Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering visiting South Korea later this month for talks with President Lee Jae Myung, diplomatic sources said Friday.

During her planned visit currently being arranged for two days from May 19, Takaichi is expected to discuss bilateral cooperation with South Korea in energy security amid disruptions of crude oil transportation following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, according to the sources.

The Japanese and South Korean leaders are likely to meet in the southeastern city of Andong, Lee's hometown, and affirm collaboration in economic security, including strengthening critical mineral supply chains, the sources said.

The move would be part of a bilateral practice of leader-level reciprocal visits dubbed "shuttle diplomacy." Tokyo and Seoul have kept good relations in recent years after recovering from their lowest point in decades due to wartime history and territorial issues.

Takaichi, who took office in October, and Lee met in January in the western Japan city of Nara, the capital of her home prefecture, agreeing to continue the mutual visit practice and promote cooperation in various fields.

Reciprocal visits by leaders of the two countries started in 2004 but had stalled since 2011 in the face of disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

The visits resumed in 2023 after progress in a row regarding compensation demands from South Koreans over wartime labor. Lee became president in June 2025 after his predecessor was impeached as his short-lived declaration of martial law sparked protests.

The two Asian neighbors have faced a common challenge of securing oil and petroleum products in the wake of the Middle East conflict since late February that has disrupted global energy supplies, as they heavily rely on crude oil imports from the region.

Japan and South Korea have also been bolstering their security cooperation bilaterally and trilaterally with their common ally, the United States, given North Korea's missile and nuclear programs and China's intensifying military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
 
 

While concerts by Japanese singers at large venues in China have been canceled one after another since last November, small-scale events such as anime-themed gatherings have continued

Amid deteriorating Japan-China relations, events related to Japanese anime remain popular. The number of people, particularly young people, who are becoming familiar with Japanese culture is increasing, and it seems they are taking the government’s criticism of Japan in stride.

On May 1, as China’s May Day holidays began, a Pokémon-themed event was held in a park in central Shanghai, where families enjoyed taking photos in front of a model of the popular character Pikachu.

“I don’t worry about the deterioration of China-Japan relations,” said a 35-year-old IT company employee who visited the park with two family members. “I like what I like. Nothing can replace Pokémon.”

While concerts by Japanese singers at large venues in China have been canceled one after another since last November, small-scale events such as anime-themed gatherings have continued.

In Beijing, a shop and cafe selling merchandise related to the famous Japanese weekly manga anthology magazine Shonen Jump opened at the end of April and has been popular.

In mid-April, a pop-up store themed on the beloved Japanese children’s hero Anpanman opened in a Shanghai department store, drawing crowds of customers eager to buy character-shaped bread.

A 38-year-old software company employee said, “I hope relations between China and Japan get better soon.”
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday emphasized the importance of privacy protection during parliamentary discussions on a government bill to set up a national intelligence council aimed at enhancing the country's intelligence capabilities.

On medium- to long-term strategies for the government's intelligence activities, Takaichi told a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, "We will consider measures to ensure that the government does not collect or provide information in ways that unnecessarily infringe on personal data or privacy."

 

The bill, which last month cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, entered deliberations in the Upper House, with the prime minister attending the plenary meeting in which the bill's purpose was explained and a question-and-answer session was held.

 

Takaichi also said that the bill would neither create new investigative powers to make it easier to collect information from people nor expand existing powers.

 

Elsewhere in the meeting, Makiko Dogomi, an Upper House lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party for the People, underlined the importance of securing personnel with know-how on artificial intelligence and economic security at a national intelligence bureau that would serve as the council's secretariat.
 
 

A major defense equipment fair is underway in Istanbul, bringing together more than 1,700 firms from across the globe.

The five-day exhibition opened on Tuesday. Various defense technologies, including the latest in drones and defense systems, are being showcased.
Turkey's defense industry has experienced rapid growth as an exporter of drones.

The Japanese government last year reached an agreement with Turkey, a member of NATO, to enhance defense cooperation.

Against this backdrop, officials from the two nations exchanged notes of agreement confirming their commitment to expand cooperation in the field of defense equipment.

Both sides expect private-sector firms from the two countries to strengthen ties by jointly developing defense equipment, including drones.

Fukawa Hideki, councilor for Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, said Turkey's defense equipment and defense industry have shown remarkable growth.

He added he believes that when the two sides share their expertise, they can create better equipment.
 
 

The risk of hantavirus spreading in Japan through person-to-person transmission is low, even if infected passengers from a cruise ship linked to a recent outbreak enter the country, the health ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry called on the public to remain calm, after three people died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. A Japanese national is among passengers on the ship.

Hantaviruses are transmitted mainly through the excreta of infected rodents. Once infected, the virus can cause symptoms including fever and cough, and has a mortality rate of around 40 to 50 pct, according to the ministry.

Person-to-person transmission has been reported only for some viruses and there have been no confirmed hantavirus cases in Japan, the ministry said.

The ministry is warning travelers at quarantine stations of the virus and asking those experiencing unusual health conditions to check for any past contact with rodents and seek medical attention as necessary.
 
 

Over 60% of people in Japan plan to do something for their mother or mother-in-law for Mother's Day on Sunday, a survey by Tokyo-based research company Intage has shown.

The survey, conducted online in late March, covered people age 15 to 79 who are registered as Intage questionnaire respondents. Valid responses were received from 5,000 of them.

Of about 3,600 respondents who said they had a mother or mother-in-law, 64.6% answered that they will do something for the occasion.

Asked about their plans, 21.2%, the biggest proportion, said they will give confectioneries. Those who chose flowers came next at 17.6%, while 14.4% said they will express their gratitude by saying thank you.

Meanwhile, the survey highlighted differences in expectations between mothers and their children by asking mothers what they would be happy to receive for Mother's Day.

Among some 1,300 mothers surveyed, the largest group, at 31.7%, said that they would be happy if they receive words of gratitude. Meanwhile, 31.1% said they would appreciate confectioneries, followed by 23.2% who preferred spending time together as a family, such as having meals.

Amid persisting inflation, other Intage surveys conducted this year, including those on spending for cherry blossom-viewing gatherings, have shown a decline in budgets for such occasions.

Still, the average budget for those planning to do something for Mother's Day stood at ¥5,102 ($33), little changed from last year's average spending of ¥5,063 reported by about 2,000 respondents.

"On Mother's Day, the price range for gifts and other items tends to be relatively fixed," Intage analyst Emiko Mori said, adding that the results may reflect the fact that the occasion is "a once-a-year event that plays an important role in parent-child relationships."
 
 

Select FamilyMart convenience stores in Tokyo have installed boxes to collect used clothing and household goods for reuse, joining similar initiatives taken by retailers, as a step to reduce waste and attract more customers.

In a trial launched jointly with Bookoff Group Holdings Ltd, which buys and sells used goods, boxes were installed in around 30 FamilyMart stores in residential areas of Tokyo. Bookoff plans to sell some of the collected items overseas, including to Malaysia.

FamilyMart Co said that clothing deemed unsuitable for reuse will be recycled into new fiber.

The drive is the first collaborative project since Itochu Corp, the parent company of FamilyMart, formed a capital tie-up with Bookoff Group in February.

The project builds on FamilyMart's existing food drive charity program, which has been implemented in about 4,900 of its 16,400 stores nationwide, where people can drop off excess household food items to be donated to those in need.

FamilyMart is considering expanding its used goods collection project to stores nationwide, hoping its initiative will reduce the amount of disposed clothing by about 4,000 tons a year.

According to FamilyMart, citing figures released by the Ministry of Environment, some 560,000 tons of clothes are estimated to be disposed of as waste in Japan each year -- equivalent to roughly 70 percent of the clothing newly supplied to the market.

As recycling becomes a more pressing social issue, Fast Retailing Co is reusing clothing collected at its Uniqlo and GU stores to help refugees, while major retailer Aeon Co has set up around 700 boxes at its stores and facilities to collect used clothing.
 
 

Fruit seen as providing a profitable alternative for citrus growers as they cope with changing conditions

Climate change has forced citrus growers in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture to replace their orchards with avocado trees, reflecting a growing trend in Japan.

According to a report from Kyodo News, avocado production in Ehime Prefecture’s capital, Matsuyama, began accelerating in 2009 and over the past decade has jumped more than 12-fold from around 600kg in fiscal 2015 to about 7,300kg in fiscal 2024.

Fuminori Arita, was one citrus grower who made the switch a decade ago. He once farmed “iyokan,” a Japanese citrus variety, before turning to avocados with seedlings he acquired from the city government.

He now sells avocados for around ¥5,000/kg (US$32) and said the “joy of success is huge”.

According to Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation, suitable areas for cultivating mandarin oranges will gradually shift northward, and many areas that are deemed too warm for citrus fruit will become suitable for avocados.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has introduced a new subsidy designed to accelerate local efforts to promote the cultivation of crops suitable for higher temperatures.

Changes are being made across several Prefectures. A similar shift from citrus to avocados is being explored in Shizuoka. Aomori Prefecture, known for its apples, has been expanding peach production, while Oita Prefecture wants to grow more Shine Muscat table grapes.

A projection by the institute affiliated with the agriculture ministry has also suggested the area suitable for avocado production in Japan will more than double by the middle of the century.
 

 

 

• Téte António, Angola’s foreign minister, has invited Japanese businesses to engage beyond the energy sector, highlighting opportunities in agribusiness, tourism, and more

• The partnership promises Angola access to essential finance and technical expertise, while Japan gains closer ties with a resource-rich African economy

 
Luanda is seeking to make Japan a pivotal ally in its ongoing economic reform programme, designed to enhance the business climate and widen its financial base.

The sentiment was voiced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Téte António, during discussions in Luanda with his visiting Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, last Friday. 

According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, António extended an invitation to Japan’s public and private sectors to consider Angola “beyond the energy sector,” citing “enormous opportunities” in areas such as agribusiness, the blue economy, tourism, renewable energy, and digitalisation. 

The minister also suggested that Japanese technology, when combined with Angola’s natural resource potential and strategic position, could “transform our region.” 

The Angolan government is actively encouraging the use of Japanese technology across its infrastructure and energy initiatives, Lusa said.

For its part, Japan is aiming to reinforce its supply chains by fostering stronger relationships with resource-rich African economies, a move that reflects a wider strategic shift towards the continent to secure vital resources. 

The collaboration offers Angola another source of financing, technical expertise, and industrial capability required for economic diversification. It also creates concrete investment opportunities in areas including oil, mining, and infrastructure.

Angolan data cited by Lusa indicates that bilateral trade between the nations reached approximately $200 million in 2024. Up to fiscal year 2023, Tokyo has also provided loans totalling 23.6 billion yen (around $160 million), grants of 43.5 billion yen (approximately $250 million), and technical assistance valued at 8.5 billion yen (about $49 million).
 
 

 
An increasing number of communities across Japan are facing the problem of so-called transportation deserts, or the difficulty of residents having access to buses and trains.

An increasing number of communities across Japan are facing the problem of so-called transportation deserts, or the difficulty of residents having access to buses and trains.

The central government is increasingly concerned that people without cars, such as students and the elderly, may lose their primary means of transportation.

With the goal of finding a solution, efforts are being made in some areas to make the most of limited transportation resources.

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has begun taking steps to address the problem. It has submitted a revision bill in the current Diet session aimed at realizing sustainable regional public transportation.


Supporting the town

The town of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture is facing accelerating population decline and aging. At JR Shirakawaguchi Station, located in the center of the town, high school students got off one after another from a large vehicle marked “school bus” and entered the station on the morning of April 10, when the new school term began.

“Thanks to the bus, I can get to school without asking my family to drive me 30 minutes to the station,” said a16-year-old student, who attends a high school outside the town.

The same vehicle then serves as a bus to ferry elementary school students to school. During the day, it is used by locals such as the elderly to go shopping, among other purposes.

“I broke my leg and cannot drive anymore,” said an resident, 89, who rode the bus to a hospital. “However, thanks to the bus, I can go shopping on my own.”

Shirakawa supports the daily lives of its residents via a town-operated transportation system, which allows people to use school buses and other vehicles for a fee, such as ¥200 per ride. The town has a contract with an organization to supply drivers.

This initiative began about 10 years ago when a local bus company reduced its route services. In the 2025 fiscal year, about 56,000 people, about nine times the town’s population of 6,641 as of April, used the service.

This fiscal year, the town is considering conducting a pilot program for individual transportation services using school buses and other vehicles.

A town official expressed confidence in the initiative. “Many families decided to leave the town when their children entered school. Thanks to the improved transportation network, such cases are decreasing,” the official said.


Over 2,000 areas nationwide

A nationwide survey by the transport ministry showed that using pubic transportation was difficult in more than 2,000 areas in the country as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

The ministry is paying close attention to Shirakawa’s initiative as a model for addressing the problem of transportation deserts.

The increase in the number of transportation deserts is driven by factors such as deteriorating financial conditions and a shortage of personnel among transportation operators due to population decline and the aging society.

The number of bus drivers decreased by about 19,000 between fiscal years 2016 and 2023, according to the transport ministry.

In addition, about 15,000 kilometers of bus routes and over 500 kilometers of rail lines were discontinued between fiscal years 2016 and 2024. In such areas, family members are forced to drive children and the elderly to and from destinations, placing a heavy burden on them.


Sustainable transportation needed

Transportation deserts are a problem that furthers depopulation in communities. The transport ministry has designated fiscal years 2025 to 2027 as a period for taking concerted efforts to tackle the situation.

It determined that it will be effective to fully utilize regional transportation resources in ways such as that seen in Shirakawa.

Given the situation, the ministry has submitted a bill to amend the Law on Revitalization and Rehabilitation of Local Public Transportation Systems to simplify procedures for local governments to coordinate with bus operators, schools and business to secure vehicles and drivers and establish transportation services.

“We’d like to support the establishment of sustainable regional transportation,” said a senior transport ministry official.
 
 

Member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Amelia Anggraini, said that cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in the defense sector has the potential to strengthen regional stability.

By establishing this strategic partnership, Indonesia is not aligned with any particular power bloc. In addition, Indonesia remains consistent in pursuing an independent and active policy, she said.

"This collaboration has the potential to strengthen regional stability, particularly in addressing non-traditional challenges such as maritime security, sea lane protection, and hybrid threats," Anggraini said here on Monday.

This agreement, she said, is not merely symbolic, but has concrete implications for improving military interoperability, knowledge transfer, and strengthening Indonesia's defense capacity amid increasingly complex regional security dynamics.

With its advanced defense technology capabilities, she believes that Japan is an important partner in supporting the modernization of defense equipment and human resource development for Indonesia's defense.

Therefore, she believes that this collaboration is a strong signal that Indonesian defense cooperation has entered a more advanced, measurable, and long-term national interest-oriented phase.

"This should be seen as a strategic step reflecting the increasingly close defense partnership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region," she said.

The Indonesian Ministry of Defense previously confirmed that Indonesia would strengthen military cooperation with Japan in the defense industry and human resource development.

"We have both agreed to promote substantive cooperation in the defense industry and human resource development in both countries, with a focus on our respective national interests," said Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

He made the statement in a joint statement with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Ministry of Defense office, here on Monday.

Sjamsoeddin believes that cooperation with Japan in the defense industry is a strategic step since it will have an impact on strengthening the domestic defense industry.
 

The estimated population of children under 15 stood at 13.29 million in Japan as of April 1, down for the 45th straight year, the internal affairs ministry said Monday.

The child population, down 350,000 from a year earlier, again fell to the lowest level since 1950, when data comparable under the current format started. The ministry's announcement preceded Children's Day on Tuesday.

The population stood at 6.81 million for boys and 6.48 million for girls. The share of children in the country's total population fell 0.3 percentage point to 10.8%, dropping for the 52nd consecutive year to rewrite its record low again.

The proportion is the second lowest among 38 countries with total populations exceeding 40 million, only behind South Korea's 10.2%, based on data adopting a different survey period. Japan was followed by Italy at 11.7% and by Spain at 12.6%.

Of the child population in Japan, 3.09 million were between ages 12 and 14, 2.96 million between 9 and 11, 2.68 million between 6 and 8, 2.43 million between 3 and 5, and 2.13 million between zero and 2.

The estimates are based on the results of the 2020 census. The population of children by prefecture, based on the results of the 2025 census, will be announced later.
 
 

The leaders of Japan and Australia agreed Monday to step up their collaboration to ensure stable supplies of critical minerals, energy and other essentials, amid China's rare earth dominance and the conflict in the Middle East.

Issuing five outcome documents at their meeting in Canberra, including a joint declaration on economic security, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese also affirmed that their countries will further promote cooperation on defense and cybersecurity.

Japan and Australia "share a firm commitment to contributing to peace and stability in the region and the international community" and are "the front-runners of collaboration among like-minded partners," Takaichi told a joint press event after the talks, describing the countries' ties as "a quasi-alliance."

 

Albanese said the leaders agreed on a range of "ambitious outcomes that comprehensively elevate our special strategic partnership" and the two countries "have never been more strategically aligned."

Under the joint declaration focused on building resilient supply chains for rare earths, energy resources and food products, among other items, they expressed their "strong concerns" over export restrictions on critical minerals, in an apparent reference to China's recent tightening of export controls.

Rare earths are essential for products using cutting-edge technologies such as electric vehicles and semiconductors. China is said to mine around 70 percent of the world's rare earths and refine about 90 percent of them, and Australia is also known as a major producer.

Japan is highly reliant on China for its procurement of rare earths. Since earlier this year Beijing has tightened its restrictions on exports of dual-use items, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes, with rare earths possibly included.

 

The measure was taken in an apparent response to Takaichi's remarks in parliament in November that Japan could potentially deploy its Self-Defense Forces in support of the United States in the event of an attack on Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island claimed by China.

The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran since late February has disrupted global crude oil transportation and caused price hikes, posing challenges to countries heavily dependent on oil and petroleum product imports like Japan.

While Australia, known for rich natural resources, is Japan's largest liquefied natural gas supplier, it also greatly relies on petroleum product imports such as gasoline and diesel from Asian nations heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude oil, following a series of Australian refinery closures over decades.

Sharing concerns over China's military activities in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan and Australia have been boosting security cooperation in recent years as their reciprocal access agreement, which enables faster troop deployment and facilitates joint drills, took effect in 2023.

 

Takaichi and Albanese welcomed their countries' announcement last month regarding the conclusion of contracts to jointly deliver the first three of 11 ships for the Australian navy based on the upgraded Mogami-class vessel, a Japanese multi-mission stealth frigate.

The leaders of the two U.S. allies also agreed to explore concrete measures by the time of their next meeting to elevate and institutionalize their comprehensive security cooperation, including economic security, Takaichi said.

The visit to Australia by Takaichi, who took office in October, coincides with the 50th anniversary this year of the two nations' signing of a basic treaty of friendship and cooperation.

The meeting with Albanese was part of Takaichi's five-day overseas trip from Friday that also took her to Vietnam prior to Canberra.

Later Monday, Takaichi told reporters that she was able to deepen her personal relations with the Vietnamese and Australian leaders and confirmed Japan would advance concrete collaborations with the two countries toward the "shared goal of making the whole region strong and prosperous."
 
 

Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in Jakarta on Monday for a follow-up defense ministers’ meeting.

The meeting follows their previous talks held in Bali on Sunday, May 3.
Observations at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base showed that both ministers arrived at around 9:49 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) on the same aircraft.

They then proceeded to the Defense Ministry office in Central Jakarta for a closed-door meeting, which is expected to include the signing of a defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Japan.

The two ministers had earlier met in Bali, where they also attended a dinner meeting.

During the meeting, they discussed efforts to strengthen the partnership and the longstanding good relations between Indonesia and Japan.

Both ministers expressed appreciation for the existing defense cooperation between the two countries.

They also voiced hope that the momentum from their recent engagements would further enhance bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan.
 
 

A tanker loaded with Russian crude oil docked at a pier connected to Taiyo Oil's refinery in western Japan on Tuesday, officials of the Japanese oil wholesaler said.

This marks the first Russian crude oil import to Japan since the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transport waterway in the Middle East, was effectively closed earlier this year amid the fighting between the U.S.-Israeli camp and Iran, according to the trade ministry.

Taiyo Oil procured the crude oil at the request of the ministry.

The oil came from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in Russia's Far East region, which is outside the scope of Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The crude oil will be refined to gasoline and other petroleum products at the Taiyo Oil facility in the city of Imabari, Ehime Prefecture.

The tanker arrived in waters off Imabari on Monday. The berthing had been postponed, however, due to strong wind.

The Japanese government is accelerating efforts to procure crude oil from sources other than the Middle East as supplies from the region have been disrupted due to the lingering tensions there.
 
 

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that Japan strongly hopes that Iran and the United States will soon resume talks and reach a final deal to end their conflict.

Motegi spoke with Araghchi by telephone during his visit to Kenya on Saturday afternoon. The phone talks were held at the request of the Iranian side.

The top Japanese diplomat also called on Iran to show "maximum flexibility," according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.

The Iranian minister explained the current situation involving his country, including its talks with the United States, as well as the future outlook. The two agreed to maintain close communication.

Additionally, Motegi underscored the importance of free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, currently under a de facto blockade.

Following the recent passage of a Japan-related vessel through the strait, Motegi requested that all remaining vessels be allowed to do so as soon as possible.
 
 

Women dressed in tea-picking attire carefully pick tea burgeons on Saturday at an event marking the arrival of the season for newly-harvested tea in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.

The day fell on the 88th day since the day of the start of spring on the lunar calendar.

The Kyoto Prefecture Tea Industry Chamber said that new tea leaves grew well during April thanks to moderate rainfall and temperature fluctuations.

The price of Uji tea has skyrocketed due to the popularity of macha around the world, according to JA Zen-Noh Kyoto, with the total transaction value reaching a record of ¥10.384 billion, more than double the previous year.
 

 

During the ongoing Golden Week holiday period in Japan, tourist spots across the country have been affected by water shortages, partly due to low rainfall since last summer.

Sightseeing boat and hot spring facility operators and other businesses have been forced to reduce service hours.

Water levels in lakes around Mount Fuji have been declining since last year. Fujigoko Kisen, a local sightseeing boat operator, has suspended services on Lake Motosu and altered tour routes on Lake Kawaguchi.

"Water levels have rarely fallen that much," said Kazuya Fujii, 57-year-old head of the operator. "Although there are problems, including water shortages and soaring fuel prices, we hope many visitors will come this year as well."

In Lake Chuzenji in the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, low water levels are preventing boats from being docked at piers.

Tobu Kogyo Co.'s sightseeing boat business usually operates boats on routes with three piers, but the piers are now excluded from the routes.
 

 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, agreed Saturday to position economic security cooperation as a pillar of their countries' bilateral relations, including Japan's public-private support for Vietnam's crude oil procurement.

Japan will provide support for the Nghi Son oil refinery in northern-central Vietnam as the first project under the "POWERR Asia" initiative, which will provide a total of around 10 billion dollars in financial aid.

 

During their 50-minute meeting in the Vietnamese capital, the two leaders also agreed to work together to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earths.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, Takaichi said that she and Hung confirmed "cooperation to jointly make Japan, Vietnam and the Indo-Pacific region stronger and wealthier." Hung expressed his expectation for economic security cooperation with Japan.

 

The leaders adopted a list of priority items for economic security cooperation in four areas--science and technology, semiconductor research and development, artificial intelligence and agricultural and food security.
 
 

 

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 jolted western Japan on Saturday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the country's weather agency said.

The quake, which struck at 6:28 p.m., registered 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the prefectures of Mie, Nara and Wakayama and occurred at a depth of 70 kilometers in Nara, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
 
 

The end of April and beginning of May is a time when Japanese people can enjoy some free time and relax thanks to a succession of national holidays that, grouped together, are called Golden Week.

April 29 (Showa Day), May 3 (Constitution Memorial Day), May 4 (Greenery Day) and May 5 (Children’s Day) make up Golden Week and while April 30 and May 1 and 2 are not holidays, many Japanese add in those days to make a long holiday.

Showa Day celebrates the birth of Emperor Showa, who is better known in the West as Emperor Hirohito. 

Constitution Memorial Day marks the implementation of Japan’s post-war constitution on May 3, 1947. While it is Japan’s constitution, it was largely written by the occupying American forces after the war and has elements that some Japanese want to see changed.

Greenery Day came into being as a substitute for Emperor Hirohito’s birthday, which fell on April 29. Originally, Greenery Day was celebrated on the same day but in 2007 was moved to May 4.

The original idea behind Greenery Day was to celebrate Emperor Hirohito’s love of plants. Now, it is a general appreciation of nature.

Originally, there was a Boy’s Day and Girl’s Day in Japan but this, too, was changed after the war. 

Boy’s Day has its origins in 12th century Japan as a day to ward off evil spirits for samurai boys. Many Japanese municipalities hang huge carp streamers (koinobori) in parks and other places to celebrate the day.

The Koinobori Festival showcases an impressive array of carp-shaped streamers flown across the nation from April to early May in honor of Children’s Day on May 5. This tradition serves as a symbol of strength and success for children

In modern Japan, less attention is paid to the meanings of the holidays and more to having a break from work. Golden Week is one of three major holidays in Japan, along with New Year and Obon, which takes place in August and, while universally recognized, is not an official public holiday.

Japan shuts down for Golden Week, and the people take the opportunity to visit their hometowns, travel abroad or just relax at home. 

If you’re planning on traveling in Japan during Golden Week, plan early. Bullet trains and flights are all full during the holiday period and the highways are heavily congested. 

While banks and public offices are closed, shops and restaurants do a good trade, although some restaurants also take the week off. There will be heavy foot traffic in Japan’s main tourist spots and airports will be very busy.

The term “Golden Week” was coined in 1951 by the managing director of a film company when he saw how sales spiked during the holiday period.
 
 

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is planning to visit South Korea in late June to hold talks with his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, it was learned Thursday.

This will be Koizumi's first visit to South Korea since he assumed his post last October. When Ahn visited Japan in February, the two confirmed their countries' policies to deepen their national security cooperation through mutual visits.

At their upcoming meeting, Koizumi and Ahn are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation, including interaction between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military, and the situation surrounding North Korea, which is continuing its nuclear and missile development, according to sources in both governments.

Koizumi is also considering visiting the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom, located on the border between South Korea and North Korea, the sources said.

North Korea has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles, posing a threat to South Korea and Japan.
 
 

Japan's industrial output in March edged down 0.5 percent from the previous month, pressured by the Middle East conflict that affected output of chemical products due to disruptions in imports of their raw materials, government data showed Thursday.

The decrease followed an upwardly revised decline of 2.0 percent in February. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry kept its basic assessment of industrial production the same as the previous month, saying it "fluctuates indecisively."

Supplies of naphtha, which is necessary to produce chemicals widely used in manufacturing products such as plastics and critical medical supplies, have been disrupted due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following the U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

For the reported month, the inorganic and organic chemicals sector was the largest contributor to the decline, falling 8.6 percent from the previous month due to decreases in polyethylene, synthetic rubber and ethylene.

A ministry official added that regular inspections of naphtha cracking furnaces, which caused domestic production capacity to fall by nearly 40 percent in March, also led to weakness in ethylene output.

Despite the decline in the sector, the official said, "By utilizing inventories, the shipments of major petroleum chemical products are unchanged from levels of the previous year, and supply levels are maintained."

Manufacturing of petroleum and coal products, including gasoline, diesel and naphtha, also fell 7.7 percent, but officials said the decrease was due to "technical" factors stemming from seasonal adjustments, denying the impact of the Middle East crisis.

Auto output fell slightly among other sectors due to a downturn in exports, as earlier released trade statistics showed a cutback in cars bound for the Middle East region.

"We do not see that overall industrial output is weak after the average for the January-March quarter logged a gain and manufacturers' production plans showed that the index will rise both in April and May," the ministry said, adding that the Middle East situation is uncertain and warrants attention.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 101.9 against the 2020 base of 100, the ministry said in the preliminary report.

According to a poll of manufacturers, output is expected to rise 2.1 percent in April and 2.2 percent in May, the ministry said.

Economists expect the upcoming April results for industrial production to further reflect the impact of the Middle East, with the strait remaining effectively closed, and supply issues for crude oil, naphtha, and fertilizers persist, forcing some manufacturers to stop taking orders.

The Japanese government says it can stably secure crude oil by releasing domestic stockpiles and by tapping alternate sources, but there could be "significant downward pressure" on production activities going forward, with the full resumption of shipping through the strait still unclear, according to Takeshi Minami, chief economist at the Norinchukin Research Institute.

In fiscal 2025, industrial output dropped 0.2 percent from the previous year to 101.2, marking a decline for the fourth straight year, reflecting the impact of the higher tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the official said.
 
 

Animal rights group PETA has expressed concern that any dragon offspring born in Japan will be "condemned to a lifetime of confinement".

Indonesia will lend a breeding pair of endangered Komodo dragons to Japan under an agreement signed on Wednesday (Apr 29) between zoos from the two countries that emphasised the project's conservation merits.

The five-year renewable deal, criticised by animal rights group PETA, will in turn see Indonesia's Surabaya Zoo receive a pair of red pandas, a pair of giraffes, four Aldabra giant tortoises and two female Japanese macaques from iZoo in Kawazu in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, officials said.

"This is not just animal exchange. This is a bridge between our two countries, Japan and Indonesia," iZoo director Tsuyoshi Shirawa said at the signing ceremony.

Indonesia's environment ministry said in a statement this month the programme's main objective was "long-term conservation".

PETA Asia has expressed concern that any dragon offspring born in Japan will be "condemned to a lifetime of confinement".

"True conservation protects Komodo dragons where they belong - in their natural habitats - not by exporting them for political optics or public‑relations gains," PETA Asia president Jason Baker said in a statement.

The ministry said conservation of the dragons in their natural habitat remained "the main priority".

"Through this cooperation, it is hoped there will be more Japanese people and tourists coming to Indonesia, particularly to the Komodo National Park ... to witness Komodos in their natural habitat," Indonesian forestry official Ahmad Munawir said at Wednesday's event.

Under the rules of the CITES pact that governs international trade in endangered species, transfers like this one are allowed for non-commercial breeding programmes.

The zoo in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, over 700km from the dragon's natural habitat, has bred dozens of the dragons in recent years in conditions that mimic their natural home.

In the wild, the world's largest living lizards are found only in the World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park and on neighbouring Flores island.

According to the International Union for Protection of Nature, the global population was about 3,458 adult and juvenile Komodo dragons at the last count in 2019.

The fearsome reptiles, which can grow to 3m in length and weigh up to 90kg, are threatened by human activity and climate change destroying their habitat.

In some places, they are losing natural prey to human hunters, and they sometimes die in conflict with humans over livestock.

Some are captured and illicitly traded to zoos or as pets.

There have been legal transfers of Komodos to other zoos in the past, including London and Singapore.

The Indonesian and Japanese governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding last month to make the exchange with Japan possible.
 
 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday her government will do its utmost to help ensure continued wage hikes as the head of the country's umbrella group for labor unions underscored the need for increased pay amid inflation.

Takaichi attended a May Day gathering in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward -- an event where workers advocate for their rights -- making it the fourth consecutive year that a sitting Japanese prime minister has attended the event.

"We will do everything at our disposal to set conditions for (companies) to raise wages," Takaichi said at the gathering. "I ask for your support so we can see continued wage growth that outpaces inflation."

Japanese companies have accepted demands from labor unions to raise wages amid the rising cost of living. Labor unions under the Japanese Trade Union Confederation known as Rengo saw pay hikes of around 5 percent on average during their annual negotiations with management this spring.

Still, Rengo chief Tomoko Yoshino said the momentum should accelerate. "More is needed for real wage growth to remain positive as a trend," she said.

Rengo has around 6.78 million members and the Democratic Party for the People, an opposition party, has received support from the organization.
Yoshino noted that the tense situation in the Middle East has begun to affect its member labor unions' negotiations with management.

Takaichi's attendance came at a time when surging crude oil prices and energy supply disruptions cast a shadow over resource-scarce Japan. A weak yen raises import costs and fuels inflation concerns.

Disagreements remain between Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party and Rengo, including over the issue of whether to allow married couples to have different surnames. The Rengo chief was not invited to the ruling party's convention this year.

Still, the party aims to promote dialogue with Rengo and other "friendly" labor unions to expand its support base in its action plan for 2026.
 
 

Japan will seek to play an active role in finding common ground between nuclear and nonnuclear states at a review conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which opened Monday, Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ayano Kunimitsu said Tuesday.

Kunimitsu, who took part in the conference, made the comment during her talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the U.N. headquarters in New York, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The NPT review conference will run through May 22.

Guterres expressed his gratitude for Japan's longstanding support for the United Nations.

Also in their talks, Kunimitsu and Guterres confirmed that they will work closely together on issues related to North Korea.
 
 

 

The government is considering creating programs teaching Japanese language, culture and social rules to foreign nationals and making attendance of the programs a factor in residency screenings, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The government plans to begin the programs on a trial basis in fiscal 2028, the sources said.

This comes in response to calls from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for measures to address problems between Japanese and foreign residents.

The programs will be tailored to participants' home countries and regions as well as their life stages, according to the sources.

The government will consider allowing foreign nationals to take the programs before coming to Japan, as well as the possibility of making children's attendance at school a factor in their parents' residency screenings and making participation in the programs a requirement for permanent residency, the sources said.

Outlines of the study programs will be drawn up within fiscal 2027, and the government will develop a system to track participation.

On Tuesday, Kimi Onoda, minister in charge of harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals, reported on the progress made in developing the envisaged programs to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In a post on X, Takaichi said, "I aim to establish an orderly inclusive society by taking resolute actions against problematic behavior, in order to protect foreigners who abide by laws."
 
 

Japan Airlines (JAL) will start using humanoid robots in ground handling tasks at Tokyo's Haneda airport from May, in a two-year trial it said is aimed at easing employees' workload.

For a start, the Chinese-made robots will be deployed to load and unload cargo containers, JAL and GMO AI & Robotics, its partner in the project, said in a demonstration to the media on Monday.

Japan's aviation industry is wrestling with a labour crunch brought on by an increase in inbound tourism and a declining working-age population, said JAL, which employs some 4,000 ground handling staff.

The carrier hopes that these robots can also be used to clean cabins and operate ground support equipment in future.

Robots are already being used in some airports across Japan, including for security patrol and retail.

Japan welcomed more than seven million foreign visitors in the first two months of this year, according to statistics from JTB Group, which runs Japan's largest travel agency.

 

"While airports appear highly automated and standardised, their back-end operations still rely heavily on human labour and face serious labour shortages," GMO AI & Robotics' president Tomohiro Uchida told reporters.

Using robots for physically demanding tasks will "provide significant benefits to employees", Kyodo news agency quoted Yoshiteru Suzuk, the president of JAL's Ground Service, saying.

But he noted that some duties, including safety management, can only be handled by humans.
 

Private-sector members of a key Japanese government panel have called for a review of an indicator used to assess the appropriateness of public works projects in order to encourage long-term infrastructure investment by local governments and other entities.

“We need to build a strong regional economy in order to make the Japanese archipelago strong and prosperous,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at Monday’s meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy.

Takaichi instructed relevant cabinet ministers to strengthen crisis management investment to make the Japanese homeland more powerful.

 

Members of the panel, chaired by Takaichi, discussed reforms to secure necessary public investment to build a sustainable regional economy, at a time when aging social infrastructure such as roads and bridges is becoming a problem in Japan.

Private-sector members called for effective preventive maintenance and prioritized budget allocation.
 


 

Nearly 40% of municipalities subject to a subsequent earthquake advisory for Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast region, which was issued following a powerful earthquake on April 20, had yet to formulate response plans outlining procedures to be taken after such an advisory, according to a Cabinet Office survey.

The survey targeting 182 cities, towns and villages in seven prefectures was conducted in October, and its results were compiled in March. It found that 69 municipalities, or 38% of those surveyed, had no plans in place regarding their response to the issuance of a subsequent earthquake advisory.

The survey findings have raised concern over possible delays in the municipalities’ initial response to a subsequent earthquake, such as disseminating information to residents. The Cabinet Office has urged municipalities to formulate their plans as soon as possible.

The subsequent earthquake advisory system was launched in 2022. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued this advisory for the first time after a powerful earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture in December last year. The advisory issued after the earthquake off the Sanriku coast on April 20 was the second of its kind.

According to a tally by The Yomiuri Shimbun, evacuation orders were temporarily issued for 46 municipalities in five prefectures following the April 20 earthquake, and more than 11,000 people took shelter in evacuation centers and other locations.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, two people were seriously injured and eight others sustained minor injuries in Hokkaido and the prefectures of Aomori and Iwate.

After a subsequent earthquake advisory is issued, local governments must promptly provide information to residents, tourists and other people and urge them to prepare for subsequent earthquakes such as by securing furniture and confirming evacuation routes.

Under the relevant law, local governments are required to make efforts to specify response procedures in their disaster preparedness plans, which outline detailed steps to be taken in the event of a major earthquake such as setting up evacuation shelters.

In another survey conducted to assess responses to the advisory issued in December, 89% of municipalities that had already formulated response plans said their response was “generally smooth,” while 79% of those without such plans gave that answer.

The municipality of Imabetsu, Aomori Prefecture, is among the municipalities that have not devised a response plan. “We have only one staff member in charge of this matter, but as the advisory has already been issued twice, we need to prepare it quickly,” said a person in the municipality’s general affairs and planning division.

The municipality of Tomakomai, Hokkaido, formulated its response plan in March after the Cabinet Office’s surveys. Through discussions when creating the plan, the municipality said its staff had developed a deeper understanding of potential scenarios, leading them to give residents specific advice this time, such as securing furniture and checking emergency supplies.

“Since an advisory is issued suddenly, local governments need to prepare plans and conduct drills repeatedly,” said Tsukasa Morikubo, a director at the Cabinet Office.
 
 

ChatGPT scored the highest marks in this year's entrance exams of the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, two of Japan's top universities, surpassing those of the actual top scorers, an AI venture said Monday.

According to LifePrompt Inc., the generative AI chatbot scored 50 points higher than the top test-taker on the University of Tokyo's most competitive Natural Sciences III medical track exam and received a perfect score in mathematics.

The achievement follows the AI's failure to pass all of the school's entrance exams in 2024.

The company tested using OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking model, having it take the two universities' undergraduate entrance exams, feeding it the exam questions converted into image data.

Since the answers included essay responses, they were graded by teachers from major cram school Kawai Juku.

ChatGPT also answered this year's unified university entrance examinations, and the Tokyo-based venture totaled the scores.

ChatGPT scored 452 points out of a possible 550 on the University of Tokyo's Humanities and Social Sciences exam and 503 points out of a possible 550 on the Natural Sciences exam.

Both scores surpassed the highest scores of successful applicants announced by the university at 434 points for Humanities and Social Sciences III and 453 points for Natural Sciences III.

On the other hand, the AI scored 90 percent on the English exam but only 25 percent on essay-style questions in subjects like World History.

As for Kyoto University's examinations, the AI scored 771 points in the Faculty of Law exam, exceeding the highest passing score of 734, and 1,176 points in the Faculty of Medicine exam, above the top scorer's 1,098.

In 2024, LifePrompt used OpenAI's latest model, ChatGPT 4, to have AI solve the University of Tokyo's entrance exam, but it failed to reach the minimum passing score. The following year, LifePrompt tested the newest model, o1, which successfully cleared the passing threshold for the first time.

"The AI's capabilities have been well documented. Given the rapid pace of AI evolution, companies will need to adopt AI with an eye toward how business operations will look in 10 to 20 years," said Satoshi Endo, head of LifePrompt.

Satoshi Kurihara, a professor at Keio University and the head of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, argued that humans and AI should not compete on the same playing field because AI excels at absorbing vast amounts of existing data.

"Just as calculators can perform calculations faster and more accurately than humans can, it is only natural for AI to earn high scores," said Kurihara, adding that humans remain superior when it comes to creating new value.

He went on to say that it is time to rethink entrance exams that currently focus on testing knowledge retention and calculation capabilities.
 
 

 
A record 318 foreign nationals were forcibly deported with an officer escort in 2025, having refused to leave Japan voluntarily after being found to be staying illegally in the country, according to data compiled by the Immigration Services Agency.

A record 318 foreign nationals were forcibly deported with an officer escort in 2025, having refused to leave Japan voluntarily after being found to be staying illegally in the country, according to data compiled by the Immigration Services Agency.

The number is believed to have increased because the agency has expressed its intention to proactively deport foreign nationals who stay illegally.

In the morning of March 11, a handcuffed man from an East Asian country yelled and fiercely expressed his dissatisfaction in a room at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, after an agency official informed him that he would be forcibly deported to his home country.

After multiple illegal entries and stays, the man was issued a fourth deportation order in 2022. However, he refused to leave voluntarily despite repeated attempts by agency officials to persuade him, saying he wanted to stay with his Japanese wife.

The agency deemed this a “serious offense” and decided to forcibly deport him, with multiple officers escorting him.

On the day the decision was made, the man was deported from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport along with an East Asian woman who had been given a deportation order. He was surrounded by the officers inside the cabin, according to the agency.


‘Zero illegal immigrants’

Illegal immigrants are deported to their home countries or other destinations based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law and a total of 7,563 people were deported in 2025.

The Immigration Services Agency encourages voluntary return and, according to the agency, 90% of those deported choose to return at their own expense.

Some illegal immigrants reportedly refuse to return, citing their family and other reasons. In cases when illegal immigrants refuse to accept voluntary return, the agency forcibly deports them with an escort of its officers at its expense.

In 2018, the earliest when the agency’s data is available, 216 were forcibly removed from the country. This number decreased to 15 in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reached 318 in 2025 after reaching 119 in 2023 and 249 in 2024. By nationality, Turks are the largest number at 71, followed by Filipinos at 46.

The agency has set a goal of reducing the number of illegal immigrants to zero to realize an “inclusive society” although they are estimated to be around 68,500 as of January.

One of its measures to realize the goal is the forcible deportation of illegal immigrants escorted by the agency’s officers.

The agency plans to actively enforce the measure to deport individuals who commit serious crimes and plans to increase the number of forcibly deported illegal immigrants to 500 by 2027. An agency official said, “It’s only natural to take firm action against foreign nationals who don’t follow the rules.”


Human rights concerns

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) released a president’s statement against the agency’s zero illegal foreign residents plan in July 2025.

The statement said that human rights could be violated because those who should be recognized as a refugee could also be forcibly deported. It also said the plan “is likely to cause anxiety, prejudice and discrimination against foreign nationals.”

Kazuya Namerikawa, a lawyer handling foreign residents’ human rights issues at the JFBA, said, “The agency should carefully consider whether it is necessary to forcibly deport foreign residents on a case-by-case basis instead of just pursuing the numbers.”

It is assumed that it is not uncommon for children who are not responsible for their circumstances to be forced to leave due to their parents’ immigration status.

Susumu Takahashi, chairman emeritus of the Japan Research Institute, said if foreign nationals who don’t follow the rules aren’t penalized, all foreign residents could be viewed with prejudice.

“When the measures are implemented, the government needs to give the most possible consideration to human rights and provide a detailed explanation of why it decided to forcibly deport foreign nationals with an immigration officer escort.”
 


 

A strong earthquake rattled Hokkaido early Monday, the U.S. and Japanese meteorological agencies reported, the latest in a series of powerful tremors to hit Japan.

The magnitude 6.2 quake struck shortly before 5:30 a.m. in Hokkaido’s southern region, at a depth of 83 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported.

The quake registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the town of Urahoro, Hokkaido, and a lower 5 in the town of Niikappu, also in Hokkaido, according to the JMA.

No tsunami alert was issued, and U.S. Geological Survey predicted that damage to property and threat to life was minimal, given the limited population in the region some 200 km east of Sapporo.

Ayataka Ebita, a JMA official who briefed reporters early Monday, said the latest quake is unrelated a the JMA’s special advisory warning of the increased risk of a megaquake — magnitude 8.0 or stronger — after last Monday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake off Iwate Prefecture.
“It is a one-off earthquake,” he said.

But “in areas that experienced strong shaking, the danger of falling rocks and landslides has increased,” the JMA official told reporters.

Six people were reported injured as a result of last week’s quake, which shook large buildings in Tokyo, hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter.

In addition, 80-centimeter tsunami waves lashed a port in Iwate, while small waves also hit elsewhere in northern Japan.

The special advisory — which covers 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture — expires at 5 p.m. Monday, though this doesn’t mean the risk will be entirely gone once it is lifted.

It’s the second time the JMA has issued such an advisory, which was created in 2022. It was first used in December following a magnitude 7.5 quake that struck the Sanriku coast.

Authorities are urging people to be ready to evacuate at any time, with a checklist to keep in mind.

Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18% of the world’s earthquakes.

Japan is haunted by the memory of a massive magnitude 9.0 undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed or left missing around 18,500 people and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
 

 

Experts commissioned by the Japan Tourism Agency met on Monday to launch a review of dual pricing for tourist sites, in which charges for nonresidents, including inbound tourists, are set higher than those for residents.

Based on their discussions, the agency plans to draw up guidelines as early as this fiscal year that will assist local governments and businesses in setting charges.

"In recent years, there has been a trend toward revising fees to help maintain and enhance tourism content and address overtourism," JTA Commissioner Shigeki Murata said at the meeting.

"Such cases can be used as references for other tourism facilities and services."

In March, the Himeji city government in the western prefecture of Hyogo raised the entrance fee for Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to 2,500 yen for nonresidents, while keeping the price for residents unchanged at 1,000 yen.
 
 

There is a wide gender gap in perceptions of workplace equality among male and female workers at newspapers and press agencies, a survey by the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association showed Thursday.

The survey "highlights challenges facing the industry and calls for change among workers," said the association, or Nihon Shinbun Kyokai.

The online survey was conducted in November and December 2025. This is the first large-scale survey on the subject in the newspaper industry.

It covered about 36,000 employees or executives of member companies of the association. Valid responses came from 9,630 people, including 6,823 who identified as men and 2,755 as women.

In the survey, the proportion of respondents who said that men and women had equal status in their workplaces stood at 40.7 pct among male respondents, compared with 26.0 pct among female respondents.

When asked about situations in which they feel inequality, many respondents said that men are more likely to be appointed to managerial positions and that their opinions are more strongly reflected in editorial decisions.
 
 

A draft law to establish a national intelligence committee was passed in Japan's House of Representatives on Thursday, as part of efforts to bolster the government's information-gathering capabilities, Kyodo reports.

The legislation comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to centralize the country's intelligence capabilities under one council in the face of increasingly sophisticated overseas threats, including those related to economic security and foreign espionage.

Backed by opposition parties, the bill -- submitted by the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party -- cleared the powerful lower house a day after a supplementary resolution to protect personal information was adopted.

With the support of the largest opposition party in the lower house, the Centrist Reform Alliance, as well as the Democratic Party for the People and other parties, the legislation is expected to be enacted after passing the House of Councillors, where the governing coalition does not hold a majority.

Following enactment, Takaichi's LDP and JIP aim to launch the committee by summer.

Devised in response to national security concerns, including election interference via social media disinformation, the committee will be chaired by the prime minister and composed of nine other Cabinet members, including the chief Cabinet secretary and foreign minister. It will consolidate a fragmented intelligence apparatus into a central command.

The bill states that the committee's secretariat will "comprehensively coordinate" intelligence collected by the National Police Agency, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and other organizations, with the authority to ask them to share information.

During parliamentary debate on the bill, opposition parties voiced concerns about the new body's potential privacy threats and ability to remain politically neutral.

The nonbinding supplementary resolution was put forward in response to calls for the law to protect private data. It states that information on politicians or electoral activities will not be collected for the purpose of benefiting or disadvantaging specific political entities.

Earlier, Japan eased arms export rules to enable weapons sales.
 
 

After a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Sanriku, Japan on Monday, officials are preeminently preparing for aftershocks and tsunamis by evacuations.

On Monday, Japan was rocked by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

And officials fear that things are heating up, that the initial tremor was just the beginning. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a “subsequent quake advisory,” and as a result, tourists in coastal regions are currently preparing to evacuate – just in case.

The initial earthquake fortunately caused minimal damage – injuries were reported, buildings were damaged, and roads were ripped up. It also created a tsunami. Nothing too crazy, however.

Waves up to 80 cm (2.6 feet) were recorded at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. And footage from the tsunami waves can be seen below. As for what is (potentially) to come, Japan is playing the game of “better safe than sorry.”

As evacuations begin, The Japan Times reports:

“Following an earthquake and the issuing of a subsequent earthquake advisory for Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast region on Monday, preparations are underway at tourist sites and other locations in the affected areas to ensure that even those unfamiliar with the local geography, such as foreign visitors, can evacuate safely in an emergency.

“The magnitude 7.7 quake hit the Tohoku region and Hokkaido on Monday afternoon, triggering tsunami warnings and advisories and evacuation orders, which were later lifted.

Following the quake, the subsequent earthquake advisory was issued, instructing people in the area to remain ready to evacuate at any moment until April 27, due to the increased likelihood of large aftershocks.”

Japan, of course, exists in the notorious “Ring of Fire” – the 25,000-mile, horseshoe-shaped belt around the Pacific Ocean, which is a literal hotbed for seismic activity. It is home to over 75 percent of the world’s active volcanoes and 90 percent of its earthquakes.

The last major tremor that struck Japan was in 2011, when a 9.0 megathrust hit off the Oshika Peninsula, and triggered a devastating tsunami that resulted in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Nearly 20,000 people died during that catastrophic event.

Now, Japan is taking no chances.
 
 

The Japanese government entered the lethal weapons export business after lifting the ban on April 21 by revising the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology.

The next day, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi started pitching military equipment. 

Takaichi held a phone conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on April 22. When Takaichi explained that Japan had dropped its ban on arms exports, Luxon reportedly welcomed the move.

During the talks, both leaders spoke about the improved version of the Mogami-class frigate based on vessels currently operated by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The Australian navy plans to introduce the upgraded version to its fleet; Luxon also showed interest in the model, according to sources close to the Foreign Ministry.

Takaichi had expressed previously that defense equipment transfers would enhance the capabilities of like-minded countries. She intends to actively pursue sales talks with other nations. 

The transfer of used MSDF Abukuma-class destroyer escorts to the Philippines is widely seen as what will likely be the first export deal following the removal of the five-category restrictions.

For Japan, exporting weapons to like-minded countries in the South China Sea is also aimed at strengthening cooperation with an eye on China.

At a news conference on April 21, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he wants to “further strengthen top-level sales efforts” toward other countries, and is scheduled to visit the Philippines and Indonesia in early May.

On the same day, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro issued a statement welcoming the move, saying that defense cooperation with Japan had “entered a new era.”

According to multiple Japanese government sources, arrangements are also being made to invite Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Japan as a state guest as early as late May.

The U.S. State Department also welcomed Japan’s lifting of the ban on the same day, calling it “a positive move for the Japan-U.S. alliance and international stability.”

U.S. weapons export deliveries to allies and partners have been routinely delayed due to the country’s production capacity constraints and becoming a problem.

Countries that have been forced to wait for deliveries have expressed hopes for a greater role by Japan.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement the same day, saying it hoped the move would be carried out “in a manner that maintains the spirit of Japan's pacifist Constitution while contributing to peace and stability in the region.”
 
 

Wildfires that broke out on Wednesday in two locations in the northeastern Japan town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, continued into Thursday, burning a total of about 200 hectares, according to the town government.

The town government has advised a total of about 2,600 people in 1,200 households to evacuate. About 220 people are staying in evacuation shelters. One woman in her 60s was injured after slipping at an evacuation shelter.

Despite ongoing firefighting efforts, there is still no clear prospect for when the fires will be extinguished.

 

The Iwate prefectural government has set up a disaster response headquarters and decided to invoke the disaster relief law.

At around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday, an emergency call reported a fire on a mountain slope in the Kozuchi district of Otsuchi.

 

According to the prefectural government, seven houses and buildings were destroyed, and surrounding forest areas were also burned.
 
 

The Japanese government will ban the use of power banks on aircraft starting 24 April. The policy has been issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in response to a rise in fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries.

As reported by The Straits Times, under the new rules passengers will no longer be allowed to charge mobile phones or other devices using power banks during flights. The use of power banks connected to cabin power outlets is also prohibited.

In addition, the number of power banks that can be carried into the cabin is limited to a maximum of two units per passenger. Violations of these provisions may result in penalties.

The ministry stated that the revision was made following discussions with international bodies that regulate civil aviation safety. The changes are set out in updated provisions under Japan’s Civil Aeronautics Act.

On 14 April, cabin crew and ground staff from domestic airlines under the Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan distributed leaflets at Haneda Airport in Tokyo to inform passengers about the new policy and seek their understanding.

Previously, according to The Independent, data from Japan’s national technology agency showed there were 123 incidents involving mobile batteries in 2024, an increase of 160% compared with 47 cases in 2020.

At the global level, the International Civil Aviation Organization is currently discussing possible changes to rules regarding the use of power banks on flights.

This tightening of regulations follows a series of fire incidents involving power banks on aircraft.

In January 2025, Air Busan banned the storage of power banks in overhead compartments after a major fire destroyed one of its aircraft on the runway.
 
 

The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, which had undergone a partial service suspension following a report of smoke at Asakusa Station in Tokyo early Wednesday morning, resumed full-line service 13 hours later at around 7:20 p.m.

At around 6:20 a.m., smoke was detected at Asakusa Station, and service was suspended along the entire line.

At 6:35 a.m., service resumed between Mitsukoshimae and Shibuya stations, but it took a long time for service to resume between Asakusa and Mitsukoshimae stations.

The smoke was reportedly caused by damage to a cable that was part of the equipment at Asakusa Station.
 
 

A 24-year-old worker died on Tuesday after being caught in an amusement park attraction in Tokyo during an inspection, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and other sources.

An emergency call was made at around 11:55 a.m., reporting that a worker was stuck in the equipment at Tokyo Dome City Attractions in the capital's Bunkyo Ward. 

Hina Kamimura was pulled out of the place where she was trapped about five hours later, she was pronounced dead at a hospital.

According to the MPD and others, the accident occurred at the Flying Balloon attraction, which features 12 seats around a pole that rise to a height of 10 meters.

Kamimura and five others had been conducting routine maintenance from 10 a.m. on the day of the incident.

She was inspecting the inside of the pole when the seats, which were fixed at the top of the pole, dropped for reasons that have yet to be confirmed.

Her body was trapped between the pole and the plate that supports the seats.
The amusement park was closed for the day due to the accident.
 
 

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake Monday off northern Japan sparked a short-lived tsunami alert and an advisory of a slightly higher risk of a possible megaquake for its coastal areas.

The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a megaquake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.

Officials said the advisory was not a prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when a megaquake hits. “The government will do our utmost in case of an emergency,” she told reporters.

It was the second such advisory for the region in recent months. One was issued following a 7.5-magnitude quake in December but no megaquake occurred.

Still, Monday’s earthquake and tsunami were a reminder to the quake-prone area of the March 2011 disaster that ravaged large swaths of the northern coast, triggering a nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

NHK television footage showed hanging objects swaying and people squatting at a shopping center in Aomori, as authorities told people to seek higher ground and avoid coastal areas.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said two people, one in Aomori and another in Iwate, were injured after falling.

Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and northern Japan were temporarily suspended, leaving passengers in cars and on platforms waiting for service to resume.

 

The quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku at around 4:53 p.m. and was about 19 kilometers (11 miles) deep, JMA said. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake’s strength as 7.4 magnitude.

A tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port, both in Iwate prefecture, before Japan lifted all tsunami alert and advisories.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected.

It’s been 15 years since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and massive tsunami on March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, causing more than 22,000 deaths and forcing nearly half a million people to flee their homes.
 

Japan has unveiled a new name for days that reach 40C (104F) or above, after the country experienced its hottest summer on record last year.

The term - kokushobi - has been translated as "cruelly hot", "brutally hot" or "severely hot" day by Japanese and international media.

The name emerged as the most popular in a national online survey, with "super extremely hot day" in second place.

Extreme weather events like heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense around the world, fuelled by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.

The description, introduced by Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Friday, uses koku - meaning harsh or cruel - to describe the heat, the Japan Times newspaper reported.

The survey was conducted in February and March and received roughly 478,000 responses, in which people picked their preferred term among 13 options to describe the hottest day.

Japan already has terms for days over 25C, 30C and 35C.
The new word for even hotter weather comes after record-shattering heat hit Japan last year.

Summer 2025 was the hottest since records began in 1898 - with average temperatures nationwide 2.36C above average.

Temperatures reached 40C-plus on nine days between June and August, with a new national peak of 41.8C in the city of Isesaki.

The cumulative number of extremely hot days also surpassed the previous record set in 2024.

For example, Tokyo recorded 25 days over 35C, compared with an average of just 4.5 days. Kyoto logged 52 days above the same temperature, compared with an average of 18.5 days.

This summer, JMA forecasts a high probability of above-normal temperatures in Japan from June to August.
 

 

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, on Sunday urged all parties concerned to observe the ceasefire over the fighting between Israel and Lebanon.

In a joint statement released on the day to sum up their talks in Tokyo the day before, the two ministers said, "We welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and called on all parties to the conflict, including (Lebanese Shia Islamic group) Hezbollah, to adhere to it."

The 10-day ceasefire, which took effect Friday, is "an important contribution to realizing peace and stability in the region," they said.

They stressed "the need for continued negotiations" for the resolution of all the conflicts in the Middle East and "unimpeded and safe navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transport chokepoint.

Apparently with China in mind, Koizumi and Marles said, "We reaffirmed our strong opposition to any unilateral actions, including by force or coercion, which escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability."
 
 

Japan's Olympic figure skating pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announced their retirement on Friday, saying they were ending their careers with "no regrets".

Miura and Kihara claimed their country's first Olympic pairs medals in dramatic style at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, recovering from a disastrous short program to take gold.

Miura, 24, and Kihara, 33, were also crowned world champions twice.
"Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have decided to retire from competition at the end of this season," the pair said in a statement on social media.

"A big thank you to everyone who has offered their support since the day they got together."

Miura and Kihara, popularly known collectively in Japan as "Rikuryu", went into the decisive Olympic free skate in fifth place after errors in their short program.

Kihara said he had been "feeling really down" and blamed himself for the slip-up, conceding: "We did not think we would win."

Instead, they spectacularly turned things around and topped the podium with personal-best scores.

The win was loudly celebrated in Japan, with government spokesman Minoru Kihara saying it had "moved so many people".

American gymnastics legend Simone Biles, who was in the arena to watch the action, said she was "pretty sure that was perfection".

Miura and Kihara, who skipped last month's world championships in Prague, said they would embark on a "new challenge" away from competition.

"We are ending our competitive careers but we feel that we have given everything and there are no regrets," they said.
 
 

The Japanese government plans to have the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, own and operate the successor to the Antarctic research vessel Shirase, officials said Thursday.

The current vessel, slated to retire in 2034, is operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The aim of the shift is to ease strain on the MSDF as its overall tasks rise while personnel shortfalls persist.

MSDF personnel will continue to support ice navigation and transport on ice to Japan's Showa Station in Antarctica.

JAMSTEC, overseen by the education ministry, long operated the research vessel Mirai in missions in the Arctic Ocean before its retirement last December.

The agency plans to deploy a new Mirai II, capable of breaking ice, to bolster observation capabilities. Taking on the Shirase's successor would extend JAMSTEC's operational area to Antarctic waters.
 
 

Former Japan soccer star Shunsuke Nakamura, 47, will join the coaching staff for Japan’s World Cup team, the Japan Football Association announced Thursday.

The former Japan’s midfielder will accompany the national team to the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States and other countries in June and July.

I share the same aspirations as the players and will strive to contribute to achieving the goals the team has set, he said via the JFA.

Having left Yokohama FC at the end of last year, Nakamura reportedly received an offer from Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu and had been in negotiations with the national team.

Nakamura played for Yokohama F. Marinos, Italian club Reggina and Scottish club Celtic, among others.

He participated in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
 
 

The southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto on Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of a deadly earthquake, the more intensive of a pair of back-to-back quakes that hit the region and claimed the lives of over 270 people.

Families and others observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the deceased at 1:25 a.m., the time when a magnitude 7.3 quake struck a decade ago following a M6.5 temblor two days prior.

A commemoration ceremony aimed at passing on lessons learned from the disaster to next generation and striving for the recovery of local communities was held in the city of Kumamoto, hosted jointly for the first time by the prefectural government and all the prefecture's local municipalities.

"We must never forget the precious lives lost and the many sacrifices made," Kumamoto Gov Takashi Kimura said at the ceremony. "We shall pass these memories on to the next generation, ensuring that they never fade."

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara pledged at the ceremony efforts to turn the disaster-prone Japan into "the world's most disaster-resilient country" by leveraging the experiences and lessons learned from past disasters.

A total of 278 deaths have been attributed to the quakes in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures, with 223 of them -- about 80 percent of the total -- attributed to indirect causes such as illness and stress stemming from disrupted lives.

More than 43,000 buildings were damaged, and at the peak of the crisis, around 196,000 people were forced to evacuate.

The disaster also shed light on issues like sleeping in cars during prolonged evacuation and its impact on health.

The twin quakes, both measuring the highest reading of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, inflicted serious damage to infrastructure as well, with Aso Ohashi Bridge in the village of Minamiaso collapsing and a JR Kyushu railway line severed.

Shinobu Yamato, 58, visited a site near the bridge where her 22-year-old son Hikaru was killed in a landslide.

"It fills me with such agony and regret to think that he might have made it without passing through here had the timing been slightly different," she said in tears.

Kumamoto Castle, a popular tourist destination, sustained significant damage including to its famous stone walls. Ongoing repair work of the landmark is expected to be completed in fiscal 2052.