South China Morning Post - East Asia

Japan could be heading into one of the worst typhoon seasons in its history, raising fears that stronger, more frequent storms will challenge not only the country’s disaster defences but also a summer travel industry already stretched by packed trains, hotels and itineraries. Tokyo-based Weathernews, a private meteorological firm providing long-range forecasts across Asia, has p...

People always talk knowingly about Weimar, a period of extremes: artistic and social-sexual decadence, democratic liberalism and the radicalisation of the left and the right, before Germany’s descent into Hitlerian hell. The city as a symbol, close to the site of the former Buchenwald concentration camp, is back in the news, well, at least the op-ed pages of the Western press. T...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out expanding military ties with Japan any time soon, insisting that historical grievances must be resolved first. The two countries have come under growing pressure to strengthen defence ties as North Korea, China and Russia draw closer together. But analysts say such a move remains politically risky for Lee’s government given deep...

Chinese President Xi Jinping started his first visit to North Korea since 2019 pledging “unwavering” friendship and deeper ties with a country that boasts a growing nuclear arsenal and increasing ties with Russia. “No matter how times change or how the international situation evolves, the friendship between China and North Korea remains invincible,” Xi said in an article publish...

A bear roaming the streets of a Japanese city for three days forced the closure of nearly 100 schools on Monday, as dozens of hunters and officials searched for the animal. The city government of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, closed all 94 public primary and junior high schools in the area after receiving more than 10 reports of bear sightings since Saturday – including in a shopp...