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]

Documentary Film Challenges Media Assumptions About Justice

The documentary film ‘Yusaburareru Seigi’ (Shaken Justice) is prompting fresh debate over how the media approaches sensitive legal cases, as it explores the assumptions and consequences of press reporting on so-called “shaken baby syndrome.”

The film’s director, Daisuke Ueda, a former l…[Read more]

University of Osaka celebrates Sakaguchi’s Nobel Prize

Students and staff at the University of Osaka have celebrated the awarding of the Nobel Prize to scientist Sakaguchi Shimon, who serves there as a specially appointed professor.

Sakaguchi and two American scientists were named winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on…[Read more]

Yen, euro extend slide against dollar on fiscal concerns

Concerns about more fiscal spending in Japan and political uncertainty in France drove the Japanese yen and euro lower against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, with traders also focused on any signs of when the U.S. federal government will reopen.
The yen fell to a six-month low after Sanae…[Read more]

Takaichi’s leadership lineup favors Aso and his allies while shutting out rivals

Newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi announced her party leadership lineup Tuesday, entrusting members of a faction led by former Prime Minister Taro Aso with key positions, while excluding her election rival farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi…[Read more]

Japan’s ruling party is in crisis as voters swing to right-wing rivals. Can a new leader save it?

Tokyo
—
Japan’s ruling party is in trouble, and it knows it.

The country is rife with political instability, having cycled through four prime ministers in the last five years – all members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

And while the LDP…[Read more]

Trump to Visit Japan on October 27th

Former US President Donald Trump is arranging a three-day visit to Japan starting on October 27th, marking his first trip to the country in six years.

According to government sources, Trump is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with Japan’s new prime minister, who succeeded Ishiba, and also attend a dinner e…[Read more]

Bones Found in Kochi Mountains Linked to Crime Syndicate Victim

A man in his twenties who was abducted in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in June and later killed has been confirmed dead after his remains were found as bones in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture.

Police arrested Kohei Mitani, a 27-year-old member of the Akamatsu-gumi under the…[Read more]