoke at separate venues in Stockholm ahead of Wednesday’s Nobel Prize award ceremony. Sakaguchi Shimon, a distinguished honorary professor of the University of Osaka, is one of the three winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He gave a lecture at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Sunday.

1. A German magazine has obtained the transcript of a phone call between the leaders of Europe and Ukraine. The transcript reportedly quotes Emmanual Macron as saying, “There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory, without clarity on security guarantees.”
2. Japan has sent a second letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rebutting China’s assertions regarding remarks that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae made about Taiwan. This comes after China sent Guterres a second letter about the issue. Takaichi told the Diet in November that a possible Taiwan emergency involving the use of force by China could be considered a situation that threatens Japan’s survival.
3. The governments of Japan and South Korea are making arrangements to hold a bilateral summit in Nara, western Japan, as early as mid-January. Nara is Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s home prefecture.

1. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has stressed his intention to promote ties with Japan. He also expressed readiness to play a mediating role to ease tensions between Japan and China.
2. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for the immediate return of Ukrainian children who were deported to Russia. The Ukrainian government says more than 19,000 children have been taken away from Russian-occupied areas and elsewhere since Moscow’s invasion began in February of 2022. The draft resolution submitted on Wednesday demands that Russia “ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return” of the children.
3. NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday and reaffirmed their commitment to providing military support for Ukraine. Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance is “not going anywhere.” Rutte said NATO ministers “strongly welcome” the peace process that is being led by the US. However, he added that the success of the plan is not yet guaranteed.

1. The death toll from torrential rain, floods and mudslides has risen to 1,379 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Evacuees living in shelters say they will not be able to return home anytime soon and they are worried about their children’s health.
2. Japan has signed a deal to give Ukraine an aid package worth about 26 million dollars to help the country clear away landmines. In October, the Japanese government hosted an international conference in Tokyo to discuss support for landmine removal efforts in Ukraine. The government decided to provide the nation with the financial aid package during that meeting. The money will be used to acquire mine clearing equipment and for other purposes.
3. Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted US special envoy Steve Witkoff for talks on ending the fighting in Ukraine. They likely discussed a peace plan backed by the US and issues related to territory. However, Russia and Ukraine remain divided in their positions, and it is unclear if a breakthrough was reached.

1. The head of Japan’s technology and investment conglomerate SoftBank Group says artificial intelligence is set to make huge contributions to the global economy. Chairman and CEO Son Masayoshi dismissed concerns about overinvestment in the technology and said he is confident the company will recoup its massive spending on AI in a short period.
2. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Moscow to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The visit comes soon after US-Ukraine talks in Florida over the weekend. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Witkoff and Putin are expected to meet on Tuesday. Ahead of the talks in Moscow, Zelenskyy met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday. He stressed that the “territorial issue” is the most difficult.
3. The head of the International Criminal Court has urged members to stay unified in the face of pressure from the United States and Russia, saying “coercive measures” are clearly aimed at undermining the existence and reputation of the court. ICC President Akane Tomoko stressed: “The response of the Court has been absolutely unambiguous. Our independence and impartiality are our polar stars and remain unaffected. The ICC’s mandate is to try individuals charged with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

1. Japan’s Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, has visited her grandparents, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, on the occasion of her 24th birthday.
2. Japan’s Tohoku University says it will raise master’s and undergraduate degree tuition for overseas students.
3. Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s vow to “work, work, work, work, work” and “female prime minister” have together won the award for Japan’s buzzword of the year for 2025.