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]

Indian national arrested in Japan for alleged rape of a schoolgirl

Police say suspect asked girl for hotel directions, then forced her into room and assaulted her

Police in Japan’s Shiga prefecture have arrested a 24-year-old Indian man on charges of allegedly raping a teenage high school student in Otsu City last month, according to local m…[Read more]

Taiwanese rocket fails to achieve Japan’s first foreign launch

Taiwanese private rocket company TiSpace terminated the flight of one of its rockets shortly after lift-off in northern Japan on Saturday, failing to become the first foreign company to perform a successful launch on Japanese soil.
TiSpace, through its Japanese unit jtSPACE, tried to…[Read more]

BOJ policymaker calls for resuming rate hikes after temporary pause

The Bank of Japan should resume interest rate hikes following a temporary pause to evaluate the impact of U.S. tariffs, board member Hajime Takata said, signalling optimism the country was on track to durably achieve the central bank’s price goal.
While the BOJ must take its time…[Read more]

Is Japan a Transit Point for Fentanyl?

A synthetic opioid so powerful it can kill with a single tablet is threatening to strain relations between Japan and the United States. Fentanyl, a drug originally developed as a medical anesthetic, has become a national crisis in the U.S. due to its high potency and addictive nature. Now, reports suggest it…[Read more]

China to allow resumption of some seafood imports from Japan

China has said it will allow the import of some seafood products from Japan to resume, a partial lifting of the blanket ban imposed following Tokyo’s release of wastewater from a wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2023.
The decision came after Japan’s government promised to…[Read more]

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]