Yen and Japanese bonds continue to retreat as verbal intervention lacking

The yen and Japanese government bonds continued to retreat Thursday as confidence failed to return, and negative sentiment snowballed, even as stocks rebounded following a decisive overnight rally in the United States.
A massive stimulus package set to be announced Friday…[Read more]

Massive Fire Ravages Oita for Third Day

A major fire that erupted in the Saganoseki district of Oita City on November 18th and resulted in one fatality continued to burn into its third day on November 20th, with firefighters maintaining round-the-clock operations in an effort to bring the blaze under control.

Police are working to identify the…[Read more]

Offhand remark, symbolic suit signal long winter for Japan-China ties

An off-the-cuff remark by new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that triggered Japan’s biggest bust-up in years with powerful neighbour China was not meant to signal a new hardline stance.
But after openly stating how Japan might react to a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan,…[Read more]

NHK Party Leader Tachibana Arrested for Defaming Late Hyogo Assemblyman

Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested NHK Party leader Tachibana Takashi on November 9th on suspicion of defamation, alleging that he repeatedly made false statements about a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member who has since passed away.

According to investigators, in…[Read more]

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Rises on Hopes US Shutdown May End Soon

Japan’s Nikkei share average rose on Monday, tracking gains in U.S. stock futures as hopes grew that the historic U.S. government shutdown may end soon.

The Nikkei .N225 climbed 0.9% to 50,728.56 by 0143 GMT. The broader Topix .TOPX edged up 0.17% to 3,304.35.

“Market playe…[Read more]

Japan to Subsidize Gum Disease Screenings at Companies, Aiming for Early Detection

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to provide financial support to companies that conduct periodontal disease screenings during workplace health checkups in fiscal 2026. The initiative aims to help working-age individuals, who are at a higher risk of…[Read more]

Japan’s crypto players jostle for market share on regulatory easing hopes

From the launch of new products and services in Japan to facilitating leveraged trading bets, crypto exchanges and some financial firms are rushing to cash in on rising investor enthusiasm for digital assets amid hopes of easing regulations.
The recent surge underscores a…[Read more]

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed; framed as a successor to Abeno…[Read more]

GSDF deployed to Akita Prefecture amid rise in bear attacks

Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force were dispatched to Akita Prefecture to assist with bear control on Wednesday — although they are not permitted to cull the bears — as the number of attacks and subsequent fatalities continue to rise in the prefecture and nationwide.
“We had been…[Read more]

Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit

A “near-perfect meeting.” That was how one senior Liberal Democratic Party official labeled new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It’s hard to argue with that, supporters and rivals say. With a successful summit, Takaichi achieved mo…[Read more]

Japan to Introduce Free High School Education Next Year

The Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and Komeito have reached an agreement on the framework for Japan’s new free high school tuition program, which will begin in fiscal 2026. Under the plan, tuition support for private full-time high schools will be capped at 457,000 yen, w…[Read more]

Hegseth welcomes Japan’s arms spending increase, says US-Japan alliance key to deter China

Japan has already moved up a planned deployment of its medium and long-range missiles such as Tomahawk and Japanese-made Tupe-12 anti-ship missiles.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday welcomed Japan’s determination to accelerate its ong…[Read more]

Shizuoka Studies Yamanashi’s Approach to Managing Overtourism on Mt. Fuji

The Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly’s special committee on the preservation and proper use of Mt. Fuji held its fourth meeting on October 21st, hearing from officials of Fujiyoshida City in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture about their initiatives to curb “bullet climb…[Read more]

Japan’s new PM is preparing large economic stimulus to tackle inflation, sources say

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing an economic stimulus package that is likely to exceed last year’s $92 billion to help households tackle inflation, government sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.
The package of more than 13.9…[Read more]

Takaichi’s choice: revolution, reform or regression

Without bold action, the new prime minister will lack the momentum for enduring leadership

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stands at a crossroads. Her choices will define not only her legacy but the nation’s trajectory for the next decade and beyond.
As the country’s first female…[Read more]

Lost Recording of Anti-War Director Kihachi Okamoto Discovered

A long-lost recording of acclaimed film director Kihachi Okamoto, known for his lifelong commitment to anti-war cinema, has been discovered, shedding new light on the convictions behind his influential body of work. The tape, found in January in a storage room at BSS San’in B…[Read more]

Osaka Police Officers Demonstrate Safe E-scooter Riding to Promote Proper Use

To promote safe and proper use of electric scooters, Osaka prefectural police officers wearing helmets have been demonstrating correct riding methods for passersby. The police explained that “people will notice when uniformed officers ride them” and have encouraged res…[Read more]

Influenza cases in Japan surge 50% week on week

Health authorities in Japan are urging people to take precautions against influenza. They say cases nationwide have surged by about 50 percent in the space of a week.

The Japan Institute for Health Security and others say there were 9,074 cases reported by more than 3,000 medical institutions…[Read more]

University of Tokyo Plans Deep Tech, Computing Faculties; Seeks to Promote Next Generation of Innovation, Entrepreneurs

The University of Tokyo is planning to establish two new undergraduate faculties aimed at developing entrepreneurs in the field of cutting-edge technology known as “deep tech,” including artificial intelligence and space dev…[Read more]

Tamaki Rules Out Alliance With CDP

The Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki reaffirmed on October 11 that his party will not cooperate with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) in unifying opposition candidates for the upcoming prime minister designation vote in the next extraordinary Diet session.

Tamaki said,…[Read more]