Honda Resumes Output as China-Linked Chip Bottleneck Ends

Honda announced on November 25th that production has resumed at its automobile plant in Mexico after operations were halted from late October due to a semiconductor shortage.

The factory restarted on November 19th local time as supplies began to stabilize following export restrictions…[Read more]

Berlin, Paris push companies for fighter jet agreement by mid-December

Germany and France are piling pressure on industrial leaders to find a solution for the troubled joint fighter jet project FCAS – or SCAF – by mid-December, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the sources said…[Read more]

Germany’s Merz, Brazil’s Lula reconcile after Belem comments

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently came under fire in Brazil for comments he made after his trip to the COP30 Summit in Belem.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva appear to have eased tensions sparked by Merz’s comments on the…[Read more]

Schneider calls for a fossil fuel phase-out roadmap

As the World Climate Conference is coming to an end, Carsten Schneider is calling for a binding fossil fuel phase-out roadmap. Germany is one of around 30 states who signed a letter to the Presidency in which they threaten to refuse their approval of an outcome that does not include a clear…[Read more]

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]