Asahi media bias and reliability
Media Bias/Fact Check places Asahi as leaning left. We have seen it on 16 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is Asahi biased?
Media Bias/Fact Check places Asahi as leaning left. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is Asahi left or right?
Media Bias/Fact Check places Asahi as leaning left. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Left.
Is Asahi reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for Asahi are Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What Asahi has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with Asahi’s own report linked underneath.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sang a Kishore Kumar song at a BRICS gala dinner in New Delhi. The performance was shared on his social media. The dinner was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Asahi reported it asIndian and Chinese Leaders Meet for the Third Consecutive Year; Relations Stabilized, but Trust Building Is Still a Work in Progress: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will attend the annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony on Friday. His attendance has drawn criticism due to his appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel, who previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member.
Asahi reported it as"I Find It Offensive," Said the Former New York City Mayor Who Opposed Mamdani's Participation in the 9/11 Ceremony: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Russia's Foreign Ministry announced the closure of Germany's consulate in St. Petersburg, with operations to cease by September 18. This action follows Germany's recent decision to close Russian diplomatic facilities in Bonn and Berlin, which Russia labelled an "unfriendly" move.
Asahi reported it asRussia and Germany Exchange "Countermeasures" over Drone Incident at German Airport: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
US Vice President JD Vance stated the conflict with Iran is not a war and that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is nearly back to normal. President Trump is reportedly considering declaring victory.
Asahi reported it asUS and Iran Retaliate with Attacks on Tankers; Tensions Continue in the Strait of Hormuz: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Former Japanese defense minister Gen Nakatani urged Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to protest US sanctions on the International Criminal Court and its president, Tomoko Akane. The US imposed sanctions over ICC investigations into Israeli and US personnel.
The 36th annual Ig Nobel Prizes awarded ten research teams for studies that are scientifically sound but unusual. This year's ceremony was held in Zurich, marking the first time the event took place outside the United States.
Asahi reported it asUrinals that Prevent Urine Splashing, Conditions that Increase the Risk of Snake bites... This Year's Ig Nobel Prizes: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
A United Nations report published on September 2, 2026, states that global temperatures are likely to exceed the 1.5°C warming threshold within a few years. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) calls for rapid emissions cuts and carbon removal to limit damage.
Asahi reported it asUN Report Predicts Temperatures Will Rise by More than 1.5 Degrees Celsius Within a Few Years, Presents a Scenario of Reversal: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant project are missing and 10 others are stranded after a flash flood in Nepal. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has established a task force and plans to send a response team to the affected Rasuwa district.
Asahi reported it asMassive Mudslide in Nepal: Glacier Collapse Creates Dam Lake, Which May Then Collapse: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
A 24-year-old Nepali labourer survived a flash flood by clinging to a mango tree after being swept away by a torrent of mud and rock. The disaster has killed at least 150 people and left hundreds missing in Nepal.
Asahi reported it asMassive Mudslide in Nepal: Glacier Collapse Creates Dam Lake, Which May Then Collapse: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Flash floods and landslides swept away villages along the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 165 people. Experts suggest a glacial collapse, not an earthquake, was the cause, with climate change and the region's topography exacerbating the risks.
Asahi reported it asNepal Floods May Have Caused Massive Glacier Collapse; U.S. Geological Survey Reports "Tremors Equivalent to M5.2": Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has informed allied foreign ministers that the United States does not currently intend to launch new strikes against Iran. The administration is shifting its focus to economic pressure, sanctions, and maritime security.
Asahi reported it asUS to "Refrain From Attacking Iran for the Time Being," Possibly Until After the Midterm Elections, US Media Reports: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
A Chinese humanoid robot developed by Honor has run 100 meters in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's world record. The robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second during a test.
Asahi reported it asWorld Records Broken One After Another in 100-Meter Dash, Including Usain Bolt, at Robot Sports Event in China: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
The Pentagon has fired Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and reporter Lara Korte. Slavin stated he was dismissed for insubordination after an interview where he objected to potential military censorship of news for service members.
Asahi reported it asU.S. Department of Defense Fires Editors-in-Chief of Stars and Stripes Newspaper for Criticizing "Censorship" on Television: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands on 13 August 2026, prompting Japan to summon Russia’s ambassador. The US ambassador to Tokyo reaffirmed support for Japan’s sovereignty over the islands, while Russia insisted the visit was not open to foreign discussion.
Asahi reported it asUS "Strongly Opposes Moves that Weaken Peace" Following Putin's Visit to the Northern Territories: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
USS Abraham Lincoln crew endure record deployment amid food shortages and mental health crisis
Trust 96The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over 250 days at sea without docking, the longest continuous deployment on record. Reports describe food shortages, malfunctioning toilets and sailors attempting to jump overboard. Congressional Democrats have demanded an explanation from the defence secretary.
Asahi reported it asUS Aircraft Carrier Deployment in Anti-Iran Conflict Is Causing Growing Discontent Among Families and Others, Impacting Morale: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
A drone carrying approximately 800 grams of Semtex was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on 5 August 2026. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a 'new threat scenario', while outlets diverged on attributing responsibility and the plane's cargo.
Asahi reported it asDrone Carrying Explosives Found Near Ukrainian Plane at Airport in Eastern Germany: Asahi Shimbun (opens Asahi in a new tab)
Who says so
One organisation has published a rating for this outlet. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
- Media Bias/Fact CheckleanLeftCheck it
How reliably it reports fact
A rating of the newsroom in general, by others, and a different thing from the Trust score we publish on each story, which judges one piece of reporting.
High factuality
- Media Bias/Fact CheckhighCheck it
Who owns it
- Share repurchaseunknowndirect owner
- TV AsahiMedia Conglomeratedirect owner
- The Asahi ShimbunCorporationparent group
- ToppanCorporationparent group
- The Master Trust Bank of Japanunknownparent group
- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial GroupCorporationparent group
- Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporationunknownparent group
- Nippon LifeCorporationparent group
- Meiji Yasuda LifeCorporationparent group
- Norinchukin BankCorporationparent group
- Recruit (company)Corporationparent group
- Mizuho Trust & BankingCorporationparent group
- Trust & Custody Services BankCorporationparent group
- State Street Bank and Trust CompanyCorporationparent group
- Northern TrustCorporationparent group
- Asahi Broadcasting Corporationunknowndirect owner
Where it publishes from
What we have seen ourselves
Counted across the stories this site has published, which is the only denominator a reader can check: every one of them has a page, and every page lists the reports it was written from.
- Stories
- 16
- Reports listed
- 16
- We could read
- 3
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
13 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 3 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 7 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and Asahi ran the story anyway.
Across the 16 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of Asahi: its report arrived a median of 27 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 18 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 18 September 2026. Ratings pulled 5 September 2026.
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What we are responsible for is everything else: the ownership chain, where Asahi publishes from, which of our stories we have listed it on, and whether we have the right publisher at all. Tell us what is wrong and an editor reads it.
Report something wrong on this page
Anything we correct is written up in the public corrections log. We do not publish reader votes as a rating, because an unattributed rating is the thing this site exists to argue against.
Every rating on this page is a named third party’s published work, republished with its author and, where one exists, a link to it. Our own coverage record is the section we measure ourselves. Neither is a judgement of any individual report: those are scored story by story, and the reasoning is on our methodology page.