Japan's Defense Paper Ups Concern Over China's Probing Activity
A series of incidents around Japan, including the incursion of a Chinese military aircraft into Japanese airspace in August last year, 'have created a situation that could seriously impact Japan's security,' according to the report, released on Tuesday.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Butter': the foodie feminist bestseller skewering sexism in Japan
Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki did not expect her novel "Butter" to capture a cult following abroad, hailed as a biting feminist critique of sexism and body-shaming. Translated into English last year, the tale of murder and misogyny has whetted an insatiable appetite, selling 610,000 copies overseas, including 400,000 in Britain -- more than Japan -- where it won multiple awards. Yuzuki was inspired by the real-life story of "Black Widow" Kanae Kijima, a woman sentenced to death in 2012 for poisoning three men she met on dating sites. The sensationalised media coverage at the time largely focused on Kijima's appearance, speculating how someone described as homely and unattractive could be considered a femme fatale. Many credited her romantic success to her homemaking prowess -- notably in the kitchen. "When the case broke, the Japanese media mainly remembered that the suspect liked to cook and took classes ... to 'please men'," Yuzuki told AFP in an interview. "That deeply disturbed me." In "Butter", a journalist likewise disquieted by the portrayal of a Kijima-like character (renamed Kajii) writes to the jailed suspect, hoping to secure an exclusive interview by appealing to her gourmet tastes. Via a letter soliciting the beef stew recipe that Kajii reportedly fed her final victim, the pair begin an intimate and life-changing relationship. This proves a vehicle for Yuzuki to chew over the roots of misogyny in Japan, where traditional male and female roles still dominate and women are held to impossible beauty standards. In politics and boardrooms for example, women remain rare. Japan ranks 118 out of 146 in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Gender Gap Report. "Japan is a deeply patriarchal country. Very often, it is the father who occupies the central position within the family unit. This is the basis for laws even," Yuzuki said. - 'Fatphobia' - Food -- particularly butter, that artery-blocking symbol of pleasure and excess -- forms the molten core of the story. Through sumptuous descriptions of butter-rich ramen and lavishly buttered rice, Yuzuki explores the tension between indulging appetites and the self-denial required to fulfil the societal pressure on women to stay thin. "There is an incredible amount of adverts for weight loss, cosmetic surgery and diets. This country is obsessed with fatphobia," Yuzuki said. It is also tough for women in Japan, where the #MeToo movement never really took off, to speak out about discrimination and sexual assault. Shiori Ito, a journalist who took the rare step of publicly accusing a prominent Japanese TV reporter of rape -- a charge he denies -- is a case in point. Ito's documentary "Black Box Diaries", which was nominated for an Oscar, was not released in Japan because it used material recorded clandestinely or intended for judicial use only. "In other countries, especially the United States, from the beginning of #MeToo, many well-known journalists have seriously investigated these cases, and it is because this information was made public officially that the victims were able to be protected," Yuzuki said. But in Japan, "women who have had the courage to speak out are reduced to the role of activists and consumed by the media within that framework," she said. Another example is Masahiro Nakai, a boyband member and a star TV presenter accused of sexual assault. He initially disputed the facts and then apologised. The scandal shone a spotlight on the toxic culture of young women being pressed into attending dinners and drinking parties with powerful figures. "What strikes me is this uninterrupted chain of sexual violence, and especially that these are crimes committed within one organisation, covered up by another organisation... that of the media," Yuzuki said. Yuzuki is convinced that change can only come from outside. "When foreigners take up a topic, especially the English-language media, it completely changes the way it is perceived in Japan," she said. "If the European media" continue to be interested in these issues, then "the situation could perhaps change a little." cg/stu/lb
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Australian and Chinese leaders seek to boost trade despite differences on other issues
BEIJING — The leaders of Australia and China sought to deepen trade ties despite their differences over regional security and human rights at talks Tuesday in the Chinese capital. Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that seeking common ground while setting aside differences is in line with 'the fundamental interests of our two countries and our two peoples.'
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Japan bond yields hit multi-decade highs as fiscal fears mount ahead of election
Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond yield climbed to its highest level since 2008 on Tuesday as concerns about fiscal spending mount ahead of an upper house election. Yields on the 10-year instrument climbed to 1.599%, the highest since 2008, data from LSEG showed. Yields on the 30-year JGB also rose to a record high of 3.21%, while Japan's 20-year government bond yields spiked to their highest level since 1999. "Japan's long yields and super-long yields are currently rising due to expectations of fiscal expansion after the Upper House election coming up next week," said Ken Matsumoto, Japan macro strategist at Credit Agricole CIB. A sizable number of Japanese politicians and parties are actively discussing consumption tax cuts ahead of the upper house election set to take place Sunday. Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has maintained that he will not resort to tax cuts funded by more debt issuance, although opposition parties are calling for tax cuts and more spending, which could lead to more debt. This political uncertainty is creating doubt over whether Japan's government will stick to fiscal discipline, said Vishnu Varathan, Mizuho Securities' head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan. Japan has one of the world's highest levels of public debt relative to the size of its economy. While the government has flagged the need for more fiscal discipline, it relies heavily on issuing new debt to fund its obligations. Tax revenues alone are insufficient to cover the government's expenses. "The most recent trigger is the election. People are concerned about the election because the politicians are talking about consumption tax cuts, and tax cuts of any sort in Japan is suicidal," said Amir Anvarzadeh, Japan equity market strategist at Asymmetric Advisors, who added that tax cuts would be dire given the fiscal situation that Japan is facing. "This is why the bond vigilantes are out. And they're saying: we need more yield to invest in the bond market. So there's a shorting [going on] in the JGB market," he told CNBC. Aside from the upcoming election, there are underlying factors at play that could bring forward the Bank of Japan's next rate hike. While still at elevated levels, Tokyo's inflation eased to 3.1% year on year in June, slower than the 3.6% in May. "This could prompt the BOJ to revise its inflation forecast upward, potentially accelerating the timeline for its next rate hike," said Carlos Casanova, senior economist for Asia at Union Bancaire Privée. On top of that, supply-demand imbalances in the Japanese bond markets could become more pronounced, especially as life insurers have less capacity to absorb additional supply, said Masahiko Loo, senior fixed income strategist at State Street Investment Management. In June, the Bank of Japan said it would slow the pace of its government bond purchase reductions starting April next year, and kept its benchmark interest rate steady at 0.5% as economic risks mount. The BOJ reiterated plans to trim its monthly Japanese government bond purchases by roughly 400 billion yen ($2.76 billion) each quarter to about 3 trillion yen till March 2026, in line with guidance set last year.
