theTokyoBill Japan news brief

theTokyoBill Japan news brief, March 14 2025

In this episode: US tariffs begin to hit Japan metal exports; Tokyo aims to up its nightlife tourism attractions (read: come and spend more cash!); Tokyo Police Agency warns against online casinos, gambling; Teraji defeats Akui in 12th round TKO; Livestreamer stalked and stabbed to death in Shinjuku streets

Duration:: 5m
Broadcast on:: 14 Mar 2025
Audio Format:: other

Japan's premier short-form English news program. Follow on your favorite podcast player to get the latest news brief.

And, your visit to theTokyoBill.com would be very much appreciated! :)

Music is Motivate by Wavecont, available via Pixabay.com

Welcome to the Tokyo Bill, a short news brief on recent events in and around Japan. US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports started on Wednesday, with no countries exempted, including Japan. The US will impose tariffs on 290 products made from these metals, including various steel items and aluminum components for vehicles and electronics. Last year, Japan exported 31 million tons of steel, with only 1.1 million tons, or about 3% going to the United States, a decrease of 37% from 2017 due to prior tariffs. Japan produced 1.66 million tons of molded aluminum, mainly for domestic use, shipping only 20,000 tons to the United States. Tokyo's municipal governments are promoting their nighttime economy to attract foreign visitors and boost local businesses. The Metropolitan Government invested 1.65 billion yen to create a nightly projection show, mapping colorful images upon the Tokyo government building in Shinjuku, which drew 520,000 visitors in its first year and was recognized as the world's largest such display. In 2024, a new program was introduced to subsidize up to 30 million yen for events like night markets and festivals. Other wards are also developing nighttime attractions. However, Tokyo's nightlife satisfaction ranked only 30th globally, prompting calls for better collaboration among districts and criticisms about wasted taxpayer money. Police in Japan conducted a survey on online gambling, estimating that about 3.4 million people have wagered on cyber casinos, amounting to an annual total of over $8 billion. The survey involved over 27,000 people aged 15 to 79. The average monthly bet was about $50,000 or $350 US. Many respondents admitted to recognizing gambling addiction with 46% borrowing money to support their gambling. Additionally, 44% of those surveyed were unaware that online gambling is illegal in Japan. The National Police Agency expressed a need for awareness of the illegality of online casinos and their plans to discourage access to these sites and to discourage celebrity figures from endorsing them. In boxing news, Ken Shiro Teragi secured a dramatic 12th round TKO victory over Seigo Yori Akui to unify the WBC and WBA flyweight titles in a thrilling match at the Oryogoku Koku Bikan in Tokyo. Akui appeared to be winning, leading on the scorecards as both fighters entered the final round, but Teragi came out determined to achieve victory, needing a knockdown to turn the fight to his favor. Despite Akui's strong performance throughout, Teragi unleashed a powerful combination that led to the referee stopping the fight. After the match, Teragi expressed respect for Akui, commended the support from his team, and his desire to move on to Super Flyweight in his next fight. And finally, a man was arrested for fatally stabbing a 22-year-old woman Ayadi Sato while she live streamed on a street in the Shijuku area of Tokyo. 42-year-old Kenichi Takano claimed she owed him over 2 million yen and wanted the incident to expose her failure to repay her debts to him. Takano had lent money to Sato after she said she was struggling financially, later suing her when she failed to repay. Takano located Sato via her livestream, approached her, and stabbed her more than 30 times, causing fatal injuries. He used a survival-style knife he had ordered online in the attack. This has been the Tokyo Build. These stories and more you can read at thetokobill.com. I've been and remain Tokyo Build. Thank you for listening and take care. [Music]