Trump to send out letters with new tariff rates
Trump says the letters will specify what each nation will have to pay, such as "a 20 percent or 25 percent or 30 percent tariff."
He added that Washington will be "sending some letters out starting probably on Friday, maybe 10 a day."
Trump told reporters on Thursday there are "more than 170 countries" that the US needs to reach agreements with and these deals are "very much more complicated."
He already said on Tuesday that he will be sending a letter to Japan. He suggested the rate will be 30 or 35 percent, or whatever Washington asks Japan to pay, saying Japan has been unfair in its trade with the US.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday that Japan is "in a tough spot right now." Bessent said the July 20 Upper House election gives it "a lot of domestic constraints in terms of doing a deal."
The pause on the "reciprocal" tariffs is due to expire next Wednesday. The world is waiting to see what Trump will decide.
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Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
The mothers holding up Japan's Vietnamese community
The sights, sounds and flavors of Vietnam are gradually becoming a part of everyday life in Japan, from the familiar aroma of pho to the cheery bustle of cultural festivals drawing thousands in major cities. With a total population of over 630,000, Vietnamese people now make up the largest share of foreign workers in Japan. However, there is one group within this community whose everyday experiences are often overlooked: the mothers who are building their lives far from home. On Facebook, the most popular social media platform in Vietnam, at least four grassroots groups share the name 'Vietnamese mothers in Japan,' with memberships ranging from 94,000 to 562,000 users. Members share everything from pregnancy stories and postpartum experiences to advice on baby formula, breastfeeding and the documentation needed to obtain a child's passport. Among these Facebook groups is a smaller but influential one called the Vietnam Women's Union in Japan. The nonprofit, based in Tokyo's Kita Ward, is the first and only organization of its kind to be recognized and licensed by the Vietnamese Embassy. Pham Thi Bich Hau, who also goes by the Japanese name Akemi Mai, founded the union in 2021 and, now 39, serves as its chairperson. Its mission is to 'protect the rights of the Vietnamese women who are living, working and studying in Japan.' Women from all walks of life Pham arrived in Japan in 2009 to pursue a graduate degree in linguistics, but her career took a surprising turn. 'When I was about to write my master's thesis, I realized that I had a gift for interacting and connecting with people,' she says. 'I decided to quit graduate school and enroll in an international business vocational college.' After graduating from vocational school in Tokyo in March 2013, she began working as an interpreter and instructor for Vietnamese migrants in a trainee management organization. 'Some female trainees experienced unplanned pregnancies, so I started to help them with hospital and other medical matters,' she says. In 2013, around 10,200 Vietnamese people migrated to Japan under the Technical Intern Training Program. Just over a decade later, that number ballooned more than twentyfold to 212,141 in 2024, with Vietnamese nationals accounting for roughly half of all foreign trainees. Business-savvy Pham launched her own company, AK Co., Ltd., in 2016. Since 2021, she has simultaneously run the Vietnam Women's Union while overseeing a health spa, nail salon and beauty vocational school in Saitama Prefecture. 'I gave birth to my second child at the beginning of the pandemic,' she says. 'It was a smooth and healthy delivery, and I was fluent in Japanese, so I was blessed in every way. But ... I know many women who struggle during pregnancy ... whether it's prenatal checkups or navigating childbirth.' After having two children in Japan, Pham Thi Bich Hau was inspired to found the Vietnam Women's Union in 2021 to support her compatriots. | Courtesy of Pham Thi Bich Hau Her experience inspired her to found the Vietnam Women's Union and forge a connection with Daion Temple in Honjo, Saitama Prefecture. The temple is headed by Vietnamese nun Thich Tam Tri, who now serves as an adviser to the union. As with her experience a decade prior, Pham translated and interpreted for trainees who abruptly left their programs and for students who became pregnant. She and Thich also helped others deal with issues ranging from expired visas to hospital stays and financial hardships. One of the union's first activities was hosting a Tet festival, a traditional Lunar New Year celebration, for over 200 families during the pandemic. At Daion Temple, they had an opportunity to partake in familiar activities such as playing traditional games and wrapping banh chung — steamed glutinous rice cake with a mung bean and pork filling. Through the Vietnam Women's Union, Pham has touched the lives of her compatriots across Japan, many of whom are married with children and reside in areas with fewer immigrants. In the Kanto region, Pham can organize in-person events, but in other parts of Japan she provides consultations by phone or via Zalo — Vietnam's most popular messaging app. Pham recalls helping Tran Xuan Mai (a pseudonym to protect her privacy), a young mother with two daughters, finalize her divorce from a Japanese man. She not only interpreted at court and negotiated custody arrangements on behalf of Tran, but also found herself serving as a counselor of sorts. 'She was very anxious and stressed about the future,' Pham recalls. 'She was afraid they would take away her children.' Fortunately, with the help of Pham, Thich and the union's co-chair at the time, the court granted custody to Tran. After her divorce, Tran moved with her children to Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture in 2024. Now 38, she works part-time at a local supermarket while devoting herself to an online business selling homemade birthday cakes to fellow Vietnamese expats. After the Vietnam Women's Union helped her with a contentious divorce and custody battle, Tran Xuan Mai relocated to Aichi Prefecture with her daughters and started an online business specializing in Vietnamese desserts and snacks. | Courtesy of Tran Xuan Mai She has ambitions to expand her small business into a bigger operation when her daughters grow older. 'When I hug them, I feel like I can overcome anything,' Tran says. A balancing act While Tran endured tremendous hardship to rebuild her life, other Vietnamese women are quietly navigating everyday complexities — like Nguyen Ngoc Lan, 29, whose daughter turns 3 this summer. Working for a global printing company in Tokyo, Nguyen finds herself constantly juggling motherhood and her career. 'You feel stressed, obviously,' Nguyen says. 'Especially as I'm trying to become a permanent employee. ... Caring for a child in Japan is different than in Vietnam.' In Vietnam, a new mother usually has an abundance of support: her parents, her in-laws and sometimes even her neighbors. In Japan, especially in urban areas, these mothers are often on their own and receive little assistance from their husbands with full-time jobs. Day care centers can be extremely difficult to access because of a shortage of staff and facilities — a serious issue for the Japanese government in recent years. 'I'm still lucky because my husband works from home some days of the week, so he's able to help out a little,' says Nguyen. 'However, he is still a Japanese man, so work is always his top priority, and I'm the one who does most of the housework and takes care of our child.' Like many Vietnamese women, Nguyen turned to Facebook groups for help sorting out her daughter's dual citizenship paperwork. In May, she finally secured a permanent position at her company. As her daughter grows, life has only gotten busier. She and her husband eventually found a day care near their home in Shinagawa Ward, but Nguyen has also made sure to teach her daughter about Vietnamese language and culture. Nguyen Ngoc Lan has been juggling a full-time career and bicultural motherhood since her daughter was born in 2022. | Courtesy of Nguyen Ngoc Lan In Nguyen's bicultural household, bedtime stories often feature classic Vietnamese folktales, such as 'So Dua' (The Tale of the Coconut Shell Boy) or 'Thanh Giong' (The Legend of Thanh Giong). Nguyen is determined to ensure her daughter doesn't forget her roots, returning to Vietnam with her every year to explore the country and reconnect with family. 'She loves every minute of it,' Nguyen says. Even as chairperson of the Vietnam Women's Union, Pham has struggled at times to balance work and motherhood. As an entrepreneur, she decided to return to work only a month after giving birth instead of taking the standard six months of maternity leave in Japan. Thankfully, she and her husband were able to sponsor both their mothers to come to Japan to help out. Pham says it's critical to support fellow immigrants, especially as Japan's Vietnamese community continues to grow. 'At the moment, the Vietnam Women's Union's goal is to support younger generations who migrate to join family members here after their secondary education,' she says. 'We need to find a way to help them adjust to life in Japan and prepare them for the future.' Motherhood anywhere is complex, and to step into this role far from home requires even more resourcefulness and resilience. As Japan grapples with ongoing labor shortages and an aging population, the Vietnamese community's role becomes increasingly vital. The stories of these mothers and countless others like them offer a glimpse of how migrant groups are carving out space in Japanese society, contributing to both its economic growth and cultural diversity.
NHK
3 hours ago
- NHK
Russian residents on Japan-claimed island clean Japanese graves
Residents on one of the four islands that Japan calls the Northern Territories have cleaned the graves of the ancestors of former Japanese residents. Programs to allow them to visit the site remain halted over the past years. Russia controls the four islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains that the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two. The grave visits and a visa-free exchange program involving former islanders came to a halt due to factors including the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. There is no prospect for a resumption at this time. A memorial service is due to start at sea on Sunday, in which former residents offer their prayers on board a ship near the island. In mid-June, Russian islanders conducted the grave cleaning for the sake of former residents at a graveyard on the western coast of Kunashiri Island. After mowing the grass, they restored fading Japanese letters on a sign pillar by referring to information provided from the Japanese side. One islander told NHK that he understands the situation of the neighboring Japanese who are unable to visit the graves. He said that so he has been doing what he can to help them. The Japanese government plans to work on the resumption of the exchange program while continuing to uphold its policy of resolving the territorial issue and signing a peace treaty with Russia. But Russia unilaterally suspended peace treaty negotiations after its invasion of Ukraine and says the lifting of sanctions should precede such talks.
Japan Today
4 hours ago
- Japan Today
Trump says he will help Afghans stuck in the UAE
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Republican Senators, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo By Doina Chiacu President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would help Afghans detained in the United Arab Emirates for years after fleeing their country when the United States pulled out and the Taliban took power. Trump, a Republican who promised a far-reaching immigration crackdown, suspended refugee resettlement after he took office in January. In April, the Trump administration terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans in the U.S. "I will try to save them, starting right now," Trump said in a post on Truth Social that linked to an article on the Afghans held in limbo there. Trump cited news website "Just the News" as saying that UAE officials were preparing to hand over some Afghan refugees to the Taliban. Reuters has not confirmed the report. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The UAE, a close security partner of the United States, agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban ousted the U.S.-backed government during the final stages of the U.S.-led withdrawal. Nearly 200,000 Afghans were brought to the U.S. by former President Joe Biden's administration since the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Kabul. Canada agreed in 2022 to resettle about 1,000 of the Afghans still held in the UAE after a U.S. request. It is unclear how many remain in the Gulf country. Some countries have forced Afghan refugees to return to Afghanistan. Nearly 2 million Afghans were returned from Iran and Pakistan in the past seven months, the United Nations said last week. Germany on Friday deported 81 Afghan men to Afghanistan amid a tightening of refugee admissions. Some other European countries are pushing to tighten asylum rules in the bloc. In the United States, Democrats have urged Trump to restore temporary protected status for Afghans, saying women and children could face particular harm under the Taliban-led government in place since 2021. Refugees include family members of Afghan-American U.S. military personnel, children cleared to reunite with their parents, relatives of Afghans already admitted and tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government during the 20-year war. Shawn VanDiver, president of the #AfghanEvac advocacy group, urged Trump to follow up on his post with action. "President Trump has the authority to do the right thing. He should instruct DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and the Department of State to expedite processing, push for third-country partnerships, and ensure that we never again leave our wartime allies behind," he said in a statement. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
