Trump's China reset shakes up global geopolitics
U.S. President Donald Trump's most consequential legacy may be his strategic pivot to confront China. For decades, successive American administrations pursued a policy of integrating China into the global economy, believing that economic liberalization would gradually lead to political reform. That gamble failed. Trump, during his first term, was the first U.S. president to openly acknowledge this failure and recalibrate policy accordingly.
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Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
FOCUS: Trade deal with U.S. still weighs on Japan's inflation-hit economy
TOKYO - The Japan-U.S. trade deal provides only a brief relief, as tariffs remain at higher levels than before, threatening to hinder Japan's inflation-plagued economy from recovering, analysts say. While Japan offered an increased $550 billion investment in the U.S. market, according to a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump, worries remain about the impact of tariffs on Japanese businesses. Shinichiro Kobayashi, principal economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, said the deal is positive in a sense that uncertainty was removed for Japanese companies to make business plans. But "the tariff rates have been raised significantly since President Trump took office, and the situation remains the same," he said. The increasing risk of a U.S. economic slowdown means the agreement is not expected to guarantee a boost to Japan's exports, Kobayashi said. Tariffs on steel and aluminum products remain at 50 percent and Trump said he would impose a 50 percent tariff on copper imports and reiterated he will soon unleash sector-based duties, including some aimed at protecting the American pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. Hideo Kumano, an executive chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said as far as the 15-percent reciprocal tariffs levied on Japanese goods are concerned, "it is difficult to say whether the risk of an economic slowdown for Japan has been removed." Japan's economy shrank an annualized real 0.2 percent in the January-March period, the first contraction in four quarters, as inflation bit into private consumption. Economists expect the Japanese economy to rebound in the April-June quarter but it is unclear whether companies will be able to offer high wage increases next year as seen in recent years if they are suffering from slowing exports to the U.S. market. Higher wages are expected to play a key role for Japan to get back on a steady growth path. A recent surge in long-term interest rates in financial markets also clouds the outlook for Japan's smooth economy recovery, as the move could dent corporate investment and consumer spending. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute, said the Japan-U.S. tariff deal is expected to reduce Japan's gross domestic product by 0.55 percentage point in 2025. He had earlier projected the Japanese economy would be cut by 0.85 point under the assumption the reciprocal tariffs would be imposed at 25 percent. On the bright side, Japan and the United States did agree on 15 percent tariffs on Japanese cars and other products in the last-minute trade talks with the Trump administration on Tuesday in Washington. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa to convince the U.S. administration of the benefit of Japan's massive investment plans. According to Akazawa, the prime minister said "What will benefit both Japan and the U.S. is investment rather than tariffs. Don't be afraid and don't give in. Push the point thoroughly." A senior Japanese government official said, "Mr. Trump was insisting on 20 percent (for the car tariff) until the very end. It was eventually dropped to 15 percent, and Mr. Trump seemed dissatisfied." A source close to the matter said Japan's strategy to identify U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as the key negotiator and convince him of the advantages of Japanese investment rather than imposing tariffs on Japan-made goods paid off. Starting in April, the Trump administration imposed a total tariff of 27.5 percent on foreign-made cars, and the president said earlier in the month the United States would impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Japan starting Aug. 1 under "reciprocal" tariffs. The lower auto tariff, which will have a very large impact on the Japanese economy, is an important achievement," said Mieko Nakabayashi, professor at Waseda University specializing in U.S. politics. "Going forward, the government will be required to provide support to domestic companies in order to cope with the new tariff rates."
2 hours ago
Sony to Acquire 2.5 Pct Stake in Bandai Namco
News from Japan Jul 25, 2025 13:55 (JST) Tokyo, July 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese technology conglomerate Sony Group Corp. has struck an alliance deal with Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. to acquire a 2.5 pct stake in Bandai Namco to capitalize on anime and manga assets held by the game and toy group. Under the deal, announced Thursday, Sony Group will purchase 16 million outstanding Bandai Namco shares from existing owners for some 68 billion yen. The capital tie-up focuses particularly on creating and distributing video content based on anime-related intellectual properties held by Bandai Namco. But the two companies will also work on experiential entertainment and fresh property development. Bandai Namco has a wide range of intellectual assets, from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series to the "Tamagotchi" handy digital pet-raising gadget. Sony Group, for its part, is strengthening game and anime operations, which currently include Aniplex Inc., a Tokyo-based anime studio known for the "Demon Slayer" series. This year, the group also became the largest shareholder in major publisher Kadokawa Corp. with abundant intellectual properties. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
Tokyo is a student paradise, ranking as the second-most popular city of choice by students considering studying abroad, according to recently published Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings. The capital has remained in second place since 2024, rating particularly high on 'desirability' and on employer attitudes. It also ranked highly on affordability, the QS ranking released on July 15 showed. The number of foreign students in Japan has risen by around 21% as of May 2024, with the majority of students coming from China, according to a study by the Japan Student Services Organization. Kyoto, meanwhile, ranked 15th in the survey. Seoul reached the No. 1 spot for the first time, replacing London. Its improved position was influenced by enhanced perception of low pollution and safety among the respondents surveyed. QS is a London-based higher education analyst and service provider that offers global rankings scores cities on a variety of factors, including the quality of universities, student-friendliness, overall safety and pollution, employer attitudes toward students, affordability and whether students continue living in the city after graduation. International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric. London's decline — the city dropped to third place after having held the top spot for six consecutive rankings — was a byproduct of this. 'London's declining affordability was a significant driver in it losing its top spot,' QS said of the shift, noting that a global rise in the cost of living had led many students to look elsewhere. For international students paying in yen, U.K. fees are particularly costly. International undergraduate tuition fees range from £11,400 ($15,388) to £38,000 — about ¥2.26 million to ¥7.52 million — annually according to an estimate from the British Council, while a U.K. student visa costs £524 — around ¥103,570. A single international student in London can also expect to pay around £1,300 to £1,400 per month for living expenses, the British Council estimates. While Japan is comparably affordable for international students, a Japan Association of Overseas Studies (JAOS) survey found that Japanese students were increasingly looking to study in Asia, too, influenced by the weak yen and high costs of living overseas. The number of Japanese students studying in countries in Asia has more than doubled in fiscal 2023 compared to the prepandemic 2019 levels, while North America, Europe and Oceania have not yet exceeded their 2019 figures, according to an April JAOS report. 'This can be attributed to factors such as the depreciation of the yen, high cost of living, leading to a shift towards affordable study abroad options in Asia, and an increase in study abroad programs to Asia by domestic universities,' a representative from JAOS said. South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan were among the favored choices for Japanese students, the representative added.
