South Korea criticises Japanese officials’ visit to Tokyo war shrine

The South Korean government expressed “deep disappointment and regret” over Japanese officials visiting a Tokyo war shrine on Friday and said future relations must be built on Japan showing remorse for past wrongs, its foreign ministry said.
Japan marked the 80th anniversary of…[Read more]

Memories of two survivors of Japanese PoW boat

The families of two men who survived the sinking of a Japanese prisoner of war ship during World War Two have told their stories to mark 80 years since VJ Day.

There were 1,800 prisoners aboard Lisbon Maru when it sank in the South China Sea on 2 October 1942, including Sgt Cyril Mace from…[Read more]

Sixth University Student Arrested in Expo Mascot Goods Theft Case

A university student in Tokyo has been arrested in connection with the theft of goods from the official store at the Expo site, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to six.

According to police, Akihiro Kono, 20, a resident of Tokyo’s Kita Ward, is accused of s…[Read more]

Passengers Evacuated From Smoking Tokaido Shinkansen

The Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama was halted and partially suspended on Friday night after white smoke began pouring out from under the train’s carriage between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima.

According to police and Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai), at around 9:45 p.m., the conductor of the upbound…[Read more]

Japan’s deepening political woes cloud budget, rate hike timing

Japan’s deepening political uncertainty risks prolonging policy paralysis that could affect the drafting of next year’s budget and the timing of the central bank’s next interest rate hike, analysts say, clouding the outlook for the fragile economy.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is…[Read more]

Japan weather bureau says 60% chance of La Nina not occurring

Japan’s weather bureau said on Tuesday that there was a 60% chance that the La Nina phenomenon would not occur and normal weather patterns would continue towards the Northern Hemisphere winter.
A La Nina weather event is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the…[Read more]

Budget Request Ceilings: Where Is The Mechanism To Curb Spending?

How can the ballooning national budget be curbed without cutting existing expenditures? Government ministries and agencies must not request funds without carefully reviewing the necessity of projects.

The government has approved at a Cabinet meeting the budget request ceilings,…[Read more]

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Races to Record High, SoftBank Leads Tech Surge

Japan’s Nikkei share gauge .N225 powered to an all-time high on Tuesday, driven by sharp gains for tech companies and renewed optimism over trade with the United States.

With financial markets reopening after a holiday in Japan on Monday, the stock benchmark caught up…[Read more]

Ishiba says he will assess his responsibility based on election review

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that he will assess his responsibility for the ruling camp’s poor result in the Upper House election based on an upcoming review, as well as on the opinions of lawmakers of his Liberal Democratic Party.
The LDP plans to release a…[Read more]

Nagasaki marks 80th anniversary of US atomic bomb attack on Japan

Restored bell to ring at Nagasaki’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral for the first time since A-bomb devastated the city in 1945.

Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years, as the Japanese city commemorates the moment the United States d…[Read more]

Record Heavy Rain Hits Kagoshima

Record heavy rainfall hit Kagoshima Prefecture, and residents began recovery work on September 9th. In Kirishima, where the first heavy rain special warning of the year was issued, rivers overflowed, and muddy water flowed into residential areas.

Unstable weather is expected to persist from September 9th onward,…[Read more]

Foreign Residents Now 3% of Japan’s Total Population

As Japan faces an ongoing decline in its birthrate and aging population, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has released data showing the country’s total population.

The number of Japanese citizens has seen its largest decrease to date, while the foreign population in Japan c…[Read more]

The rise of Japan’s far right was supercharged by Trump – and tourists

Japanese politics is a usually steady ship, verging on the boring most of the time.

Not anymore.

Last Sunday, a once obscure far-right party, Sanseito, surged from one to 15 seats in the elections, making them a serious contender in Japan’s political scene.

With their…[Read more]

Japan to start new residency system for foreign workers

The government has adopted a basic policy to start a new residency qualification system for accepting human resources from overseas in April 2027, in a bid to secure foreign talent.
In line with the move, the current technical intern training system will be abolished. The industry sectors to…[Read more]

Ishiba Weighs Timing of Resignation Amid Revolt in LDP; Prime Minister Seeks to Minimize Political Disruption

With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba having decided to resign, the focus has now shifted to when he will make it official. Ishiba plans to choose a moment that will minimize disruption to key political events — reaching a formal agreement i…[Read more]

Osaka to Ban People Over 65 from Making Phone Calls at ATMs

Osaka Prefecture is introducing new AI-powered surveillance systems at ATMs to combat a surge in special fraud cases targeting the elderly. Beginning in August, residents aged 65 and over will be prohibited from using their mobile phones while operating ATMs under a new local…[Read more]

Asia markets rally on U.S.-Japan trade progress

Asia-Pacific markets opened on a strong note, buoyed by encouraging trade developments between the U.S. and Japan and growing optimism around a potential deal with the European Union.

Japan’s Topix index surged 1.4%, extending gains for a second day and setting a new all-time high, as CNBC r…[Read more]

What the US-Japan deal means for Asia and the world

US President Donald Trump has called the agreement he reached with Japan the “largest trade deal in history”.

It might be premature to make such claims, but it’s certainly the most significant deal since Trump announced his so-called Liberation Day tariffs in April which roiled stock markets…[Read more]

Blue Impulse Planes Fly over Osaka-Kansai Expo Site; Halfway Point of Event Reached

A team of Air Self-Defense Force pilots performed an aerobatic demonstration at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in Yumeshima, Osaka, on Saturday.

The event, which lasted for about 15 minutes, was performed by Blue Impulse, the ASDF’s aerobatic demonstration team. T…[Read more]

U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says

The Pentagon is urging Japan to make clear the role it would play in the event of a U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan, a media report said Saturday, with the U.S. Defense Department’s No. 3 official later appearing to confirm the push.
U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for…[Read more]