Asia - South China Morning Post

Japanese tourism to the United States is facing major headwinds – from a weak yen and safety concerns to dwindling interest among younger travellers – with the sparse American turnout at Japan’s biggest travel fair this year offering a glimpse of the market’s fragility.

Analysts and tourism officials say the slowdown points to deeper structural shifts in Japan’s outbound travel patterns, though some US states are reporting modest gains and looking to high-profile events and celebrity appeal to...

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. Can India’s aviation hub goal take off with 2 new airports to ease congestion?

India is preparing to open two major new airports near its capital and financial centre, a move that industry analysts say would help ease severe air traffic congestion and strengthen its...

Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba travelled to South Korea on Tuesday, seeking to reinforce fragile ties as his government faces a looming leadership transition.

Analysts say the landmark visit, at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, reflects an effort by both nations to consolidate gains in security and economic cooperation while signalling Seoul’s intent to join a Japanese-led trade bloc.

Ishiba’s two-day trip to Busan – the first visit by a Japanese leader to...

Nearly 90 years after Amelia Earhart vanished over the Pacific, a presidential order to declassify every US record on her final, ill-fated flight has sparked a fresh surge of interest in one of aviation’s most enduring enigmas.

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had ordered the declassification of “all records” related to Earhart – but among those who have devoted their lives to the mystery, there was a sense of weary deja vu.

The information the US government has on Earhart...

The mayor of a central Japanese city has defended an unusual new ordinance that urges residents to limit their personal smartphone use to just two hours per day, saying the guideline is intended to encourage better sleep and stronger family relationships, not to police private behaviour.

Starting on Wednesday, residents of Toyoake in Aichi prefecture will be asked to limit their device use during leisure hours – defined as time outside work, study and daily necessities – to about two hours per...

The prospect of a fourth summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is gaining traction ahead of the Apec summit in late October, observers say, amid signs that both sides may be testing the waters for a return to high-level nuclear diplomacy.

Speculation intensified after North Korea’s vice-foreign minister, Kim Son‑gyong, travelled to New York last week – the first visit by a senior North Korean diplomat since 2019 – to lead Pyongyang’s delegation at the UN...

Rescuers ran oxygen and water to students trapped in the unstable concrete rubble of a collapsed school building in Indonesia, as they desperately worked to free survivors on Tuesday morning, more than 12 hours after the structure fell. At least three students were killed, more than 100 were injured, and dozens were presumed buried in the rubble.

Rescuers, police and soldiers digging through the night pulled out eight weak and injured survivors more than eight hours after the collapse at Al...

Bali turned into torrents of mud and debris recently as floods killed at least 18 and displaced hundreds. Cars and motorbikes were swept away and tourists evacuated from hotels. The disaster was fuelled by days of heavy rainfall that overwhelmed rivers already narrowed by upstream deforestation and rapid development. The resort island was, for several days, gripped by chaos.

Almost simultaneously, typhoon Ragasa tore across the Philippines before curving towards China’s coast. Winds flattened...

Singapore’s population has reached a record 6.11 million, driven by a rise in foreign workers and new arrivals, even as data points to deeper demographic pressures, including a rapidly ageing society and persistently low birth rates.

The 1.2 per cent year-on-year rise in total population was mainly driven by the non-resident segment, which grew 2.7 per cent to 1.91 million, up from 1.86 million in June 2024.

The increase was due largely to more work permit holders and foreign domestic workers,...

The Rohingya people have endured one of the world’s most protracted, yet least visible, humanitarian crises. Nearly one million Rohingya refugees live in what were supposed to be temporary camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. They still have little prospect of returning to Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

But at a recent conference in Dhaka, the Rohingya people were, for the first time, given a voice. Their message was clear: they do not want more aid. They need to go home. China is well placed to help...