4 d. ago India overtakes Japan, Bali mulls bank check requirement: 7 Asia highlights

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. India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. 2. Nearly 94% of Malaysians who...

Politics

8 d. ago India overtakes Japan in economic size, but prosperity trails far behind

India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. The achievement unleashed a wave of national pride in New Delhi and among business leaders, but behind the celebrations lingers a question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy turn rapid growth into widespread prosperity? Economists warn that GDP figures alone cannot create jobs, lift incomes or bridge yawning inequality in a nation...

Economics

8 d. ago As India overtakes Japan in economic size, prosperity lags far behind

India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. The achievement unleashed a wave of national pride in New Delhi and among business leaders, but behind the celebrations lingers a question: can the world’s fastest-growing economy turn rapid growth into widespread prosperity? Economists warn that GDP figures alone cannot create jobs, lift incomes or bridge yawning inequality in a nation...

Economics

1 week ago Data fraud scandal hits Japan nuclear power plant in megaquake zone

The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan said on Monday its employees may have used cherry-picked data for a potential earthquake in quake-resistance tests at the plant to pass the regulatory screening for restart. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the same day it found “wrongdoing” by Chubu Electric Power in the screening process and halted the review. The incident is a major setback for the Japanese government. Concerns over the safety of nuclear power plants grew strong in...

Events

2 w. ago India overtakes Japan as world’s 4th largest economy, eyes top 3 by 2026

India has overtaken Japan as the world’s fourth-largest economy – and officials hope to pass Germany within three years, the government’s end-of-year economic review calculates. Official confirmation however depends on data due in 2026 when final annual gross domestic product figures are released, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggesting India will cross over Japan next year. “India is among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and is well-positioned to sustain this...

Politics

2 w. ago India overtakes Japan as world’s fourth largest economy, eyes top 3 in 2026

India has overtaken Japan as the world’s fourth-largest economy – and officials hope to pass Germany within three years, the government’s end-of-year economic review calculates. Official confirmation however depends on data due in 2026 when final annual gross domestic product figures are released, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggesting India will cross over Japan next year. “India is among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and is well-positioned to sustain this...

Politics

3 w. ago Safety fears as Japan prepares to restart nuclear plant ‘built on tofu’

Campaigners against nuclear energy have condemned Japan’s decision to resume operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant, claiming that the facility will be unable to withstand a major earthquake as it was “built on tofu”. Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the operator of the Niigata prefecture plant, on Wednesday applied for a final examination of the facility to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). Approval is likely to be a formality as the prefectural assembly already gave the nod on...

Events

3 w. ago Japan backs world’s largest nuclear plant restart despite pushback from residents

Japan took the final step to allow the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant on Monday as the region of Niigata voted to resume operations, a watershed moment in the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220km (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Since then, Japan...

Events

4 w. ago Despite political tensions, Japanese sushi chain Sushiro debuts to huge crowds in Shanghai

Japan’s Sushiro, the world’s largest conveyor-belt sushi chain, debuted in Shanghai in early December 2025, to much fanfare. People have been queuing hours for a table, with some resorting to buying tickets from scalpers. The popularity of the Osaka-based restaurant chain appears to have not been affected by the recent diplomatic row between China and Japan. The latest spat has led to mass cancellations of tour groups to Japan and Japanese performances in China.

Politics