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Japan launches a climate change monitoring satellite on mainstay H2A rocket’s last flight

Japan on Sunday successfully launched a climate change monitoring satellite on its mainstay H-2A rocket, which made its final flight before it is replaced by a new flagship model designed to be more cost competitive in the global space market.

The H-2A r…[Read more]

Japan executes by hanging ‘Twitter killer’ who murdered 9

Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged for the murders of eight women and one man whose body parts he concealed in his small apartment.

Japan has executed a man who was found guilty of killing and dismembering nine people he made contact with on social media, the first use of capital pun…[Read more]

Megaquake may hit central Japan within next 30 years, government panel says

Marine active faults off Japan’s Kinki western region and Hokuriku central region are projected to trigger an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or larger at a probability of 16% to 18% within the next 30 years, according to a government panel.
The government’s Earthquake…[Read more]

Six Arrested over Modified Lamborghini

A Lamborghini sports car modified to shoot flames from its exhaust was fraudulently passed through vehicle inspection without proper testing, leading to the arrest of six people including a custom shop owner and a senior inspector.

The illegally altered Lamborghini, a rare model of which only 100 exist…[Read more]

Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defense spending -FT

Japan has canceled a regular high-level meeting with its key ally the United States after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defense, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been expected…[Read more]

Foreign visitors to Japan hit 3.7 mil. in May, new record for month

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in May rose 21.5 percent from a year earlier to 3.7 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, as travel demand remained strong even after cherry blossom season.

By country and region, South Korea topped the…[Read more]

Japan ‘s ANA Now Unveils its New Luxurious Business-Class Seat: Elevating Experience in the Premium Travel

In a groundbreaking development set to redefine luxury air travel, All Nippon Airways (ANA) in Japan has officially announced its latest innovation—the spectacularly redesigned business-class seat named “The Room FX.” Scheduled to debut i…[Read more]

Supreme Court Upholds 18-Year Sentence for Doctor in Kyoto

The Supreme Court has finalized the sentence of 18 years in prison for Yoshikazu Okubo, who conspired with a former doctor to carry out an assisted death in Kyoto in 2019 at the request of a female patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

During previous trials, Okubo…[Read more]

Ishiba on the counteroffensive in parliament’s final rush

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is gradually mounting a counteroffensive as the parliamentary session comes to a close, energized by a recent bump in popularity and weakening momentum for a no-confidence motion among opposition parties.
This week, Ishiba used two opportunities — a debate wit…[Read more]

Japan Moves to Grant Science Council Autonomy

The Diet has passed legislation to establish the Science Council of Japan as an independent corporation, separating it from direct government control.

Under the revised Science Council of Japan Act, which cleared the House of Councillors, the Science Council will operate as an independent corporate…[Read more]

Japan protests to China after ‘dangerous’ moves by warplanes over Pacific

Japan said J-15 warplanes operating from two Chinese aircraft carriers in the Pacific carried out risky manouvres around patrol planes.

Japan has protested to Beijing over what was described as Chinese fighter jets’ “near-miss” manoeuvres near Japanese maritime patrol pl…[Read more]

Japan PM Ishiba mulls Trump trade meeting before G7, says Yomiuri newspaper

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering visiting Washington to meet President Donald Trump before a mid-month summit of the Group of Seven nations as he seeks a trade deal, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday.
Japanese officials see signs of progress on…[Read more]

Japan Overhauls Prison System for First Time in a Century

Japan has officially abolished both penal servitude and imprisonment without labor, replacing them with a newly introduced ‘custodial sentence’ system. This marks the first major reform of the country’s penal code since it was established in 1907.

Under the new system, inmates will be…[Read more]

Japan frets over fighter rollout target and weighs stopgap options, sources say

Japan has growing doubts that its next-generation fighter project with Britain and Italy will meet a 2035 rollout target, potentially forcing Tokyo to plug air defense gaps with new U.S. F-35 stealth planes or upgrades to aging jets, two sources said.
The joint Global…[Read more]

Japan’s Eneos to ramp up investment in LNG, SAF while slowing hydrogen

Japan’s top oil refiner, Eneos Holdings, plans to increase investment in low-carbon energy such as liquefied natural gas and sustainable aviation fuel, while slowing efforts in cleaner alternatives like hydrogen, its CEO said on Monday.
Under a new three-year business plan…[Read more]

Japan’s sputtering economy likely stalled before Trump’s tariffs

Japan’s economy likely suffered a contraction in the first three months of this year, signaling underlying fragility even before U.S. tariff measures started hitting the country in earnest, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
Gross domestic product adjusted for infla…[Read more]

Japan Begins Production of Stealth Patrol Vessels to Enhance Surveillance of its Territorial Waters

Amid increasing naval activity by China and Russia near its maritime borders, Japan has launched the construction of a new series of next-generation patrol vessels for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The program calls for the…[Read more]

Japan wants all tariffs reviewed to reach deal with U.S.: negotiator

Japan has no intention of striking a trade deal with the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump unless all of its new tariffs are reviewed, top negotiator Ryosei Akazawa indicated Saturday as he returned to Japan following the second round of ministerial-level tariff…[Read more]

Japan ranks worst among G7 in 2025 world press freedom rankings

Japan trailed other members of the Group of Seven countries in the 2025 world press freedom rankings as government pressure on news outlets has become common practice, a media freedom group said Friday.

Of the 180 countries and regions surveyed, Japan moved up four places from last…[Read more]

Ishiba vows to work to revise Constitution; yet momentum low

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed his desire to seek the country’s first-ever revision of the pacifist Constitution, as Japan marked the 78th anniversary of its coming into force with no clear political momentum toward such a move.

In a video message to a pro-reform…[Read more]