A Japanese appellate court has ordered the group formerly known as the Unification Church to disband as a religious corporation.

With the order's issuance, procedures will immediately be put in motion to liquidate the group's assets.

Presiding Judge of the Tokyo High Court Miki Motoko issued the order on Wednesday, dismissing the group's appeal and upholding a lower court decision.

Japan's education ministry asked the Tokyo District Court in 2023 to issue a dissolution order over the group's practice of soliciting large donations from members or having them buy expensive items by exploiting fears about their spiritual wellbeing.

The district court issued the order in March last year, saying the group caused financial damage totaling about 20.4 billion yen, or about 130 million dollars, to more than 1,500 people.

The group appealed the decision. During the high court hearings, the group insisted that dissolution was unnecessary because it had been engaged in collective negotiations and taken other measures to resolve the issue.

The high court order takes effect immediately. A court-appointed liquidator will now start the process including disposing of the group's assets and compensating people who suffered financial damage.

The group will lose its tax-exempt status as a religious corporation. Its executives will also step down.

The group can still appeal to the Supreme Court. But unless the dissolution order is reversed, the liquidation process will continue.

This is the third time a religious corporation in Japan has been ordered dissolved for legal violations. Past cases included the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
The latest dissolution order marks the first time one has been issued on the grounds of civil wrongdoing.
 

 

A Japanese startup on Wednesday made a last-minute decision to cancel its postponed launch of a small rocket, a flight that would have made it the first private entity to put a satellite into orbit on its own.

Space One Co. said it aborted the process 30 seconds before the planned liftoff of the Kairos No. 3 rocket from a site in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. The 18-meter, 23-ton solid-fuel rocket was loaded with five satellites for the Taiwan Space Agency and other entities.

The company said the launch was aborted because the vehicle could not receive stable positioning satellite signals, which are used to track its location and speed.

It also revealed that the new launch date has been set for Thursday at 11:10 a.m.

 

Weather conditions had forced the Tokyo-based startup to reschedule the launch initially set for February. It was postponed until Sunday and then to 11 a.m. Wednesday, again due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The company is aiming to provide low-cost, speedy space transport, with a target of 30 rocket launches per year in the 2030s.

Founded in 2018, the company has failed twice in its attempt to launch a rocket. The first Kairos rocket exploded about five seconds after liftoff in March 2024 due to an error in thrust prediction.

Its second unsuccessful rocket launch in December that year ended in self-destruction following an altitude control problem.
 

 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host an annual evening meal for ambassadors of Islamic countries to Japan on March 12, sources said Wednesday.

Every year, the government holds an "iftar," the feast after sunset to break the daytime fast during the period of Ramadan, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.

At this year's iftar, Takaichi and ambassadors are expected to exchange views on ways to help de-escalate tensions around Iran that intensified due to the U.S.-Israeli attacks since Saturday.

Takaichi will also seek cooperation to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint in a key oil transport route that has been effectively blocked, and to secure the safety of Japanese nationals in the Middle East.

The iftar hosted in March last year by then Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was attended by ambassadors to Japan and other representatives from 45 economies, including Iran, Jordan and Indonesia.
 

 

The Japanese government is considering establishing an expert panel in late April toward revising its three key national security-related documents by the end of this year, informed sources said Tuesday.

The panel is expected to discuss new numerical targets for boosting defense spending and strengthening combat sustainability.

Based on the discussions, the government plans to draft outlines as early as this summer for a bill to update the three documents, government and ruling party officials said.

Experts on defense and security policies, cybersecurity and space will take part in the panel. They are likely to discuss responses to threats from China and ways to deal with new forms of warfare, such as the massive use of drones.

The government will move forward with the revision of the three documents, including the National Security Strategy, after taking into account proposals to be compiled by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party around Japan's Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May.
 
 

 

Japan plans to develop guidelines on dual pricing at public tourism facilities, its transport minister said Tuesday, as setting different prices for local residents and tourists has been gathering steam as a strategy to address overtourism.

Although setting prices should primarily be left to each operator to weigh demand and other factors, transport minister Yasushi Kaneko said it is necessary for the government to provide guidance.

"It's important that prices are set in a way that will enable (businesses) to sustain their operations and services going forward," Kaneko told a press conference.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is expected to ask a panel of experts to discuss the guideline details.

Japan, which is seeking to further boost inbound tourism, saw a record number of foreign visitors last year, with the total surpassing the 40 million mark for the first time. However, this surge has also raised issues, including congestion and poor behavior.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency, facilities use various pricing methods. For example, they may provide discounts for local residents or allow children to use their facilities free of charge.

On Sunday, the western Japanese city of Himeji, home to Himeji Castle, increased the entry fee for the World Heritage site from 1,000 yen ($6.4) to 2,500 yen for nonresidents aged 18 and older.

Kyoto, another popular tourist destination known for its temples and traditional culture, is considering raising the public bus fare for nonresidents to the western Japan city while lowering the current flat rate for residents, starting in fiscal 2027.

The Japanese government is asking national museums to consider the introduction of dual pricing by the end of March 2031.
 
 

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman on Tuesday dispatched 545 tons of poultry and products worth Rp18.2 billion (US$1.2 million) to Singapore, Japan, and Timor Leste, expanding Indonesia’s strategic food commodity exports.

“Today we are sending poultry and related products to three countries: Singapore, Japan, and Timor Leste,” Sulaiman said at the Ministry of Agriculture office in Jakarta.

He said the exports signal Indonesia’s poultry industry has not only achieved self-sufficiency in chicken and eggs but is also expanding into global markets.

Sulaiman stressed that Indonesia now has strong production capacity after reaching self-sufficiency in eggs and chicken.

“Now we are self-sufficient in eggs, chicken, rice, and other staples. We are pushing exports to other countries. Currently, we have 10 regular export destinations. Today, three countries will receive our poultry products,” he said.

He added that export success proves Indonesia no longer depends on chicken imports.

“We agreed to become a global food hub, covering carbohydrates and protein. Protein, especially poultry, is now self-sufficient and ready for export,” he said.

Sulaiman said rising production should not cause prices to collapse for farmers. The government manages surplus through domestic absorption, including the Free Nutritious Meal program, and expanding export channels.

Exports are handled by four domestic companies, each with varying shipment volumes and values: PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk, PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk, PT Taat Indah Bersinar, and PT Malindo Food Delight.

For businesses, exports provide market certainty amid abundant domestic production. The government uses surpluses to stabilize farm-level prices and widen global market access.

Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Agung Suganda said export success relies on robust animal health systems, food safety assurance, and international-standard monitoring.

“Each exported product undergoes veterinary certification and strict oversight according to destination requirements. We ensure traceability, biosecurity, and food safety to maintain sustainable exports,” Agung said.

He added that market access is maintained through intensive veterinary diplomacy and technical communication with partner countries, securing international trust through quality and compliance.

With ample production and growing export markets, Indonesia’s poultry sector is stronger. The Ministry will continue balancing production surplus, farm-level price stability, and global market expansion to boost industry competitiveness.
 

The Japanese government will evacuate its nationals in Israel by bus as early as Monday Japan time amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.

"We will refrain from commenting on details such as the exact route and time, as it pertains to the safety of nationals," Kihara said at a press conference.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces are "preparing to quickly deploy personnel to swiftly and appropriately transport nationals," he added.
 
 

The National Police Agency instructed prefectural police departments nationwide to increase security at U.S.- and Israel-related facilities, following the two countries' military attacks on Iran.

The agency issued an administrative notice on Sunday, requesting thorough security measures at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and U.S. consulates and military bases across Japan, as well as locations linked to Israel and Jewish communities nationwide.

Patrols will also be strengthened at facilities related to Iran and Islamic communities.

In light of Iran's suggestion of retaliation, the police departments will reinforce their security posture by increasing the number of officers deployed, while also working to prevent disturbances or unexpected incidents during potential protests and to strengthen information-gathering efforts.
 
 

Proposed changes could reduce prevalence of international leaks while breeders await registration 

Japan is set to revise its plant variety protection laws in a bid to block unauthorised exports of new crop varieties by third parties, according to a recent report by Japan Today.  

Currently, plant rights are only protected once a new variety has been officially registered – which can take up to six years to complete. 

Due to the long registration timeframe, it’s common practice for breeders to cultivate more plants on a trial basis while a new crop is undergoing its review.

This means companies can begin marketing as soon as a new variety is registered. However, according to Japan Today, the practice has increased the risk of international leaks before a variety can be entered on the official register. 

In fact, in 2025 Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries confirmed that names similar to 50 new fruit varieties from Japan appeared on Chinese and Korean seed vendor websites. 

“The varieties were likely leaked during the application process,” an agriculture ministry official told Japan Today. 

Under the proposed revision, protection would be applied as soon as a developer has submitted a new variety for registration. It would also extend plant breeders’ rights, by another ten years. Currently fruit varieties are protected for 30 years and other plants for 25 years. 

The bill is expected to be submitted during the current special parliamentary session and is intended to be implemented within the year.  
 
 

 
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday urged Iran to seek a "diplomatic solution" amid an escalation in the Middle East conflict following U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Tehran, while her government began its evacuation operation for nationals.

At a parliamentary committee meeting, Takaichi demanded Iran stop any actions that "destabilize the region" including its development of nuclear weapons, which she said is "absolutely unacceptable," as well as its attacks on surrounding countries.

"We will work in coordination with the international community toward an early deescalation of the situation and continue to make every necessary diplomatic effort," Takaichi said.

Meanwhile, Takaichi said her government will refrain from offering a "definitive legal assessment" about the bombardment launched by the United States, Japan's close security ally, and Israel, as Tokyo does not have "detailed information."

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at the Diet session that no Japanese casualties in Iran have been reported so far.

About 200 and 1,000 Japanese citizens live in Iran and Israel, respectively, and some 7,700 in total reside in nine nearby nations such as Bahrain and Lebanon, according to the government.

Later Monday, a government-arranged bus departed from Tel Aviv to Jordan's capital Amman with some business persons and tourists from Japan on board, a source close to the matter said.

The main international airport outside of Tel Aviv is expected to be closed until Wednesday amid continued retaliatory attacks by Iran.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that Japan is ready to dispatch its Self-Defense Forces for a possible operation to evacuate nationals from the region.

Organizing a large-scale evacuation in Iran is difficult, however, because airports are closed and land routes are dangerous, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Due to its heavy reliance on the Middle East for crude oil, Japan, a resource-poor country that has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran, has a vital interest in stability in the region.

Kihara, the top government spokesman, said that no immediate impact is expected on Japan's oil supply from the Middle East conflict, citing stockpiles equivalent to 254 days of crude oil consumption, including reserves held by the private sector, and around three weeks of liquefied natural gas consumption.

The Japanese government is closely watching the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, an oil shipping route vital for Japan, with the U.S. and Israeli strikes prompting Iranian attacks on other Gulf nations in addition to Israel.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday it had attacked at least three oil tankers belonging to the United States and Britain in the area, according to state-run media.

More than 200 vessels including oil and LNG tankers had dropped anchor around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters as of Sunday, Reuters reported, citing shipping data.

The latest developments came after weekend airstrikes by the United States and Israel in which Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the operation is aimed at eliminating "imminent threats" posed by the Iranian government.

U.S. Central Command said Sunday that three U.S. service members had been killed and five seriously wounded, marking the first confirmed U.S. military fatalities in connection with "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran.
 
 

The Japanese yen recovered on Thursday after the head of the Bank of Japan said the decision on whether to increase interest rates at its March and April meetings will be based on economic data, while overall movements in the market were subdued as traders awaited fresh catalysts.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank will continue to raise interest rates if Japan makes progress in achieving its economic and price projections.

A report on Tuesday said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed reservations about additional interest rate hikes during her meeting with Ueda last week.

The yen strengthened 0.12% against the greenback to 156.15 per dollar. It had reached a two-week low of 156.82 on Wednesday.

The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.18% to 97.79, with the euro down 0.11% at $1.1796.

Moves were muted with traders gauging the outlook for tariffs, risk sentiment and the economy.

"The risk backdrop remains relatively supportive," said Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Corpay in Toronto. "But conviction among investors is low, and clear-cut directional trends are nearly absent."




TARIFFS, INTEREST RATES IN FOCUS

The U.S. tariff rate for some countries will rise to 15% or higher from the newly imposed 10%, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday, without naming any specific trading partners or giving further details.

The Federal Reserve is expected to keep rates steady until at least June as it balances elevated inflation and labor market risks, which is adding to the lack of market conviction.

Data on Thursday showed that the number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits increased marginally last week, and the unemployment rate appeared to hold steady in February amid a stable labor market.

Analysts at TD Securities see continuing risks for further dollar weakness in the coming quarters, noting "strained haven status, and the continued hedge America trade."

"U.S. resilience is likely to fall short of exceptionalism, which in a backdrop of solid global growth, lower rates, and fiscal buffers is positive for risky assets and is bearish for the dollar," the analysts said in a report on Thursday.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said policymakers continued to expect inflation to stabilise at their target rate of 2% in the near term, while repeating her "baseline" expectation that she would stay until the end of her term.

Data released on Thursday showed the ECB sold some of its dollar assets early last year and reduced the weight of the dollar in its foreign exchange reserves.

Sterling weakened 0.52% to $1.3486. Domestic political risks remained a key driver, with traders focused on a byelection in Manchester, widely viewed as a key test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party.

The Chinese yuan strengthened against the dollar in offshore trade, rising 0.22% to 6.842 yuan, the strongest level in almost three years despite the central bank signalling it wanted to curb the currency's rapid gains.

Investors are keeping an eye on rising tensions between the United States and Iran. The countries made significant progress in talks aimed at resolving a longstanding nuclear dispute and averting new U.S. strikes on Iran, mediator Oman said on Thursday, amid a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell 2.01% to $67,554.
 
 

Japan raised its travel alert for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE to level two and strongly urged Japanese citizens to avoid travel to these nations, while those currently traveling are advised to remain vigilant and take extra precautions.

Jordan was also raised to level two for the entire country, with some border areas at a higher alert level.

This heightened danger level comes in the wake of the Saturday’s joint American and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which triggered a series of Iranian missile launches across the region, including strikes on Bahrain and Qatar.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard declared it had targeted a U.S. military base in both Bahrain and Qatar and signaled plans to strike more American sites in these countries, according to the Ministry’s Overseas Safety Department.

The Ministry raised the advisory level in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Province to level 2, recommending avoiding non-essential travel.

Level three, which advises against all travel, remains in effect for border areas with Yemen in Jazan, Asir, Najran, and the Eastern Province.

The border areas with Iraq remain at level 2, advising against non-essential travel. For the remainder of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry maintains level one, urging travelers to exercise extreme caution.

“Avoid non-essential travel to these countries, remain informed, and exercise heightened caution. Depending on the circumstances, implement appropriate safety measures, such as refraining from unnecessary outings. Please be aware of potential flight cancellations and delays,” the advisory stated.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry has also increased the danger level for Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jordan following recent attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.

The Gaza Strip and the area adjacent to the Lebanon border are now classified as level four, with Japanese citizens instructed to depart immediately. The entire West Bank is designated as level three, and travel to this region is strongly discouraged.

Iran remains at level four, Japan’s highest alert level.

All of Israel is now designated as level three or four, an increase from previous levels of two or three. The Ministry stated, “Please refrain from traveling to Israel.

Those already in Israel should ensure their own safety and consider leaving the country after checking the airport and commercial flight statuses. If you are unavoidably staying in the country, please exercise special caution and avoid areas where large numbers of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers are gathered.”

Most of the West Bank, except for Jericho, Bethlehem, Ramallah, the main roads connecting these cities to Jerusalem, and National Highways 1 and 90, remains at level three. Areas outside these specified locations have also been upgraded to level three. The Foreign Ministry stated: “Do not travel to the West Bank.”

Escalating clashes in Iran and the heightened risk of military conflict with the United States have prompted Japanese officials to warn that the Middle East may soon become significantly more dangerous.

The Ministry has recently expanded its level one advisory, which urges caution, to 55 countries, including the United States, Canada, and most European nations.
 
 

Japan has refrained from expressing outright support for the weekend launch of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran as Tokyo continued Sunday to gather information on the unfolding situation in the Middle East following the killing of longtime supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has instructed government ministries and agencies to analyze the potential impact of the attacks on sea and air transportation, as well as on the economy. She also vowed Saturday night to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in the region.

Takaichi has not expressed support for or criticism of the attacks against Iran launched Saturday by the United States, Japan's longtime ally, and Israel.
Japan has traditionally built friendly ties with Iran, viewing stability in the region as vital.

Ensuring the safe passage of vessels carrying oil and cargo through the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is also important for resource-scarce Japan.

In a phone conversation with other members of the Group of Seven nations, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reiterated Japan's position that it supports U.S. efforts to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear program "through dialogue," his ministry said.

Motegi reiterated that Japan will maximize its diplomatic efforts with the international community over the Iran situation, saying that Tehran's development of nuclear weapons "must never be allowed."

The killing of Khamenei, 86, who ruled Iran for over three decades, came after U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Middle East country. He announced Saturday on social media that Khamenei had been killed in the attacks, and Iran's state media later confirmed the death.

He was apparently frustrated over Tehran's handling of anti-government demonstrations and progress toward reaching a deal over its nuclear program through negotiations.

A senior executive of Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party also stayed clear of criticizing the attacks during an appearance on a Sunday television program of public broadcaster NHK. His comments drew an immediate rebuke from opposition lawmakers appearing on the same program who argued that such strikes violate international law.

"We cannot simply condemn it, considering Iran's attitude toward nuclear development," Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki, the No. 2 of the LDP, said.

Speaking of the impact on Japan, he said the attacks "could have a huge impact on people's daily lives and the economy." Japan relies heavily on the Middle East for crude oil.

Japanese nationals in Iran had already been advised to evacuate, with the Foreign Ministry urging caution among people living in or traveling to countries in the Middle East and beyond due to heightened geopolitical tensions.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Friday (Feb 27) that she opposes changing the imperial family's male succession rules.

The comments are her clearest on the issue - the subject of increasing debate as a succession crisis looms - since her party's landslide election victory this month.

Takaichi said she respected the conclusion of a panel of experts who had discussed the matter and found in 2021 that it was "appropriate to limit eligibility to those who are male-line male descendants belonging to the imperial lineage".

"The government, and I, myself as well, respect this report."

The premier previously warned that revising the imperial family's succession rules is "an urgent matter", although this would likely involve "adopting" new members.

During a policy speech last, she said that she hoped "discussions will deepen on how to ensure stable imperial succession ... leading toward the revision of the Imperial House Law".

Even though tradition dictates only a man can carry on the imperial line - which goes back 2,600 years according to legend - opinion polls have shown high public support for a woman taking the throne.

Emperor Naruhito has a daughter, Princess Aiko, but she has been sidelined by the royal family's male-only succession rules.

Japan has debated the royal succession for decades, with a key government panel in 2005 recommending that it pass to the oldest child regardless of their sex.

That appeared to pave the way for the emperor's daughter to rise to the Chrysanthemum Throne, but the birth of Prince Hisahito, the emperor's nephew, the following year silenced the debate.

In 2021, a government-appointed expert panel advised the government to consider allowing the imperial family to "adopt" new male members - distant relatives that could be brought back into the fold.

But it is unclear if those men would be willing to give up their careers and freedom to continue the lineage.

The panel also said royal daughters - currently forced to leave the family after marriage - could potentially continue their public duties after their nuptials.

Traditionalists have asserted that the "unbroken imperial line" of male succession is the foundation of Japan, and major changes would divide the nation.

Under the post-war constitution, the royal family holds no political power.
Historically, women who wed royals have faced intense pressure to produce sons and some family members are regular subjects of online and media gossip.

Empress Masako, a former high-flying diplomat, struggled for years with a stress-related illness after joining the household, which some have put down to the pressure to have a boy.

Emperess Emerita Michiko, Naruhito's mother, also suffered stress-induced illnesses.
 
 

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, on Friday agreed to allow the establishment of secondary capitals in multiple regions.

During working-level talks at the Diet, Japan's parliament, the LDP presented a proposal for allowing several regions to be secondary capitals, and it was accepted by the JIP, which had been calling for a framework effectively limiting the potential sites to the western city of Osaka, its home base.

"This was a big step toward creating legislation," Eikei Suzuki, an LDP member of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, said of the agreement reached at the meeting.

The two parties will begin drafting an outline for the legislation with the aim of submitting related bills to the ongoing Diet session.

The JIP had previously insisted that a region designated as a secondary capital must fulfill the requirement of realizing the metropolis plan, which involves abolishing an ordinance-designated city and reorganizing it into special wards.
 
 

The number of births in Japan fell to a record low last year, extending the trend for the 10th year in a row, according to a summary released by the health ministry on Thursday.

Preliminary data from the ministry shows that 705,809 babies were born in 2025, including those born in Japan to foreign nationals — down 15,179, or 2.1%, from a year earlier. The figure marks the 10th consecutive annual decline, and the lowest level since comparable records began in 1899.

Despite government efforts to reverse the plummeting birth rate, the annual number of births has neared 700,000 more than 15 years earlier than was projected in a 2023 forecast by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

While the rate has slowed from the over 5% annual drops recorded between 2022 and 2024, the longer-term trend remains stark. Over the past decade, annual births have fallen roughly 30%.

Deaths totaled 1,605,654, down 0.8% from a year earlier and marking the first decline in five years. Even so, the natural decrease in the population (the gap between births and deaths) widened to a record 899,845.

Births fell in 45 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Seven prefectures, including Shimane, Yamagata and Aomori, recorded declines of more than 5%.
Tokyo saw births rise 1.3% to 88,518, an increase of 4,311 from a year earlier and the first gain in nine years.

Ishikawa Prefecture also posted an increase, with births rising from 6,078 to 6,515. The rebound follows a sharp drop the previous year linked to the impact of the Noto Peninsula earthquake, on Jan. 1, and heavy rain damage.

About 30% of all births nationwide occurred in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which comprises Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures.

The number of marriages rose 1.1% to 505,656 in 2025, topping 500,000 for the first time in three years and marking a second straight annual increase as the wedding ceremony business recovers from the slump caused by COVID-19 restrictions. Divorces fell by 6,983 to 182,969.

Japan’s rapidly graying population and declining birth rate could further strain its social security and pension systems, which relies on contributions by working generations.

In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said, “The government recognizes that many people’s desire to have children has not been sufficiently fulfilled, and we haven’t been able to reverse the declining birth rate.”

“By achieving sustainable economic growth, raising incomes for younger generations and ensuring stable employment, we aim to alleviate anxieties about the future ... to create a society in which anyone who wishes to have children can do so, and raise them with peace of mind.”

Declining birth rates are a common issue worldwide. In France, known for its comprehensive support for child-rearing, deaths were higher than births in 2025 for the first time since World War II.
 
 

 
Private-sector weather firms in Japan have released their latest forecasts for when the buds on cherry trees in the country will start to open this spring. They say the Somei Yoshino variety will come into bloom earlier than usual in many areas.

The Japan Weather Association announced on Thursday that central Tokyo and Fukuoka City will see the country's earliest blossoming on March 20.
It predicts that they will be followed by the cities of Nagoya and Kochi on March 21, Hiroshima on March 22, Osaka on March 24, Sendai on April 1 and Sapporo on April 27.

The association said it made the forecasts based on a severe cold snap in January, many days of higher-than-average temperatures in February and relatively warmer-than-normal temperatures expected for March.

Another company, Weather Map, also announced on Thursday that this year's earliest blooming will be on March 16 in central Tokyo.

It said blossoms will appear in Nagoya, Kochi and Fukuoka on March 17, Hiroshima on March 19, Osaka on March 22, Sendai on April 2 and Sapporo on April 25.

Many locations are expected to see flowering earlier than average, with markedly early blooms expected in parts of eastern Japan.
 
 

The websites of multiple local governments in Japan have become inaccessible.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference Wednesday that the central government and others are gathering information to identify the cause of the problem.

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has asked prefectural governments to submit reports on the matter, the top government spokesman said.

As of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, affected local governments included the city of Ebetsu in Hokkaido, the city of Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture, the city of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the city of Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture and the city of Tosu in Saga Prefecture.

An error message appears when people try to access the websites of the municipalities.

In addition, the websites of Gunma Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture, the city of Mito, the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, the city of Toda in Saitama Prefecture, and the city of Nagasaki, the capital of the namesake prefecture, temporarily became inaccessible.
 
 

More than 300 lawmakers were given the option to choose an item from a gift catalogue "as an expression of appreciation for their success at this very tough election", said Sanae Takaichi on X, adding that no taxpayer money was used.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was under pressure on Wednesday (Feb 25) after it emerged she gave congratulatory gift catalogues to lawmakers from her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) following its landslide election victory this month.

More than 300 lawmakers were given the option to choose an item from the catalogue "as an expression of appreciation for their success at this very tough election", Takaichi wrote in a post on X, saying that no taxpayer money was used.

The revelation evokes a slush fund scandal that engulfed the LDP in 2023, sinking then-premier Fumio Kishida and fuelling voter anger that cost his successor Shigeru Ishiba's coalition a majority in both houses of parliament last year.

The news of the catalogues "could easily lead people to say, 'Prime Minister Takaichi, you too?'" Junya Ogawa, the leader of the main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, said on Tuesday.

"This is a new development in which she will be strictly held accountable," he wrote in a post on X.

Takaichi told parliament on Wednesday that the cost of each gift, plus shipping costs and tax, was about 30,000 yen (US$190) per person and was paid for by political funds from an LDP branch in Nara, which she heads.

She said on X that she also hoped the lawmakers' gifts "would be of use in their future work as legislators".

Japan's political funding law stipulates that individuals cannot make donations to candidates for public office, but donations can be made by political parties, including their local chapters.

Bunshun Online, a web version of the weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun, reported that the gift catalogue came from the well-known Kintetsu Department Store.

The store's website shows a range of catalogues. Customers can make an advance payment of 34,000 yen to send one of them to a friend, who then chooses an item inside, such as a bicycle, expensive crab meat or a stay at a luxury hotel.

Ishiba was criticised in March last year for allegedly handing out 100,000 yen's worth of gift certificates - paid for using his own money - to 15 first-term lower house members during a dinner.
 
 

The government is considering obliging airlines to refuse boarding to foreign nationals who do not apply for the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or JESTA, or whose applications have been turned down, an outline of a planned bill to revise the immigration control law showed Wednesday.

Also in the outline, the government indicated a plan to raise fees for foreign nationals applying for residency by up to 30 times.

The government plans to adopt the bill soon at a Cabinet meeting and submit it to the ongoing session of parliament.

Travelers subject to JESTA, which is planned to be introduced in fiscal 2028 to simplify passport control procedures, will be short-stay inbound visitors from visa-free countries.

In 2025, the number of short-term visitors entering Japan for tourism and other purposes was 38.46 million. Of them, around 80% came from visa-free countries.

Such travel authorization will not be needed by Japanese nationals and foreign residents of Japan.

With JESTA, the government aims to reduce congestion at airports by making post-arrival procedures more efficient through the utilization of prior screening, while tightening immigration controls to prevent illegal stays.

According to the outline, the bill calls for obliging airlines and shipping companies to submit passenger information such as names to the Immigration Services Agency during boarding procedures, and it stipulates that such firms would be prohibited from allowing the boarding of passengers whose entry the agency had not approved. It also seeks to impose fines of up to ¥500,000 on violators.

Reflecting rising administrative costs following increases in the number of foreign residents, the bill seeks to significantly raise fees for renewing periods of stay and other procedures, from up to ¥10,000 at present.

Fees are planned to be hiked to as much as ¥100,000 for renewing period of stay or changing residency status, and to up to ¥300,000 for permission for permanent residence, respectively. The actual level of the fees will vary with the length of stay.
 
 

The Maluku provincial government and the Japanese Consulate General explored opportunities for cooperation across strategic fields, ranging from investment and education to fisheries, agriculture, and the management of minerals, oil, and gas.

Maluku Deputy Governor Abdullah Vanath said in Ambon on Wednesday that his administration is committed to courting Japanese investment and supporting existing business projects, aiming to deliver tangible benefits to local residents.

"We are committed to seizing this opportunity to create jobs for the people of Maluku," he said.

He noted the education sector as one of the cooperation priorities, endorsing bilateral partnerships involving the University of Pattimura and other higher education institutions to boost the quality of human resources in the province.

The Maluku government, he added, also aims to strengthen vocational education to expand access for residents to secure employment in Japan, which he noted is facing a rising demand for manpower.

Shifting to the real economy, Vanath called for initiatives to strengthen Maluku’s agriculture and fisheries sectors to seize opportunities in export markets. He said he had instructed government aides to help local industries meet international standards.

For his part, Japanese Consul General Susumu Takonai recognized Maluku’s vast potential in both capture fisheries and aquaculture, which can be harnessed through technology transfers, human resource development, and the strengthening of supply chains and quality standards.

He spotlighted avenues for collaboration in the sustainable management of mineral resources and energy, voicing support for the development of the Masela Gas Block as one of Indonesia’s national strategic projects.

Takonai further referred to the education sector, endorsing student exchange programs, scholarships, and vocational capacity building to produce workers with skills required by industries.

Moreover, he expressed Japan’s readiness to provide grants for developing or procuring schools, hospitals, ambulances, and other basic infrastructure and facilities to enhance the quality of life in Maluku.
 

A Japanese national has ​been detained in Iran and must be swiftly released, the Japanese government said on Wednesday.

The person was detained ‌on January ‌20, ​Deputy ‌Chief ⁠Cabinet Secretary ​OZAKI Masanao ⁠told reporters. He gave no further details.

Radio Free Europe earlier reported that Shinnosuke Kawashima, the Tehran ⁠bureau chief of ‌Japan’s ‌public broadcaster, NHK, had ​been ‌arrested by Iran ‌and transferred to a Tehran prison.

NHK declined to confirm that an employee ‌of theirs had been detained.

“As NHK, we always ⁠act ⁠with the safety of our staff as the top priority. There is nothing we can answer at this stage,” a spokesperson said.
 
 

Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer.

It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it. Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day, located just 110km (68 miles) away.

Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have run high since November when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan.

The worry has long been that any attack on Taiwan, which counts the US as an ally, could result in a direct military conflict between Washington and Beijing, then widen to include other US allies in the region such as Japan.

Takaichi's remarks to parliament plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years and Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways - sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas.

Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the timeline for the missiles on Tuesday, a day after China imposed export curbs on 20 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security concerns.

Koizumi said the Yonaguni unit will be equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles able to intercept incoming aircraft and missiles.

With a range of about 50km and 360-degree capability, the Japanese-made missile system can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and engage up to 12 at once.

China has yet to react to Koizumi's announcement. But when Koizumi visited Yonaguni in November, Beijing said Japan was moving to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation".

Within days, China flew drones near the island to express its anger, prompting Japan to scramble aircraft jets in response.

The latest developments come after Takaichi secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month. That victory gave Takaichi political space to double down on boosting Japan's defence capabilities.

This makes the announcement on Yonaguni island more than just a military adjustment - it looks like the opening chapter for a more assertive Tokyo.

And as Takaichi bolsters the country's military and defence budget, such assertiveness seems unlikely to end here.

The Yonaguni announcement also shows where Japan sees its front line - and how far it is prepared to go to defend it.

Over the past decade, Japan has transformed sleepy Yonaguni into a military outpost, which currently handles coastal surveillance and is staffed by some 160 members of Japan's self-defence force.

An electronic warfare unit capable of disrupting enemy communications and radar will be set up there in fiscal year 2026, which runs from April to March next year.

The timing for the deployment of the missile unit "may change depending on the progress of future facility improvements, but the current plan is for fiscal year 2030", Koizumi said.
 
 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Japan next month as part of a three-nation Indo-Pacific tour, the Prime Minister’s Office said Monday.
Amid ongoing trade friction stemming from the tariff policy of U.S.

President Donald Trump’s administration, Canada appears eager to promote trade diversification and attract fresh investment through the prime minister’s 10-day trip to the three countries, also including India and Australia.

According to the Japanese government, Carney will visit Japan over March 6 and 7 on the final leg of the tour, which begins on Thursday, and hold a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders will also hold a working dinner.

The Carney-Takaichi meeting is designed to “strengthen mutual investment and partnerships in advanced manufacturing, critical minerals and food security,” the Canadian prime minister’s office said. They are also expected to discuss ways to enhance security cooperation, including to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, it added.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a news conference that Canada is “an important strategic partner for the realization of the free and open Indo-Pacific.”

“At a time when the international order has been shaken, Japan will work with countries that share fundamental values, including Canada, with the Japan-U.S. alliance at the center (of the efforts),” he added.
 
 

The Japanese government has put on hold a decision on whether to join the Board of Peace, which is led by U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve peace in Gaza, because of concerns among countries that he aims to replace the United Nations with it.

Japanese officials are now looking at other countries' responses while taking Tokyo's relations with Washington into consideration before making a decision.

"We are scrutinizing details in close communication with the United States and other countries concerned," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference last week when asked whether Japan would join the board.

The board is an international organization approved by the U.N. Security Council in November. Its founding members include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and World Bank President Ajay Banga.

Invitations to join the board have been sent to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other leaders. More than 25 countries have expressed their intention to participate, according to U.S. media.
 
 

The producer behind popular group XG was arrested along with three others in Aichi Prefecture on Monday on suspicion of possessing cocaine, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Junho Sakai, who works under the name of Simon, was arrested along with a 39-year-old U.S. music producer and two other men on suspicious of violating the Narcotic Control Law by possessing a bag of the drug at a hotel room, according to the MPD.

Sakai, a 39-year-old resident of Meguro Ward, Tokyo, and the three others were staying at the hotel when the MPD searched their room late Sunday.

The police discovered four bags of cocaine and a bag of dried cannabis.

According to the website of entertainment agency XGALX, Sakai started his career as a producer in 2013 under the name Jakops. XG, which consists of seven members, made its debut in 2022 and became the first group of Japanese performers to make it into Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart.
 

 

Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in is a relaxation space in downtown Tokyo’s Takadanobaba neighborhood. It’s a unique place, not just because it offers a spot for patrons to meditate or zone out for a while, but because they do so while lying down in coffins (kanoke in Japanese).

As shown in the photo above, Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in has an array of Japanese-style coffins, and the staff invites guests to “gaze at life through being conscious of death” through their 30-minute coffin sessions.

However, if the idea of lying in a box ordinarily meant for the dead is a little too morbid for you, Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in is now offering the opportunity to lie down in cute coffins.

These cute caskets are the creations of Tokyograve, a coffin maker proving that, yes, Japanese designers really can make anything cute. With their festive colors and accouterments, Tokyograve hopes to make the concept of inevitable death less grim and unsettling, and since that goal aligns very neatly with Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in’s, the two have decided to team up. 

 

Once a month, five Tokyograve coffins will be available for use for Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in sessions, either for use by solo customers or for groups of friends who want to occupy up to all five simultaneously.

Satisfied customers of such “coffin experience” events say they have come out of their sessions feeling unexpectedly positive and energetic, as ruminating on their eventual demise prompts big-picture realizations about the importance of treating others with kindness and being more cognizant of the positive aspects of their lives and capabilities.

Note, however, that Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in still cautions that participants should be in good physical and mental health, however, and those suffering from depression or claustrophobia are recommended to abstain from coffin meditation sessions.

 

Tokyograve coffins will be available at Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in on the first Saturday of every month, with sessions starting at 11 a.m. and 2 and 5 p.m. Reservations can be made online here.

Location information

Meiso Kukan Kanoke-in / 瞑想空間 かんおけin
Address: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Takadanobaba 1-29-7. Sky Palace Building 801
東京都新宿区高田馬場　1-29-7 スカイパレスビル 801
Website
 
 

Users of the Line messaging app topped 100 million at the end of last year in Japan, the operator said, with the service now offering a variety of communication platforms for individuals nearly 15 years after its launch in the wake of the 2011 mega earthquake.

The smartphone app was released in June 2011 by a predecessor of operator LY Corp., shortly after the magnitude-9.0 quake that devastated northeastern Japan three months earlier.

The disaster had prevented phone calls from getting through, and the demand for simple online communication was projected to grow.

The service originally only offered text messages, but that changed dramatically in October 2011 with the introduction of digital stickers featuring illustrations or images that users could use to express emotions.

The feature helps users to convey their emotions, Corporate Officer Daisuke Asai told Kyodo News in late January, adding that the app likely spread due to the faster pace of exchanges compared to emails.

The service also has 1.3 million official accounts run by companies and local governments and the operator is working to connect individuals with businesses via the app, such as enabling users to make restaurant reservations.

The population of Japan is some 120 million.

"There is still room for growth in business use," Asai said. "We'd like to make daily life more convenient, including shopping and communicating with local governments."

Meanwhile, the operator faces the challenges of protecting user privacy and preventing the app from being used for crimes such as fraud.

"We are collaborating with police and have established a system to immediately issue alerts (within the app) whenever new fraud schemes are identified," Asai said, adding the company is also prioritizing investment in data protection.
 
 

Japan earned a record number of Winter Olympics medals, at 24, at the 17-day Milan-Cortina Games that came to an end Sunday.

The Asian country clinched five golds, seven silvers and 12 bronzes, with the overall total exceeding its previous record of 18, logged at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Japan came fifth in the overall medal rankings. The country's five gold medals tie its highest tally to date set at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

 

A total of 121 Japanese athletes competed in the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Around 50 athletes and coaches from Japan attended the closing ceremony held in Verona, northern Italy, on Sunday, with figure skating silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto and speed skater Wataru Morishige serving as flag bearers.

The next Winter Olympics in 2030 will be held in the French Alps region, using the same decentralized hosting method as this year's event.
 


 

All 20 people, including two children, have been rescued from an elevator at Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo's Sumida Ward after being trapped there for more than 5 hours. No injuries have been reported.

Tokyo police and others say two elevators connecting to the observation deck stopped suddenly shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

One of them was empty, but the other carrying 20 people came to a halt about 30 meters above ground.

Police officers and others contacted the people inside by phone to look for ways to rescue them.

Rescuers from the fire department helped the people move to an adjacent elevator lowered to the same height and whose emergency door on its side was open.

All were freed at about 2 a.m. on Monday.

Police say no one was injured or complained of feeling unwell.
About 1,200 people were temporarily stranded on the observation deck. But they all came down by 11 p.m. using a different elevator.

A Tokyo Skytree spokesperson says the elevator in question has a capacity of 40 people, and it stopped while descending from the observation deck.
Police and others are looking into the cause of the trouble.
 
 

The Japanese and U.S. governments held working-level talks this week on China's alleged secret nuclear test and North Korea's nuclear and missile development, it was learned Saturday.

The meeting, which has been regularly held since 2010 to discuss extended deterrence, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, took place in Washington on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of State.

During the latest meeting, foreign affairs and defense officials from both governments also discussed the expiration of the New START nuclear disarmament treaty between the United States and Russia.

The U.S. side underscored the need for a multilateral arms control framework, and the Japanese side noted that a new framework should include both China and Russia.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday expressed hopes of deepening her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and strengthen cooperation between the two countries in rare earths development and other areas of economic security when she visits Washington next month.

Takaichi, at a news conference late Wednesday, expressed hopes to strengthen cooperation with the U.S., especially in economic security, as tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have risen over the last few months.

Takaichi, elected as Japan’s first female leader in October, was reappointed by Parliament as prime minister earlier in the day and formed her second Cabinet, following a landslide election win last week.

Her goals include an increase in military power, more government spending and ultra-conservative social policies.

Takaichi aims to use the mandate she got in the election to boost her ruling Liberal Democratic Party as it looks to capitalize on a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two parliamentary chambers.


The power of a supermajority

Having two-thirds control of the 465-seat lower house allows Takaichi’s party to dominate top posts in house committees and push through bills rejected by the upper house, the chamber where the LDP-led ruling coalition lacks a majority.

Takaichi wants to bolster Japan’s military capability and arms sales, tighten immigration policies, push male-only imperial succession rules and preserve a criticized tradition that pressures women into abandoning their surnames.

Her ambition to revise the U.S.-drafted postwar pacifist Constitution might have to wait, for now, as she is facing pressure to deal with rising prices, a declining population and worries about military security.


Addressing rising prices

Her first urgent task is to address rising prices and sluggish wages and pass a budget bill to fund those measures, delayed by the election.

Takaichi proposes a two-year sales tax cut on food products to ease household living costs. She told

Experts caution that her liberal fiscal policy could drive up prices and delay progress on trimming Japan’s huge national debt.


Courting Trump

Takaichi is maneuvering for a crucial summit next month with Trump, who will visit Beijing in April.

The U.S. president endorsed Takaichi ahead of the Japanese election, and hours before Takaichi’s reappointment as prime minister, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced Japan will provide capital for three projects under a $550 billion investment package that Japan pledged in October.

Japan is committed to the $36 billion first batch of projects — a natural gas plant in Ohio, a U.S. Gulf Coast crude oil export facility and a synthetic diamond manufacturing site.

Takaichi said she hoped to “closely cooperate” with Trump in the first investment inititives at the talks scheduled for March 19.

Japan is also under pressure to increase annual defense spending.
”Japan will keep spending more and more for the U.S. ... The question is whether the public wants her to speak out against Trump or be obedient to ensure Japanese security,” said Masato Kamikubo, a Ritsumeikan University professor of policy science.

“For China, it’s simple. Japanese people want her to be tough.”


A hawk on China

Takaichi in November suggested possible Japanese action if China makes a military move against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own. That has led to Beijing’s diplomatic and economic reprisals.

Many Japanese, frustrated by China’s growing assertiveness, welcomed her comments on Taiwan.

Emboldened by the big election win, Takaichi could take a more hawkish stance with China, experts say.

Takaichi, soon after the election, said she is working to gain support for a visit to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine. Visits to the shrine are seen by Japan’s neighbors as evidence of a lack of remorse for Japan’s wartime past.


A stronger military that spends more and sells more

Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan’s military capabilities, lifting a ban on lethal weapons exports and moving further away from postwar pacifist principles.

Japan is also considering the development of a nuclear-powered submarine to increase offensive capabilities.

Takaichi wants to improve intelligence-gathering and establish a national agency to work more closely with ally Washington and defense partners like Australia and Britain.

She supports a controversial anti-espionage law that largely targets Chinese spies. Some experts say it could undermine Japanese civil rights.


Stricter on immigration and foreigners

Takaichi has proposed tougher policies on immigration and foreigners, something that resonates with a growing frustration in Japan.

Her government in January approved tougher rules on permanent residency and naturalization as well as measures to prevent unpaid tax and social insurance.


Promoting traditional family values

Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession and opposes same-sex marriage.

She is also against a revision to the 19th-century civil law that would allow separate surnames for married couples so that women don’t get pressured into abandoning theirs.

In a step that rights activists call an attempt to block a dual-surname system, Takaichi is calling for a law to allow the greater use of maiden names as aliases instead.
 
 

The government will send Parliamentary Vice Minister for the Cabinet Office Naoki Furukawa to this year's annual ceremony for the Takeshima Islands, minister for territorial issues Jiro Akama has said.

Furukawa will attend the Takeshima Day ceremony in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, planned for Sunday. The Sea of Japan islands are now under the effective control of South Korea, which calls them Dokdo.

In last year's leadership race of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Sanae Takaichi, who was later elected prime minister, argued that the central government should have a Cabinet minister attend the ceremony.

She apparently changed her position in light of improving ties between Japan and South Korea, especially as China ramps up pressure on Tokyo.

The decision to send Furukawa was "the result of consideration within the government based on various circumstances," Akama told a news conference.
 
 

Japanese superstar Kaori Sakamoto said her feeling was one of "frustration" after missing out on Olympic gold in her final figure skating competition on Thursday.
 
"I was aiming for the gold medal. The frustration of not being able to win it is really hitting me right now," said Sakamoto, 25, who took silver behind American Alysa Liu.
 
"I thought I might be able to finish with a smile, but instead I'm ending it with this sense of frustration. Still, I think feeling this way will be important for the rest of my life."
 
Sakamoto had been looking for a fairytale Olympic swansong and had been well-positioned just 1.48 points behind 17-year-old teammate Ami Nakai after Tuesday's short program, with Liu in third position.
 
But skating to a version of "Non, je ne regrette rien" Sakamoto lost points for not doing her planned triple combination jump.
 
It cost her dearly as she finished just 1.89 points behind Liu, who surged to gold with her Donna Summer's disco version of "MacArthur Park".
 
"The points I lost on those mistakes were exactly the margin that cost me the gold medal. That’s the most frustrating part -- I know I left something out there," Sakamoto said.
 
Competing in her third Olympics after finishing sixth in 2018 Pyeongchang and third in 2022 Beijing, she finishes her career with four Olympic medals -- three of them silver including two in the team event.
 
Sakamoto said her coach had told her that she could "nurture a future gold medalist. So maybe you’ll see me as a coach at the Olympics."
 
Nakai grabbed bronze as 20-year-old Japanese teammate Mone Chiba finished fourth, both competing in their first Olympics.
 
"Ami and Mone, who shared this experience with me, both skated with such strength that you wouldn't think it was their first Olympic Games," said Sakamoto, who had dominated the sport since 2022.
 
She won three world titles before Liu took gold ahead of her at last year's world championships.
 
"Next season even stronger skaters will emerge, but I believe Japan will continue to be strong," said Sakamoto. "At the next Olympic Games, I’m sure there will again be many Japanese skaters standing on the podium."
 
Nakai belied her years as the youngest competitor in Milan.
 
"I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be," she said after including a difficult triple Axel jump in her "What a Wonderful World" program.
 
"Watching everyone else fight so hard made me think, 'I’ll give it everything too'," said Nakai. "Just skating on this dream stage was already incredible, but to win a medal feels like a dream come true."
 
She paid tribute to Sakamoto who is affectionately called "big sister" by her teammates.
 
"I’ve seen how hard Kaori has worked, so seeing her today honestly made me emotional too," said the teenager. "She’s achieved so much and won so many medals - she’s truly an amazing skater. Sharing the podium with her at the Olympic Games is something I’ll always treasure."
 
She added: "I didn't expect to be at the Olympics and now I am wearing a bronze medal at my first Games. I think I can participate in two more Olympics, just like Kaori has done."
 
Chiba rued finishing fourth, 1.28 behind Nakai.
 
"The result was not what I had hoped for. I feel half frustrated and half satisfied that I gave it everything. It’s a very complicated feeling.”
© 2026 AFP
 

Japanese company Luminaris announces the opening of their virtual cram school where all instructors are real-life VTubers.

Japanese company Luminaris, which operates a cram school in Tokyo, recently announced the opening of Virtual Cram School Wish High, their brand-new online school in which all of the teachers are VTubers.

As reported by ITMedia News, the company already has experience with “VTuber-based” educational services, offering courses for middle schoolers and businesses.

According to Luminaris, Wish High will be the first ever cram school for high schoolers in Japan where all classes are taught by VTubers.

Set to officially launch on March 1st, the service targets high schoolers who live in rural areas that don’t have access to cram schools or don’t attend school (non-attendance is legal in Japan).

All of the instructors are VTubers covering high-school level subjects such as math, English, physics, chemistry, classic literature, world history, Japanese history, and geography.

What’s interesting about them though, is that they are not just “educators with animated avatars,” but actual VTubers who work as individual content creators and have their own personal channels where they do livestreams and playthroughs.

https://youtu.be/OIxhMIU1L5o

Of course, despite the service being marketed for “highschoolers,” the video courses are available to anyone who is willing to learn or brush up their high school knowledge, regardless of age or educational level.

On top of the paid monthly lessons, which go for around 9,900 yen, or about $65 USD, Wish High has also set up a YouTube channel where students can get to know their teachers “outside of class.”

To commemorate the school’s grand opening and introduce the new cast of instructors, Wish High will also be holding two special livestreams this month, where we’ll get to see the teachers interact as a full-blown VTuber group while also hearing about their planned curriculums.

Virtual Cram School Wish High is set to open on March 1st in Japan only.
 
 

Japan Coast Guard personnel have put on a training session for officials from a group of Southeast Asian countries. The aim was to enhance their capabilities in tracking and monitoring suspicious vessels.

The session in the Java Sea involved a Coast Guard aircraft that was dispatched to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

The 10 officials who attended included representatives from the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency as well as organizations in the Philippines and Malaysia.

The Coast Guard members demonstrated how to use a radar to gauge the size and location of a ship. They also explained how to operate a camera that can automatically track objects.

Indonesia faces the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping lane. Takahashi Toru, deputy director general of the Japan Coast Guard, expressed hope that by cooperating with Southeast Asian nations, Japan can contribute to "protecting rule of law at sea, and ensure a free and open Indo Pacific."

Japan has a long history of supporting Indonesia's maritime capabilities. But Jakarta is now deepening its maritime ties with China, which is increasingly active in the South China Sea.
 

Mainland Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 60.7 percent in January year-on-year, figures showed Feb 18, in the continued fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat.

"Last year, the lunar new year began in late January, but this year it fell in mid-February," the Japan National Tourism Organization said as it published the data.

"Additionally, the Chinese government issued a warning advising against travel to Japan. Factors such as reduced flight frequencies also contributed to the number of foreign visitors to Japan falling below the level of the same month last year," a statement said.

Previously Chinese visitors were the biggest contingent, contributing to a tourism boom in the land of cherry blossom and Mount Fuji that was fueled by a weak yen making shopping cheap.

But in January this year, South Korea was the biggest source with 1.2 million visitors, up 21.6 percent, compared with 385,300 from mainland China, down from 980,520 in January 2025.

Visitors from Hong Kong also tumbled 17.9 percent.

Overall the number of visitors to Japan fell 4.9 percent to 3.597 million in January compared to the same period last year.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force.

China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious.

Beijing summoned Tokyo's ambassador and on November 14 warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan, citing "significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens".

The number of Chinese visitors to Japan already tumbled 45 percent in December to 330,000.

In December, J-15 jets from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan.

China also tightened controls on exports to Japan for items with potential military uses, fuelling worries that Beijing may choke supplies of vital rare-earth minerals.

Japan's last two pandas were even returned to China last month.
Takaichi, 64, was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan's first woman prime minister in October.

She won a landslide victory in snap elections on Feb 8, putting her in a strong position for the next four years to stamp her mark on Japanese domestic and foreign policy.

Takaichi said after her election win that Tokyo would bolster its defences and "steadfastly protect" its territory.

She also said she was "open to various dialogues with China".
But China's foreign ministry said "genuine dialogue should be built on respect for one another".

"Proclaiming dialogue with one's mouth while engaging in confrontation — no one will accept this kind of dialogue," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Feb. 17.

Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi told the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14 that forces in Japan were seeking to "revive militarism".
 
 

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that the country will host a ministerial meeting on the utilization of artificial intelligence in March.

She made the announcement in a video message sent to the ongoing AI Impact Summit in India.

The ministerial conference, to be held in Tokyo, will be attended by member economies of the Friends Group, which supports the Hiroshima AI Process, a framework among the Group of Seven advanced countries for discussions on AI-related international rules.

The Hiroshima AI Process was launched in May 2023 following the G-7 summit held in the western Japan city of Hiroshima that month. The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union.

In the video message, Takaichi highlighted the importance of international cooperation in building "a safe, secure and trustworthy AI ecosystem."
 
 

Japan's House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, on Wednesday named Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi as prime minister.

The decision was made through a vote at a plenary meeting during a special Diet session that was convened for a 150-day run on the same day, following the Feb. 8 Lower House election.

 

Elsewhere during the day's meeting, former Justice Minister Eisuke Mori of the LDP was chosen as Lower House speaker and Keiichi Ishii of the major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance as vice speaker.

The House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, will also hold a similar vote later in the day to elect the prime minister.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, Takaichi's cabinet resigned en masse after the prime minister's ruling LDP secured over two-thirds of the 465 seats in the all-important Lower House. In October last year, Takaichi became Japan's first female prime minister.
 

 

Japan is considering a ban on the use of power banks on flights following incidents in which batteries have emitted smoke or caught fire in aircraft.

An NHK report Wednesday said the transportation ministry has notified domestic airlines that the rule will go into effect in April.

The prohibition covers the use of portable batteries to charge electronic devices as well as charging portable batteries using in-flight power outlets.

Each passenger will still be allowed to carry up to two power banks with them onto a flight, according to the report.

A Civil Aviation Bureau official told The Japan Times that the measure is still being discussed and that a policy will likely be announced around late March.

Less than a year ago, the ministry announced new regulations requiring passengers on flights to keep external batteries within sight.

It has already prohibited passengers from storing power banks in checked baggage. All batteries rated at 160 watt-hours or higher are already prohibited from checked and carry-on baggage.

Incidents involving portable batteries have occurred worldwide.
Last October, an Air China flight from Hangzhou to Incheon was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai after a fire broke out in an overhead bin. The airline said the fire was caused by a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage.

Also in the same month, a portable battery emitted smoke onboard an ANA flight from Naha to Tokyo. The fire was extinguished and the flight continued to its destination.
 
 

Visitors to Japan fell 4.9 per cent in January from the previous year to mark the first decline in four years, government data showed on Wednesday (Feb 18), as Chinese tourists stayed away amid simmering tensions between the two Asian nations.

Inbound visitors totalled 3,597,500, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) said, falling for the first time since January 2022.

The drop was driven largely by a 61 per cent fall in arrivals from China to 385,300. 

Beijing has been urging its citizens to avoid travel to Japan since November, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary comments that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a “survival-threatening situation” and trigger a potential military response from Tokyo.

The shift in the Lunar New Year holiday season, which fell in mid-February this year rather than late January in 2025, also weighed on arrivals.

South Korea remained the top source of visitors, jumping 22 per cent to 1.176 million - a record for a single month and the first time any country or region surpassed the 1.1 million mark.

Arrivals from Taiwan rose 17 per cent to 694,500, while visitors from the United States grew 14 per cent to 207,800. Hong Kong registrations fell 18 per cent to 200,000.

Japan's inbound tourism had been climbing steadily since pandemic-era restrictions were lifted, with monthly volumes frequently exceeding pre-COVID levels. 
 
 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not send any Cabinet minister to an annual ceremony for the Takeshima islets, now under effective control of South Korea, in Shimane Prefecture, sources have said.

As usual, the Cabinet Office's parliamentary vice minister will attend the Takeshima Day ceremony to highlight the Japanese claim on the group of islets in the Sea of Japan, called Dokdo by South Korea, government sources said Monday.

The prefectural government and other local bodies are scheduled to organize this year's ceremony in Matsue on Sunday.

During last year's race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidency, Takaichi argued that the central government should have a Cabinet minister take part in the ceremony regardless of a possible backlash from Seoul.

Now that she has become prime minister, however, Takaichi is trying to further improve ties with the neighboring East Asian country.

She agreed with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to forge future-oriented bilateral relations in their first-ever summit in the South Korean city of Gyeongju last October and had a drumming session with Lee after their second summit in Nara, Takaichi's hometown, in January.

In view of China, Russia and North Korea strengthening cooperation and the United States demanding its allies boost defense spending, Tokyo and Seoul also find it important to enhance their security partnership.

As part of such effort, the Air Self-Defense Force — in an unprecedented move — supplied fuel to South Korean Air Force aircraft last month.
 
 

Cases of infectious gastroenteritis caused by the norovirus and other viruses have increased in Japan for the fifth consecutive week.

The disease, also called stomach flu, causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
People can be infected by eating food contaminated with a pathogen, or while disposing of a patient's bodily waste.

The Japan Institute for Health Security analyzed reports from about 2,000 pediatric medical institutions nationwide.

The number of patients per clinic was 9.48 in the week through February 8, up slightly from the previous week. The number of cases remains high for this season.

By prefecture, Gunma had 17.4 patients per clinic, Oita 16.58, Tokyo 14.34, Shimane 13.82 and Ishikawa 13.14.

Japan's health ministry says wiping floors and other places with sodium hypochlorite, and placing clothes for over one minute in hot water at 85 degrees Celsius or hotter, are effective in preventing the spread of infections.

The ministry and local governments are urging thorough handwashing and disinfection.
 
 

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara secured gold in figure skating pairs at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Monday, the first Olympic medal of any color in the event for Japan.

With this, Japan's medal tally at the ongoing Games reached 18, equaling its all-time Winter Olympics record marked in the previous 2022 event held in Beijing.

 

The figure skating pairs medal, the country's fourth gold at the ongoing sporting festival, matched its highest-ever gold medal haul in a Winter Olympics held outside Japan. The country has bagged five silver and nine bronze medals at Milan-Cortina.

After getting off to a shaky start in fifth place in the short program, 6.90 points behind the leading German pair, on Sunday, Miura, 24, and Kihara, 33, hammered out a free skate world record score of 158.13 on Monday, earning a total score of 231.24 to clinch the top spot on the podium.

 

This was Japan's fourth Olympic figure skating gold, after Shizuka Arakawa for the women's event at the 2006 Turin Games in Italy and Yuzuru Hanyu for the men's event in the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia and the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea.
 
 

 

The Japanese government is working to update its vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Monday.

The vision "needs to be evolved in the most appropriate way to adapt to changing times" 10 years after it was put forward by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kihara said at a press conference.

"The international situation surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly challenging," Kihara said, apparently referring to China's increasing influence and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kihara said that the government will add responses to new challenges such as economic security and technology competition to the vision while retaining its core principles of upholding freedom and the rule of law.
 
 

Japanese speed skater Miho Takagi won her second bronze medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday when she finished third in the women's 500 meters.

Dutchwoman Femke Kok took gold in an Olympic record 36.49 seconds, with her compatriot and 1,000 gold medalist Jutta Leerdam crossing 0.66 behind for silver.

Takagi, who won bronze in the 1,000, clocked 37.27 at Milano Speed Skating Stadium to reach the podium in the 500 for the second straight Olympics, having taken silver in 2022 in Beijing.

"Although my ranking dropped one place from the last Olympics in Beijing, I didn't think things would go so smoothly this time, so I'm honestly happy that I was able to win a medal," said Takagi, who now has two gold, four silver and three bronze medals in her Olympic career.

 

Takagi's first 100 meters were the fourth-fastest in the 29-woman field, a fact she was particularly pleased about.

"I went out with the intention of hitting 10.3 seconds at the start. The skater in my pair was also very fast, so for a moment I felt as if I might be behind, but I was able to go through 100 meters -- I think it may have been a personal best -- in 10 seconds, so that was one positive," she said.

"That said, if I reflect on it, I didn't quite maintain my speed in the later phase, so that's something I need to correct going forward."

Of the other Japanese, Rio Yamada finished ninth and Yukino Yoshida 13th.
 
 

There has been a noted increase in specialty shops and recipe searches online.

The popularity of “high-hydration bread,” made from dough with a high water content and characterized by its soft, elastic texture, is on the rise.

An increasing number of shops are offering it, with some bakeries specializing in this type. Home bakers are also increasingly interested in it, as evidenced by a rise in recipe searches online.

High-hydration bread is also called high water content bread.
According to Hiroyuki Miyazaki, a baking instructor at Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, the water content in bread dough varies by type, but most contain around 65% of the flour weight. Dough with a hydration rate of 80% or more is classified as high-hydration bread.

High-hydration breads, such as the Lodeve that originated in southern France, Germany’s bread Seelen and Italy’s Ciabatta, are traditionally known among bakers, but rarely found in shops.

About 10 years ago, however, there was a notable increase in the number of shops selling high-hydration bread and in the quantities of the breads themselves, indicating a rise in customer interest.

Miyazaki characterizes high-hydration bread as “being moist, having a uniquely chewy texture and becoming less dry over time.” On the other hand, the dough can be difficult to handle, due to the sticky texture caused by high water content.

At bread and Western confectionery shop Point Pour Point in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, where among 40 to 50 bread varieties are sold, all except croissants are high-hydration bread.

One popular item, the oatmeal bread (¥350 plus tax), has a hydration rate reaching 135%. Its golden-brown crust offers a soft bite, while the inside is moist, tender and subtly sweet. Oatmeal is added to the dough after being cooked with water five times its weight.

Shop representative Kentaro Takeuchi learned bread-making over a period of five years at a shop in the city and another in Fukuoka, both famous for high-hydration bread.

In July 2022, he began producing and selling high-hydration bread at his family-run Western confectionery shop. His customer base is broad, including foreigners and elderly people.

“The textures of our bread are often praised as being ‘easy to chew’ and ‘going down smoothly’,’’ Takeuchi said.

 

Crispy surface when baked

Many high-hydration bread products are sold without publicity or mention.
Cascade, a bakery company based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, which operates 16 shops mainly in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area, launched its high-hydration white bread Meihou (¥330 per loaf, plus tax) about 20 years ago.

The company currently offers six products, including the Nama France varieties (walnut bread for ¥190, cheese bread for ¥200, plus tax). These products have a hydration rate of 100% or higher.

According to Kazuya Okada, deputy factory manager at the company’s Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi factory, the Meihou was developed to create a soft, chewy texture closer to Japan’s rice-based food culture. Its crisp texture when toasted was well-received, making it the most popular regular item among the company products.


Dough for professional use

High-hydration dough for professional use is also available.
In February 2020, Nagoya-based Pasco Shikishima Corp. launched Kokusan Komugi no Lodeve (Lodeve made from wheat grown in Japan), a frozen dough sold to supermarkets and bakeries.

There are currently five varieties, including one that is chocolate flavored. Its positive reception comes mainly from being frozen after shaping, ensuring efficient baking in shops and consistent quality.

 

Home bakers’ interest

Home bakers are also becoming interested in high-hydration bread.
As of Dec. 22, there were 122 “high-hydration” recipes posted on the Cookpad recipe search site.

According to the site’s operating company, searches for “high-hydration” began increasing around 2022, with the search frequency in 2025 being about 2.26 times higher than 2024.

Takako Kotake, head of the company’s public relations department, said: “In 2022, public interest in fresh textures such as ‘moist’ and ‘chewy’ surged.

In 2025, a similar texture trend resurfaced with products like ‘mochimochi [chewy] doughnuts.’ The rise in searches for high-hydration bread corresponds with this increased demand for the textures. I see high-hydration bread’s popularity as part of the trend.”
 
 

Fake social media accounts impersonating Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka, who is also a Nobel laureate, have been spotted on social media, according to the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, the institute where he serves as honorary director.

Yamanaka is a leading researcher on human iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012.

According to the institute, it has discovered fake accounts claiming to be Yamanaka on Facebook and other platforms.

Since December, numerous photos have been posted on the Facebook account, including one that appears to be of Yamanaka finishing a marathon.

The institute issued a warning that “there is a risk that visitors may be directed to inappropriate sites.”

It is unknown who created the fake account and for what purpose they posted such things. The institute said that it has not received any reports of damage caused by the posts at this time.

On Thursday evening, the institute posted on its X account, “Prof. Yamanaka has not opened any social media accounts, including Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok.”
 
 

 

A 17-year-old boy was killed in a stabbing in Osaka’s popular Dotonbori entertainment district around midnight Sunday, the Osaka Prefectural Police said, adding that they were investigating the case as a homicide.

Two other 17-year-old boys were also taken to a hospital after being stabbed. One remains in critical condition and unconscious, while the other was also seriously injured.

About 10 hours after a suspect fled the scene, police arrested 21-year-old Ryoga Iwasaki over the stabbings.

“I had no intent to kill. I was just going to intimidate them with a knife, but a man came at me and I stabbed him in the chest,” the suspect told police. When Iwasaki was apprehended, he was in possession of the knife used in the attack.

Ryunosuke Kamada, an office worker from Nara Prefecture, was taken to a hospital but died after being stabbed multiple times in his chest and other parts of his body.

Kamada, the other two victims and Iwasaki apparently knew each other and frequented the area known as Gurishita located near the famous Glico sign in Dotonbori.

The four had reportedly been involved in a dispute just before the incident.
Authorities received an emergency call from a passerby early Sunday reporting that people had been stabbed at the first-floor entrance of a building in the Dotonbori district.

The area briefly became chaotic as police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene of the incident.

A 75-year-old security guard who was inside the building at the time reported hearing a thud followed by screaming. When the guard looked at the entrance of the building, he saw a young man clutching his abdomen and chasing someone.

The security guard followed and found a man collapsed and unconscious by a nearby bridge. Bloodstains marked the path from the building to where he had collapsed.

Iwasaki was arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly fatally stabbing Kamada.
 
 

The Japanese government on Wednesday officially turned over five coastal radar systems to the Philippines as part of efforts to bolster Manila’s maritime domain awareness amid China’s continuing aggressive actions in the region.

The radars were part of Japan’s official security assistance for fiscal year 2023, the year the grant aid framework for like-minded countries was established.

“The South China Sea is a vital sea lane for many countries through which a large portion of our trade and energy supplies pass. Safety, openness, and stability of these waters are therefore of direct importance to our own security and prosperity,” Japanese ambassador Kazuya Endo said in his speech during the handover ceremony.

“Enhancing the Philippines’ maritime domain capability is not only an investment in the Philippines’ security, but also a meaningful contribution to regional and global stability,” he added, without mentioning China, which claims these waters almost entirely.

Beijing’s coast guard and military vessels have repeatedly engaged in aggressive encounters with Philippine ships near disputed shoals and atolls within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine Navy will be the end user of the coastal radars, amounting to JPY 600 million (P228 million). The package includes radar units, surveillance and monitoring equipment, communications systems, and other support components.

“Once operational by the Philippine Navy, they are expected to significantly enhance the country’s maritime domain awareness by improving the ability to monitor activities in the surrounding waters,” Endo said.

The Philippines is the only country that has been a recipient of the OSA for three consecutive years. For the second fiscal year, the Philippines is expected to receive JPY 900 million worth of rigid-hulled inflatable boats.

For the current fiscal year, Japan will fund the construction of facilities for these boats, the first infrastructure project under the OSA.

Philippines’ Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., in his remarks, thanked the Japanese government for its contributions and expressed confidence that the relationship between the two countries will continue to deepen.

“Japan’s approach to its bilateral relations with the Philippines has been rooted in fundamental sincerity and values. Unlike the transactional approach to diplomatic relationships by other countries full of guile and full of insincerity in this regard, which is why approaches by countries who approach the Philippines with guile and insincerity have been soundly rejected by the Filipino people, unlike a partner country like Japan and other countries, which is welcomed with warm embrace by the Filipino people,” said Teodoro, a known China critic, without naming the country directly.

Last month, the Philippines and Japan signed a new deal called the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, which will permit the tax-free provision of supplies and services between the two nations when they undertake joint military exercises.

This was in support of the Reciprocal Access Agreement that the two countries signed in 2024.