East Asia

| JAPAN

To combat overtourism, the Japanese government will increase the tax paid by foreign tourists when they leave the country: from 1,000 to 3,000 yen. Mass tourism affects mostly Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Fukuoka. This is yet another step to limit overcrowding, help regional economies, and promote more sustainable tourism. Overall, tourism revenue remains a pillar of the Japanese economy.

by Daniele Frison

One of the survivors of 6 August 1945 spoke at the Community of Sant'Egidio peace summit in Rome, saying that she continues “to believe in human wisdom”. She was joined by the bishop of the Japanese martyr city, Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama, who said: "We have little time left.” For Susi Snyder, “Deterrence is not demonstrable.”

| 27/10/2025
| ITALY – JAPAN

Sebastien Lai spoke to AsiaNews about his father’s ordeal. The 78-year-old Catholic businessman, who fought for democracy in Hong Kong, has been in prison since 2020. Given his poor health as a diabetic, “the fear for his life is very real.” Too many diabetics “have died in that situation in Hong Kong prisons.” The former media owner “is in solitary confinement,” denied the right to attend Mass. US President Donald Trump said that he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his case and get him released. His mother’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV gave her strength.

| 25/10/2025
| HONG KONG – ITALY

In a lengthy report, Sixth Tone explores how emigration from China to Papua New Guinea has changed. The Oceanic country is a major destination for infrastructure projects, mining, and construction. While some immigrants are trying to integrate with the local community, others keep their distance fearful of robberies and holdups.

| 22/10/2025
| CHINA – PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The South Korean government has banned travel to some Cambodian provinces following the killing of a young South Korean abducted and forced to work in an online scam centre. A South Korean delegation has asked Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to repatriate its citizens still held in the compounds, while the US and the UK have imposed sanctions on Chen Zhi's Prince group, accused of links to criminal networks, which, despite Phnom Penh's statements, continue to thrive in Cambodia.

| 17/10/2025
| SOUTH KOREA – CAMBODIA

Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's visit to New Delhi marks a new impetus in the strategic partnership between India and Mongolia. Indian Prime Minister Modi announced a training programme for Mongolian border forces, free e-visas, and deeper cultural exchanges based on Buddhism. The two countries are united by a shared desire to reduce trade and energy dependence on China and Russia.

 

| 14/10/2025
| MONGOLIA

The split between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, allies in the coalition that has governed Japan almost continuously since 1999, ushers in a new phase of political instability in Japan. The recently elected LDP leader, conservative Sanae Takaichi, now risks failing to secure the majority needed to become the country's first female prime minister. The opposition, led by the Constitutional Democratic Party, is trying to join forces to block her election.

| 11/10/2025
| JAPAN
Editor's choices
 
by Fady Noun
The expectations of the people of Beirut two weeks before the Pope's arrival. Sadness over a brief and heavily guarded visit: ‘Will he really be able to see the country as it is, or will they give him the false impression that everything is ...
| 14/11/2025
| LEBANON - VATICAN
 
by Silvia Torriti
From a niche hobby introduced by Japan, the trend of dressing up as comic book characters or historical figures from ancient times continues to grow among young people in China, fuelling a market that is now worth over billion. The local variant ...
| 12/11/2025
| CHINA
 
On the eve of the climate summit, China unveiled its goals for the environmental transition, including a 7-10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and a further acceleration in the development of renewable energy, a sector in which ...
| 07/11/2025
| BRAZIL - CHINA
 
Just days after signing a deal with Thailand to defuse the (simmering) conflict over the disputed border, the US administration revoked the measure adopted in 2021 by the Biden administration. The ban was linked to China’s Ream naval base, but ...
| 06/11/2025
| CAMBODIA – UNITED STATES
 
In his victory speech, the young Muslim politician quoted Nehru from his independence speech, emphasising his ties to his parents' country of origin with Bollywood music in the background. The new mayor embodies an image of Islam that breaks with ...
| 05/11/2025
| INDIA – UNITED STATES
 
At least nine people have died in two separate incidents in just a few days. For local sources, “it will take time” to recover some of the bodies due to weather conditions. Weather phenomena like cyclones are increasing the risk of avalanches. ...
| 04/11/2025
| NEPAL
 
Chinese language teaching is increasingly about memorising and repeating sounds and signs, without the meditative beauty that underlies the language. Pronunciation is not a relevant variable in a codified system of linguistic levels since listening is ...
| 03/11/2025
| CHINA
 
by Andrea Ferrario
Informal employment is exploding in North Korea because of a drop in orders from China and lower wages. Tensions are also rising among the workers Kim supplies to China, fuelled by ever-increasing deductions from their wages to ensure revenue for the ...
| 30/10/2025
| NORTH KOREA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”