The government on Friday compiled a policy package to toughen rules for foreigners in Japan and promote social cohesion, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to show commitment to the issue before a snap election on Feb. 8.

Billed as measures to promote "well-ordered and harmonious coexistence," the proposals approved by a meeting of relevant Cabinet ministers include tougher rules on permanent residency and naturalization, as well as measures to prevent delinquent tax and social insurance payments.

They also include facilitating discussions on creating rules for foreign nationals' land acquisitions, which is considered a national security issue, and considering the establishment of a program to teach foreigners Japanese and its social norms.

Pundits have said that one of the key campaign issues for the upcoming House of Representatives election is how to better engage with foreign residents in Japan.

"We have put together a new framework for initiatives to ensure public safety and security, and outlined measures that will be carried out quickly," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, who chairs the meeting, said.

The measures increase the number of years that individuals seeking Japanese citizenship must live in the country and make application inspections stricter.

The proposed education program is expected to influence decisions about granting residency, and the government will determine which residence categories the program will apply to. By this summer, a framework of rules on foreign land acquisitions, informed by the approaches of other countries, will be compiled.

As of June 2025, the foreign population in Japan stood at around 3.95 million people, or some 3.2 percent of the population. The largest group was Chinese, followed by Vietnamese and Korean.
 
 

The land ministry said Friday that it has been looking into whether local governments nationwide are aware of the nationalities of residents living in public housing.

The ministry will compile the survey results as early as February. It will issue a notice to municipalities within fiscal 2025 asking them to check the nationality of new residents.

The survey comes as some local governments confirm the nationalities of foreign residents while others do not.

Identifying the dominant nationalities of foreign residents will help officials address challenges such as etiquette awareness and disaster response, ministry officials said.

Launched on Jan. 6, the survey covers prefectural and municipal governments across the country but does not ask for the number of foreign residents.

The forthcoming notice will instruct local governments to ensure that emergency contact numbers for foreign residents belong to those who understand Japanese.

The ministry is considering finding the total number of foreign residents of public housing in Japan.
 
 

The Japanese government will raise basic public pension benefits by 1.9 pct in fiscal 2026 from the previous year, the welfare ministry said Friday.

Benefits under the "kosei nenkin" public pension program for corporate employees, paid on top of basic benefits, will be increased by 2 pct in the year that starts in April.

Both pension benefits will be raised for the fourth straight year.
The pace of the increases will be kept below inflation due to a measure to stabilize finance for the public pension system.

Public pension benefits are revised every year based on changes in prices over the past year and in wages over the past three years. For fiscal 2026, the ministry used an inflation rate of 3.2 pct and a wage growth rate of 2.1 pct.
 
 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house of the Diet on Friday, paving the way for a Feb 8 snap election.

The move is an attempt to capitalize on her popularity to help governing party regain ground after major losses in recent years, but will delay parliamentary approval for a budget that aims at boosting a struggling economy and addressing soaring prices.

Elected in October as Japan’s first female leader, Takaichi has been in office only three months, but she has seen strong approval ratings of about 70%.

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party could still face some challenges as it reels from a series of scandals about corruption and the party's past ties to the controversial Unification Church.

But it's not clear if the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance can attract moderate voters while opposition parties are still too splintered to a pose a serious threat to the LDP.

Takaichi is also seeing rising animosity with China since she made pro-Taiwan remarks. And U.S. President Donald Trump wants her to spend more on weapons as Washington and Beijing pursue military superiority in the region.

The dissolution of the 465-member lower house paves the way for a 12-day campaign that officially starts Tuesday. When house speaker Fukushiro Nukaga declared the dissolution, the assembled parliamentarians stood up, shouted banzai — “long live” — three times and rushed out to prepare for the campaign.



Takaichi hopes to win majority

Takaichi’s plan for an early election aims to capitalize on her popularity to win a governing majority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber Parliament.

The scandal-tainted LDP and its coalition had a slim majority in the more lower house after an election loss in 2024. The coalition lacks a majority in the upper house and relies on winning votes from opposition members to pass its agenda.

Opposition leaders criticized Takaichi for delaying passage of a budget needed to fund key economic measures.

“I believe that the only option is for the people, as sovereign citizens, to decide whether Sanae Takaichi should be prime minister,” she told a news conference Monday when announcing plans for the election. “I’m staking my career as prime minister” on it.

A hardline conservative, Takaichi wants to highlight differences with her centrist predecessor Shigeru Ishiba.

Takaichi stresses that voters need to judge her fiscal spending moves, further military buildup and tougher immigration policies to make Japan “strong and prosperous.”

While an upbeat and decisive image has earned her strong approval ratings and fans of her personal style, the LDP is not popular as it recovers from a political funds scandal. Many traditional LDP voters have shifted to emerging far-right populist opposition parties, such as the anti-globalist Sanseito.


China, Trump and corruption scandals

Meanwhile, Japan faces escalating tensions with China after Takaichi made remarks suggesting that Japan could become involved if China takes military action against Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own. A furious China has increased economic and diplomatic retribution.

Takaichi wants to push further a military buildup and spending increases, while Trump has pressured Japan to spend more on defense.


Takaichi has a new right-wing coalition partner and faces a divided opposition

Takaichi says she needs a mandate to push policies she’s agreed on with her new coalition partner, the right-wing Japan Innovation Party. They struck a deal in October to pursue goals that include a stronger military, continuing male-only imperial succession, and accelerating the reactivation of offline nuclear reactors.

Takaichi struck a deal with the JIP after the LDP’s long-time ally Komeito, a Buddhist-backed centrist party, left the ruling bloc over her ideological views and reluctance to pursue anti-corruption measures. With the new partner’s help, she secured just enough votes to become prime minister.

Komeito turned to the main liberal-leaning opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, to form the Centrist Reform Alliance just in time for the election.

“Now is our chance to start the centrist movement,” said Yoshihiko Noda, a former prime minister and leader of the Constitutional Democrats.

He said the new alliance seeks to achieve a diverse, gender equal and inclusive society with “people-first politics,” speaking at joint news conference with co-leader Tetsuo Saito, head of Komeito.

As divisions and confrontations spread globally and economic disparity widens at home, the new group is promising a “realistic” security policy and efforts to achieve a nuclear weapons-free world.

Opposition groups in Japan are seen as too splintered to win an election, and so far, polling for the alliance is not promising. But Komeito’s ability to turn out votes from the Soka Gakkai sect makes it a force to be reckoned with.


Takaichi promises results on economy, defense and conservative values

Takaichi is focusing on the economy, looking to attract voters with measures to address rising prices and stagnant wages, as well as support for low-income households.

But the security hawk has also pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to further strengthen the military, and to eliminate arms export restrictions to allow more sales and develop the Japanese defense industry.

Her party is also vowing tougher immigration rules and restrictions on foreigners living in Japan to address growing anti-foreign sentiment.

Earlier this week, the LDP proposed new immigration policies including tougher requirements for foreign property owners and a cap on the number of foreign residents in Japan.
 

 

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index rose for the first time in six trading days on Thursday. Investors turned bullish after US President Donald Trump backed away from imposing tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to acquire Greenland.

The Tokyo benchmark ended the day up 1.7 percent at 53,688. Before Trump's move, investors had been anxious about a possible escalation of trade tensions between the United States and European nations.

The Nikkei index had fallen for five straight sessions through Wednesday after setting a record closing high above the 54,000 mark last week.
 
 

Japan posted a trade deficit for the fifth straight year in 2025, according to government data released Thursday, as concerns continued to grow over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and Japan’s political rift with neighboring China.

For the full year, Japan logged a 2.65 trillion yen ($17 billion) trade deficit, the Finance Ministry reported in its preliminary data.

That was nearly 53% smaller than the deficit Japan marked the previous year. Exports for the year rose 3.1%, while imports remained about the same on-year, gaining less than 1%.

For the month of December, Japan recorded a 105.7 billion yen ($669 million) trade surplus.

The monthly surplus was 12% smaller than what was racked up a year ago. Imports grew 5.3% from the same month a year ago, while exports grew 5.1%.

By nation, exports in December declined 11% to the U.S., while growing to Britain, Africa and to some Asian points like Hong Kong and India. Imports remained strong from Europe but declined from Brazil and the Middle East.

The United States has imposed a 15% tariff on most imports from Japan, a reduction from the 25% that Trump initially proposed but an increase from before.

Another looming concern is the impact on Japanese manufacturing, including automakers, from China’s curbs on exports of rare earths.

The controls were announced by Beijing after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a Chinese move on Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response.

Takaichi may call elections for next month in hopes her party can gain strength in Parliament while she is popular with the public.

Overall, Japan’s economy has held up, despite grumbling from the public about rising prices and stagnant wages. The benchmark Nikkei on the Tokyo Stock Exchange keeps hitting new records.
 
 

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a powerful winter pressure pattern has brought heavy snow, mainly along the Sea of Japan side.

Authorities are warning of possible impacts on transportation in areas including Niigata Prefecture and the Hokuriku region, as snow accumulates rapidly.

The agency says a Japan Sea polar air mass convergence zone, or JPCZ, caused active snow clouds to develop over the Hokuriku and Kinki regions from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

It issued information on significant heavy snowfall for Ishikawa Prefecture on Wednesday evening. It also did so on Thursday morning for areas east of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, after 25 centimeters of snowfall was recorded over a six-hour period in Hikone City.

Accumulated snow as of 11:00 a.m. on Thursday was 4.3 meters in Sukayu in the Hakkoda mountain range of Aomori Prefecture, 1.77 meters in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, 1.05 meters in Otaru City, Hokkaido, 33 centimeters in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, 31 centimeters in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, 27 centimeters in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture and 20 centimeters in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Snow accumulated on some flatlands on the Pacific side as well.
The JPCZ is expected to move north, sending active snow clouds over Niigata Prefecture and the Hokuriku region.

Niigata and Hokuriku could get up to 80 centimeters of snow over a 24-hour period through noon on Friday, while the Tohoku region could get 70 centimeters, the Kinki region 60 centimeters, the Chugoku region and Gifu Prefecture 50 centimeters, Hokkaido 40 centimeters, the Kanto-Koshin region 20 centimeters and Shikoku 10 centimeters.

The strong winter pressure pattern is forecast to continue through around Sunday. Another round of heavy snowfall is expected from Saturday through Sunday.

The agency is warning of possible disruptions in transportation, such as vehicles getting stuck on snowy roads.

It also warns that snow on power lines could cause outages.

People are being advised to refrain from nonessential or non-urgent outings, and check if they have sufficient fuel, cold weather gear, mobile batteries and other supplies.

Drivers are urged to stay updated on the latest traffic information, check detour routes, and have snow tires or tire chains ready.
 
 

Japan has restarted operations at the world's largest nuclear power plant for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster forced the country to shut all of its reactors.

The decision to restart reactor number 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa north-west of Tokyo was taken despite local residents' safety concerns.

It was delayed by a day because of an alarm malfunction and is due to begin operating commercially next month.

Heavily reliant on energy imports, Japan was an early adopter of nuclear power. But in 2011 all 54 of Japan's reactors had to be shut after the most powerful earthquake it had ever recorded triggered a meltdown at Fukushima, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

This is the latest installment in Japan's nuclear power reboot, which still has a long way to go.

The seventh reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is not expected to be brought back on until 2030, and the other five could be decommissioned. That leaves the plant with far less capacity than it once had when all seven reactors were operational: 8.2 gigawatts.

The meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi, 220km (135 miles) north-east of Tokyo on the coast, led to radioactive leakage. Local communities were evacuated, and many have not returned despite official assurances that it was safe to do so.

Critics say the plant's owner Tokyo Electric Power Company, or Tepco, was not prepared, and the response from them and government was not well co-ordinated. An independent government report called it a "man-made disaster" and blamed Tepco, although a court later cleared three of their executives of negligence.

Still the fear and lack of trust fuelled public opposition to nuclear power and Japan suspended all of its reactors.

It has now spent the past decade trying to wake up those power plants, as it seeks to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Since 2015, Japan has restarted 15 out of its 33 operable reactors. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is the first of those owned by Tepco to be turned back on.

Before 2011, nuclear power accounted for nearly 30% of Japan's electricity and the country planned to get that up to 50% by 2030. Its energy plan last year unveiled a tamer goal: it wants nuclear power to provide 20% of its electricity needs by 2040.
Even that may be tricky.



'A Drop On A Hot Stone'

Global momentum is building around nuclear energy, with the International Atomic Energy Agency estimating that the world's nuclear power capacity could more than double by 2050. In Japan, as of 2023, nuclear power accounted for just 8.5% of electricity.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October, has emphasised the importance of nuclear power for Japan's energy self-sufficiency. Especially as it expects energy demand to surge because of data centres and semiconductor manufacturing.

Japan's leaders and its energy companies have long pushed for nuclear power. They say it's more reliable than renewable energy like solar and wind, and better suited for Japan's mountainous terrain. But critics say the emphasis on nuclear energy has come at the cost of investing in renewables and cutting emissions.

Now, as Japan tries to revive its nuclear power ambitions, the costs of running the reactors have surged, partly because of new safety checks that require hefty investments from companies trying to restart plants.

"Nuclear power is getting much more expensive than they ever thought it would," says Dr Florentine Koppenborg, a senior researcher at the Technical University of Munich.

The government could subsidise the costs, or pass them on to consumers - both unpalatable options for Japan's leaders, who have for decades been hailing the affordability of nuclear power. An expensive energy bill could also hurt the government at a time when households are protesting about rising costs.

The government's "hands are tied when it comes to financially supporting nuclear power, unless it's willing to go back on one of the main selling points", Koppenborg says.

"I think [Japan's nuclear power revival] is a drop on a hot stone, because it does not change the larger picture of nuclear power decline in Japan."
Beyond the fear of another disaster like Fuksuhima, a series of scandals has also rattled public trust.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in particular found itself embroiled in a couple of them. In 2023, one of its employees lost a stack of documents after placing it on top of their car and forgetting it was there before driving away. In November, another was found to have mishandled confidential documents.

A Tepco spokesperson said the company reported the incidents to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), adding that it aimed to continue improving security management.

These revelations are "a good sign" for transparency, says Koppenborg. But they also reveal that "Tepco is struggling to change its ways [and] the way it approaches safety".

Earlier this month, the NRA suspended its review to restart nuclear reactors at Chubu Electric's Hamaoka plant in central Japan, after the company was found to have manipulated quake data in its tests.

The company apologised, saying: "We will continue to respond sincerely, and to the fullest extent possible, to the instructions and guidance of the NRA."

Hisanori Nei, a former senior nuclear safety official, tells the BBC, while he was "surprised" by the scandal at Hamaoka, he believed the harsh penalty handed to its operator should deter other companies from doing the same.

"Power companies should recognise the importance not to [falsify data]," he said, adding that authorities will "reject and punish" offending companies.


 
Surviving Another Fukushima

What happened at Fukushima turned Japanese public opinion against what had been hailed as an affordable and sustainable form of energy.

Thousands of residents filed class action lawsuits against Tepco and the Japanese government, demanding compensation for property damage, emotional distress and health problems allegedly linked to radiation exposure.

In the weeks after the March 2011 disaster, 44% of Japanese thought the use of nuclear power should be reduced, according to a survey by Pew Research Center. That figure jumped to 70% by 2012. But then polls by the Japanese business publication Nikkei in 2022 showed that more than 50% of people supported nuclear power if safety was ensured.

But there is still fear and mistrust. In 2023, the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant sparked anxiety and anger both at home and abroad.

And many remain opposed to restarting nuclear plants. In December, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Niigata prefectural assembly where Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is located, voicing safety concerns.

"If something was to happen at the plant, we would be the ones to suffer the consequences," one protester told Reuters news agency.

Last week, ahead of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's restart, a small crowd gathered in front of Tepco's headquarters to protest again.

Nuclear safety standards have been ramped up after Fukushima. The NRA, a cabinet body established in 2012, now oversees the restarting of the country's nuclear plants.

At Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, 15-metre-high (49-foot) seawalls have been built to guard against large tsunamis; watertight doors now protect critical equipment at the facility.

"Based on the new safety standards, [Japan's nuclear plants] could survive even a similar earthquake and tsunami like the one we had in 2011," says Nei, the former senior nuclear safety official.

But what worries Koppenborg is: "They're preparing for the worst they've seen in the past but not for what is to come."

Some experts worry that these policies are not planning enough to account for rising sea levels due to climate change, or the once-in-a-century megaquake that Japan has been anticipating.

"If the past repeats itself, Japan is super well-prepared," Koppenborg says. "If something really unexpected happens and a bigger than expected tsunami comes along, we don't know."
 
 

JAPAN TODAY



 

Since the dawn of humanity, whenever we have been blessed with lightly frozen flakes of precipitation, we have been filled with the urge to gather up this natural wonder into our hands, and then throw it at friends and family, laughing extra hard if we had hit them in the butt.

It’s a tradition that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, weather permitting, and one that is celebrated each year in the town of Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture at the Uonuma International Snowball Fight Competition.

This year will be the 36th such event, and it welcomes teams from around the world to prove their mettle at snow warfare.

The way it works is fairly simple. A field measuring 22 by 10 meters is established, and five meters in from each side is designated as the team’s home zone, which the other team cannot enter, though launching balls in and out of them is permitted.

The center section is the battle zone, where contestants may move about freely and make use of the four defensive walls set up.

Teams are made up of five people. It’s possible but not advisable to be in a team of fewer than five, and also possible to have up to three subs. There are adult and children divisions, but children are also allowed to participate in adult matches.

Each team starts with a certain number of points, and when a member of that team is hit with a snowball, points are deducted.

 

If a team hits zero points, then the opposing team wins. Otherwise, after two minutes of play, the team with the most points remaining is the winner.

Penalties involving points deductions or ejections from the game may be carried out in the event of deliberately hitting people in the face or head, verbal abuse, bad sportsmanship, or just being boring for the spectators.

A team of umpires will supervise the match, and buttering them up with a gift is advised in the official rules.

▼ A promotional video for the competition. It’s called the Koide International Snowball Fight Competition here, but Koide is a part of Uonuma, and it’s the same event.

https://youtu.be/9L5Xb9e4jrg

Uonuma prides itself on being the “birthplace of the snowball fight” during Japan’s Warring States period in 1535.

At that time, there was a fierce and chaotic battle for control of the region between warlords Nagao Tamekage and Uesugi Sadanori, and at the Battle of Ipponsugi, the fighting grew so intense that both sides exhausted all of their arrows and broke all of their swords. With nothing left, they began hurling balls of snow at each other.

Officials at Uonuma also ask that you do not fact-check the whole part about the snowball fighting, and just take their word for it.

Regardless of how it started, there is no disputing that this is the place where the world’s best snowball fighters are crowned.

In addition to the prestigious title, winners will also receive Uonuma-grown Koshihikari rice, considered among the best in Japan, and locally brewed sake, which is also considered among the nation’s finest.

▼ In addition to the competition, there’s also a cosplay photo contest, snow treasure hunt for kids and all-you-can-eat Koshihikari rice.


 

Unfortunately, it’s too late to register for this year’s competition, but you can still go to scope out the competition or just have fun at the 36th Uonuma International Snowball Fight on 8 February. It truly is a celebration of the human spirit.


Event information

36th Uonuma International Snowball Fight / 第３６回魚沼国際雪合戦大会

Uonuma City Hibiki no Mori Cultural Center, Hibiki no Mori Park, Snow Colosseum

魚沼市響きの森文化会館　響きの森公園　雪のコロシアム

Niigata-ken, Uonuma-shi, Himizo 1848-1

新潟県魚沼市干溝1848‐1

Opening Ceremony starts at 8:40 a.m.

Website
 
 
 

 

Sales from seven major Japanese convenience store chains hit a record 12.06 trillion yen ($76.34 billion) in 2025, bolstered by the development of high-value-added products, increased inbound tourism and sales tied to the World Exposition in Osaka, an industry body said Tuesday.

The sales rose 2.2 percent from the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive record-breaking year, according to a report by the Japan Franchise Association.

The average spending per customer for the year was 737.9 yen, up 2.5 percent from the previous year, as promotional campaigns such as collaborations with popular anime and well-known restaurants proved effective, the report said.

Over-the-counter foods such as onigiri rice balls and fried snacks also saw strong sales.

The number of stores nationwide stood at 56,054 as of December, up 0.6 percent from a year earlier.

However, the number of store visitors in 2025 decreased by 0.2 percent to 16.34 billion, marking the first decline in four years.

Monthly sales for December were up 1.1 percent from a year earlier to around 1.01 trillion yen, marking the 10th straight monthly increase.
 
 

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday declined to clarify whether Japan will participate in the Board of Peace proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Gaza Strip.

"We are examining the details" of the board, the top government spokesman said at a news conference, adding, "We will consider issues concerned, including whether or not to take part."

In a letter sent to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump invited Tokyo to participate in the new initiative.

Kihara said that Japan will "strongly support President Trump's efforts for peace in the Middle East."

But the Japanese government is expected to carefully consider its potential participation as some say that Trump may be considering the possibility of using the board as an alternative to the United Nations, not just for overseeing the interim rule over the Gaza Strip.
 
 

The man who killed Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in prison, three and a half years after he shot him dead at a rally in the city of Nara in 2022.

Tetsuya Yamagami had pleaded guilty to murder charges at the trial's opening last year, but how he should be punished has divided public opinion in Japan. While many see the 45-year-old as a cold-blooded murderer, some sympathise with his troubled upbringing.

Prosecutors said Yamagami deserved life imprisonment for his "grave act". Abe's assassination stunned the country, where there is virtually no gun crime.

Seeking leniency, Yamagami's defence team said he was a victim of "religious abuse".

His mother's devotion to the Unification Church bankrupted the family, and Yamagami bore a grudge against Abe after realising the ex-leader's ties to the controversial church, the court heard.

On Wednesday, Judge Shinichi Tanaka from the Nara district court sentenced Yamagami to life in prison without parole, as the prosecution had requested.

"The act of waiting for an opportunity, finding an opening, and targeting the victim with a gun is despicable and extremely malicious," said the judge, public broadcaster NHK reports.

Yamagami sat quietly with his hands clasped and eyes downcast as the sentence was handed down. Nearly 700 people had lined up in the cold to try to get one of the 31 seats inside the courtroom to attend the hearing.

Abe's shocking death in broad daylight prompted investigations into the Unification Church and its questionable practices, including soliciting financially ruinous donations from its followers.

The case also exposed links with politicians from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and resulted in the resignations of several cabinet ministers.

Journalist Eito Suzuki, who covered all but one of Yamagami's court hearings, said Yamagami and his family seemed "overwhelmed with despair" throughout the trial.

Yamagami "exuded a sense of world-weariness and resignation", recounts Suzuki, who began looking into the Unification Church long before Abe's shocking murder.

"Everything is true. There is no doubt that I did this," Yamagami said solemnly on the first day of his trial in October 2025.

Armed with a homemade gun assembled using two metal pipes and duct tape, he fired two shots at Abe during a political campaign event in the western city of Nara on 8 July 2022.

The murder of Japan's most recognisable public figure at the time – Abe remains the longest-serving PM in Japanese history – sent shockwaves around the world.

Calling for a jail term of no more than 20 years, Yamagami's lawyers argued that he was a victim of "religious abuse". He resented the church because his mother donated to it his late father's life insurance and other assets, amounting to 100 million yen ($633,000; £471,000), the court heard.

Yamagami spoke of his grievance against Abe, who was 67 when shot, after seeing his video message at a church-related event in 2021, but said he had initially planned to attack church executives, not Abe.

Suzuki recalls Abe's widow Akie's look of disbelief when Yamagami said the ex-leader was not his main target. Her expression "remains vividly etched in my mind", Suzuki says.

"It conveyed a sense of shock, like she was asking: Was my husband merely a tool used to settle a grudge against the religious organisation? Is that all it was?"

In an emotional statement read to the court, Akie Abe said the sorrow of losing her husband "will never be relieved".

"I just wanted him to stay alive," she had said.

Founded in South Korea, the Unification Church entered Japan in the 1960s and cultivated ties with politicians to grow its following, researchers say.

While not a member, Abe, like several other Japanese politicians, would occasionally appear at church-related events. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, also a former PM, was said to have been close to the group because of its anti-communist stance.

In March last year, a Tokyo court revoked the church's status as a religious corporation, ruling that it coerced followers into buying expensive items by exploiting fears about their spiritual well-being.

The church has also drawn controversy for holding mass wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.

Yamagami's sister, who appeared as a defence witness during his trial, gave a tearful testimony on the "dire circumstances she and her siblings endured" because of their mother's deep involvement with the church, Suzuki recalls.

"It was an intensely emotional moment. Nearly everyone in the public gallery appeared to be crying," he says.

But prosecutors argue there is "a leap in logic" as to why Yamagami directed his resentment of the church at Abe. During the trial, the judges also raised questions suggesting they found it hard to understand this aspect of his defence.

Observers, too, are divided on whether Yamagami's personal tragedies justify a reduced penalty for his actions.

"It's hard to dismantle the prosecution's case that Abe didn't directly harm Yamagami or his family," Suzuki says.

But he believes Yamagami's case illustrates how "victims of social problems are led to commit serious crimes".

"This chain must be broken, we must properly examine why he committed the crime," Suzuki says.

Rin Ushiyama, a sociologist at Queen's University Belfast, says sympathy for Yamagami is largely rooted in "widespread distrust and antipathy in Japan towards controversial religions like the Unification Church".

"Yamagami was certainly a 'victim' of parental neglect and economic hardship caused by the [Unification Church], but this does not explain, let alone justify, his [actions]," Ushiyama says.
 
 

The visual design/naming of Japanese

confectioner Ariake’s flagship Harbour baked goods is pretty abstract. With Ariake being based in the port town of Yokohama, they wanted some sort of nautical theme, and what they came up with were oblong chestnut cakes that are supposed to be reminiscent of ships sailing through the harbor, as pictured above.

However, a ship and a harbor are two different things, and with “harbor” itself not being a term that’s got a whole lot of traction as an English loanword in Japanese, Ariake is kind of flexible on the shape of its sweets. For example, the Milk Harbour sub-brand looks like this.

But if Milk Harbour don’t have to look like ships, and apparently don’t have to look like anything at all, there’s no reason they can’t look like Poké Balls, is there?

 

The Pokémon Milk Harbour Mont Blanc are made from enticingly sweet cakes with condensed milk and honey mixed into the dough prior to baking, and filled with a chestnut paste-enhanced anko (sweet bean paste).

 

Each is individually packaged in a wrapper illustrated with starter Pokémon from the franchise’s various regions, and there’s also a five-piece box with an additional cute paper covering.

Note that there are actuality six different individual wrapper combinations, contained randomly in the box sets, so it’s not possible to obtain them all without buying at least two boxes, so there’s an incontrovertible excuse to buy multiple boxes of sweets.

Individual Pokémon Milk Harbour Mont Blanc are priced at 173 yen, and the five-piece box is 864 yen (1 yen less than buying five pieces individually, further proving that buying in bulk is the prudent choice).

 

They’re available at Ariake standalone shops, department stores, and through the Ariake online shop, and while they’re technically limited-time items created as part of the Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration this year, they’ll be on sale all the way through the end of December.
 


 

Indonesia’s Trade Ministry has linked 30 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with major Japanese retailers to expand export access for Indonesian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), targeting one of Asia’s most demanding consumer markets.

The ministry partnered with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) to organize business matching sessions between Indonesian SMEs and four major Japanese retail companies. The sessions focused on market access and compliance with strict Japanese standards.

Director General of National Export Development Fajarini Puntodewi said the initiative aims to align Indonesian products with Japanese quality, safety, and consumer requirements, to enable local suppliers to compete in a high-barrier, high-value market.

"We are bringing together Indonesian suppliers and Japanese retailers to align market standards so our products can meet Japan’s stringent requirements and consumer needs,” Puntodewi said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Participating SMEs operate across furniture, homeware, cosmetics and skincare, pet care, and food and beverages, underscoring Indonesia’s push to diversify exports beyond commodities and the automotive sector.

The business matching was conducted through one-on-one meetings, allowing each SME to present flagship products, display samples, and negotiate prices directly with Japanese retail representatives.

Puntodewi said Indonesia and Japan have strong potential to deepen cooperation in furniture, home and living, wellness, personal care, and beauty products, which she described as emerging growth drivers in global supply chains.

"Beyond automotive, we see significant opportunities in home living, wellness, personal care, and beauty. We are optimistic Indonesian FMCG and creative products can help drive a rebound in 2026,” she said.

Indonesia’s non-oil and gas exports to Japan totaled US$14.08 billion in January-November 2025, down 17.91 percent from a year earlier amid global economic pressures, according to official data.

Despite the decline, longer-term trade trends remain positive. Total Indonesia-Japan trade grew 9.47 percent over the past five years, while non-oil and gas exports rose 8.82 percent.

Statistics Indonesia said total bilateral trade reached US$29.29 billion in January to November 2025, down 10.45 percent year on year, with Indonesia still posting a US$2.64 billion trade surplus.

Puntodewi said the government expects the business matching to produce concrete deals that can evolve into long-term partnerships, strengthening Indonesia’s position in Japan’s competitive retail market.
 

 

Indonesia's Ministry of Trade co-organized a business matching event with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Jakarta on Tuesday to further intensify trade activities between the two countries.

"We intend for this activity to invite partners from Japan to step up collaboration with Indonesia-based suppliers, aiming to deepen cooperation and strengthen Indonesia's foothold in the global supply chain of various products," National Export Development Director General Fajarini Puntodewi stated.

Speaking at the event, she highlighted that the Ministry of Trade seeks to facilitate local companies in fostering partnerships with Japanese firms and retailers from relevant business fields or sectors.

The bilateral business forum was also designed to help Indonesia create a balance between local and imported products while expanding the export outreach of its top-quality goods and services, she added.

"In addition to the automotive sector, we have identified potential for collaboration in furniture, home living, wellness, and body care and beauty. We are confident that the two sides can emulate their extensive automotive ties in these business sectors," Puntodewi remarked.

She further remarked that officials from the Trade Ministry and JETRO have also demonstrated support by visiting an exhibition of Indonesia's local products and spotlighting a database on Indonesian companies arranged by the ministry.

Meanwhile, President Director of JETRO Jakarta Shinji Hirai underlined that the business matching event aligns with the Indonesian government's ongoing efforts to downstream locally sourced commodities to boost their selling value.

"This event presents Indonesian suppliers with a reference in product development and provides them with the momentum to comprehend the needs of Japanese companies," he said.

He expressed hope that the business forum will also contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan.

"We are looking forward to developing projects in accordance with the needs of both Japan and Indonesia," he concluded.
 

The annual number of foreign visitors to Japan came to some 42.7 million in 2025, up from 36,870,148 in the previous year, exceeding 40 million for the first time, tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Spending by foreign visitors also hit a record high, rising about 16 pct to some 9.5 trillion yen.

Backed by the yen's weakness against other major currencies, the number of foreign visitors set a new record for two years in a row, after surpassing its prepandemic high in 2024.

During 2025, the number of visitors from Hong Kong temporarily declined due to the spread of rumors on social media that a major earthquake could occur in Japan.

However, the numbers were supported by efforts to attract visitors from a wide range of countries and regions. The total number of visitors from 12 countries including the United States, European countries and Australia rose by about 20 pct to more than 7 million.
 
 

 

The artificial intelligence ChatGPT earned perfect scores in nine subjects in this year's unified university entrance examinations, marking its first full score, an AI venture said Tuesday.

When LifePrompt Inc. tested the generative AI chatbot for the weekend's university exams, the chatbot's latest version had an accuracy rate of 97 percent across 15 subjects, including the nine.

The nine subjects with full scores included mathematics, chemistry, informatics, and politics and economy. The generative AI chatbot performed worst in Japanese language, with a score of 90 percent, according to the Tokyo-based company.

Students take the annual exams when applying to national and some private universities, choosing some of the subjects. Roughly 500,000 people applied for the two-day tests nationwide, with the results to be used by 813 universities, colleges and junior colleges for their screening processes.

For subjects typically chosen by applicants to the University of Tokyo's highly competitive Human Sciences I program, ChatGPT scored 97 percent, higher than 66 percent in 2024 and 91 percent in 2025. LifePrompt has been testing the generative AI since 2024.

A score of 89 percent provides a 50 percent possibility of being accepted by the Human Science I in this year's exams, according to major cram school Kawaijuku Group.

"Due to improvement in AI's processing and reading abilities, it scored full marks in mathematics. In Japanese language test, it seems it still cannot adequately organize information written in Japanese," said Satoshi Endo, head of LifePrompt.

With access to search engine websites blocked, the AI chatbot answered the questions using only data stored itself.
 

 

The lower prices are widely expected to persist into March and April, which coincide with peak cherry blossom season.

Travellers eyeing Japan for its famed cherry blossom season may be in for one of the most affordable sakura trips in recent years.

Prices for flights, hotels and tours in 2026 have been trending 10 to 20 per cent lower than in 2025, with the steepest declines seen in popular cities such as Kyoto and Osaka, says Mr Ben Julius, founder of travel company Tourist Japan.

The lower prices are widely expected to persist into March and April, which coincide with peak cherry blossom season.

“It’s not just that prices have gone down, but also that the value you get for those prices has gone up because you’re able to book better hotels for less. And there’s the currency effect, where the Japanese yen is at a historic low,” he says.

As at Jan 19, the exchange rate stood at $1 to 122.56 yen.
According to Mr Julius, one of the main drivers behind the price drops is the decline in Chinese visitors to Japan since mid-November.

In November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks describing a potential military conflict over Taiwan as a “survival-threatening situation” for the country.

China also ordered its airlines to scale back flights to Japan until March. Air China, for example, cut 23 flights between Shanghai and Osaka, and 14 flights between Chongqing and Tokyo (Narita) from its December 2025 schedule, according to flight data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Between January and November 2025, China was Japan’s largest foreign visitor market, with 8,765,800 arrivals, based on statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

The combined effect of travel advisories and reduced air capacity had a definite impact.

Business operators in major tourist hubs such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto have reported cancellations and revenue losses, contributing to a softer demand environment ahead of one of the country’s busiest travel periods.

For travellers, however, the lack of Chinese travellers has translated into more competitive prices.

Tour packages, for instance, are seeing significant price reductions. A 16-day tour conducted by Tourist Japan during peak cherry blossom season in 2025 cost around US$4,850 (S$6,240) a person. In 2026, the same itinerary – with the same hotels, tours and transfers – starting on March 17 is priced at US$3,783 – about 22 per cent cheaper.

On Jan 8, the Japan Meteorological Corporation released its forecast, predicting warmer temperatures and earlier blooms. Tokyo’s flowering date is expected to fall on March 20, while Osaka’s is March 24.

“Aside from the decrease in prices, we’ve also seen that there’s availability to book hotels during the cherry blossom season. Over the last couple of years, by this time, certain popular hotels would already be fully booked or have limited availability,” says Mr Julius.

Singapore travellers are also increasingly booking outside peak periods to avoid the crowds and heat, says Ms Jasmine Seah, Singapore country manager of major Japanese online travel booking platform Rakuten Travel.

She notes that from May to June, the top destinations based on bookings include Yamanashi – which is located west of Tokyo – as well as Fukuoka and Kumamoto in central Kyushu.

Travellers are also booking alternative destinations in Japan to enjoy the cherry blossom season.

Rakuten Travel saw a 500 per cent surge in demand for Okinawa, which has an earlier blooming period from January to February, while bookings for Hokkaido – which has a later blooming period from April to May – have increased by 200 per cent in 2026 compared with 2025.

The shift in pricing and availability is already being felt on the ground. Mr Leslie Koh, 39, a full-time Japan travel content creator who visited the country eight times in 2025, has noticed a marked difference during his recent trips.

For an 11-day trip to Japan in January, he managed to secure a room at his preferred hotel in Ueno, Tokyo, for around $100 a night – despite booking just two weeks before departure. On previous trips, he would have needed to book at least one to two months in advance to secure a similar rate.

Beyond pricing, he has also observed a change in the overall travel experience. Compared with his trips in 2025, Mr Koh says the number of Chinese tourists in major cities looks to have declined significantly, making it easier to navigate popular attractions such as the Buddhist temple Sensoji and the Meiji Jingu shrine.

“Early in the year, many people visit Sensoji to offer New Year prayers, but even with the crowd of locals and foreigners, the queues moved fast and it was easy to navigate the grounds,” he says.

He adds that the drop in large, guided tour groups is especially noticeable, with far fewer guides using the flags or extended markers – sometimes topped with plush toys – that are commonly used to keep groups together at busy attractions.

“So, it’s still crowded and you can definitely feel that tourists are around, but exploring Japan now feels more manageable.”
 
 

Department store operators and confectionery makers are trying to ride a wave of the Valentine's Day-related shopping binge in Japan by offering products and services featuring experiences, highly valued by consumers these days.

The Matsuya Ginza department store, run by Matsuya Co., is selling chocolate containing "pismaniye," a traditional Turkish dessert in fine strands. The chocolate, named Angel Hair Chocolate, sells for 3,240 yen per piece.

Due to the unique fluffy appearance and light texture, the product has already gone viral on social media. "I hope people will be surprised," said Sho Koizumi, a Matsuya Ginza buyer.

Tobu Department Store Co.'s flagship store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district has tripled the number of sweets available in its eat-in space from last year, offering around 30 options.

In some Takashimaya Co. outlets, renowned patissiers prepare sweets, including parfaits, for customers to eat. From Feb. 8 to 14, the Matsuya Ginza store will serve a course meal using cacao.
 
 

Twin pandas at a zoo in Tokyo will depart for China on Jan. 27, the Tokyo government said Monday, marking the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas -- long viewed as a symbol of Japan-Sino friendship.

Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will be transported from the Ueno Zoological Gardens to Narita airport near Tokyo to fly to China. They are scheduled to arrive Jan. 28 at a facility in China housing their elder sister, Xiang Xiang.

Since the first pair of giant pandas arrived in Japan from China in 1972 to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic ties, the iconic bears have won the hearts of many in Japan and brought economic benefits as tourist attractions.

Online applications to view Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei have already closed, with demand for the final viewing day on Sunday reaching 24.6 times the available slots.

The twin pandas were born in 2021 to their mother Shin Shin and her mate, Ri Ri, both of whom were on loan to Japan for breeding research.

Ownership of the cubs was left with China despite their birth in Japan.
The Ueno zoo pair became the last two pandas in Japan last June after the other four at the Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, departed for China.

Prospects for another panda loan remain uncertain amid deteriorating Japan-China relations following recent remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan.

The twins' return in late January was announced by the Tokyo government in December.
 

 

The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new party launched by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, is expected to take realistic approaches on various issues including national security, it was learned Monday.

Regarding security policy, where the CDP and Komeito have a gap in their stances, the new party is expected to state in its basic policies that "exercising the right to self-defense in a so-called survival-threatening situation as defined by Japan's national security-related laws is constitutional," according to a draft.

Regarding nuclear power, another key focus, the draft said that the new party aims realize a society that does not depend on nuclear power in the future, while accepting the restart of nuclear plants confirmed to be safe.

By taking realistic approaches to demonstrate governance capability, the new party aims to become the largest force in the next election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament.

The new party will announce its basic policies later on Monday.

 

 
 

Japan's major sport events, from Tokyo 2020 to Kansai 2027, have translated international legacy frameworks into domestic policy and community practice, highlighting progress and gaps between global standards and local realities, and aiming to stimulate regional economic activity and social change.

Legacy has become a global norm in the planning and evaluation of major sport events (MSEs), yet its real impact depends on how effectively it is embedded in local contexts.

Drawing on Japan’s experience from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games through the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics and looking ahead to the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai, this article explores how international legacy frameworks have been translated into domestic policy, community practice, and sport-for-development initiatives.

It highlights both progress made and persistent gaps between global standards and local realities.


Legacy as an International Norm

Since the early 2000s, the importance of “legacy” has been increasingly emphasised in the hosting of MSEs, particularly the Olympic and Paralympic Games, under the leadership of the IOC.

The focus has gradually shifted from the successful delivery of competitions to the longer-term social, economic, and environmental impacts of events.

A major milestone was the establishment of ISO 20121 (Event Sustainability Management Systems) in 2012, which provided an international standard for sustainability management in event operations.

First applied comprehensively at the London 2012 Games, this framework has since informed the planning and delivery of subsequent editions, including Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, and Milano–Cortina 2026.

In parallel, the OECD published guidelines in 2023 on effective infrastructure development and the assessment of social, environmental, and economic impacts of MSEs. Together, these initiatives have formed a shared international reference framework for hosting MSEs.

As a result, legacy and sustainability are increasingly recognised as international social norms in sport governance.

Host countries are now expected not only to deliver successful events, but also to demonstrate how international standards are adapted to their own social, economic, and cultural contexts.

Against this backdrop, this article explores how Japan has translated the concept of legacy into society through successive events.


Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Tokyo 2020 Games marked a critical turning point in embedding the concept of legacy within Japanese society. Today, the term is widely recognised as a shared language for explaining the social value and broader significance of sport events in Japan.

Despite unprecedented constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a wide range of legacy-oriented initiatives were implemented nationwide.

According to the report by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Games addressed social, environmental, and economic dimensions broadly aligned with OECD frameworks. Among these, the most distinctive outcome was the visualisation and accumulation of practical knowledge related to an inclusive society.

One prominent initiative was the Host Town initiative, through which local governments across Japan welcomed national teams for pre-Games training camps and grassroots exchanges with residents.

In addition, Olympic and Paralympic Education (OPE) was expanded nationwide, while large-scale volunteer participation promoted civic engagement.

Tokyo 2020 also contributed to raising domestic awareness of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) as a field of international cooperation.

Sport for Tomorrow (SFT), positioned as Japan’s international contribution initiative during the bidding process, engaged a wide range of stakeholders and played an important role in popularising sport-based international cooperation.

At the same time, SFT attracted criticism due to its strong emphasis on achieving a numerical target of 10 million beneficiaries and the limited transparency surrounding its measurement methodology.

While Japan formally fulfilled its international commitment, the initiative’s long-term impact and legacy value remain contested.


Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics

 

Building on the experiences of Tokyo 2020, Japan adopted its Third Sport Basic Plan in 2022, explicitly positioning the inheritance and development of Olympic and Paralympic legacies as a national policy priority.

Within this framework, the creation of social legacies through MSEs was identified as a key challenge.

The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics emerged as a practical arena for deepening the shared understanding of social legacy developed after Tokyo 2020. The Games placed strong emphasis on accessibility, social awareness, and environmental improvements for people with hearing impairments, with diversity and inclusion positioned as central themes.

Several municipalities that had previously participated as Host Towns during Tokyo 2020 continued to welcome the same national delegations for the Deaflympics.

These efforts reinforced trust-based relationships between local governments and international partners, highlighting the importance of continuity in legacy creation.

In addition, many municipalities promoted disability awareness education in collaboration with schools. These initiatives demonstrate how MSEs can be embedded within local education systems, contributing to longer-term social change beyond the event itself.


World Masters Games 2027 Kansai

In 2027, the World Masters Games (WMG)—an international multi-sport event grounded in the philosophy of lifelong sport—will be held in Japan’s Kansai region.

A defining feature of the Kansai edition is its decentralised hosting model, with competitions spread across multiple cities including Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

This design reflects a deliberate attempt to address Japan’s long-standing challenge of excessive concentration in the Tokyo metropolitan area, aiming to stimulate regional economic activity and human mobility.

Japan has experienced more than three decades of economic stagnation since the early 1990s, during which sport-led economic revitalisation has often been highlighted as a policy option. However, Tokyo 2020—held largely without spectators—was unable to generate substantial tourism demand or consumption-driven economic legacies.

Learning from this experience, WMG 2027 Kansai aims to attract international participants and visitors across the region, leveraging sport tourism as a driver of economic impact. Some estimates suggest economic ripple effects of approximately ¥140 billion (around USD 1 billion).

Furthermore, following the Osaka–Kansai Expo in 2025, which welcomed around 21 million visitors, WMG 2027 is expected to serve as a bridge event, sustaining international interest and mobility in the region.


MSE Legacies and International Cooperation

Even before the term “legacy” became widely used, Japan has conveyed messages of domestic development and responses to social challenges to the international community through the Olympic and Paralympic Games—namely Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972, Nagano 1998, and Tokyo 2020.

These events have played an important role in communicating Japan’s identity as a peace-oriented nation and a responsible member of the international community in the postwar era.

Since the Tokyo 2020 Games, the importance of legacy has been clearly positioned within national sports plans, and subsequent MSEs have been designed to contribute directly to pressing social issues such as inclusivity and regional revitalization.

In Japan’s international engagements, knowledge on sustainability-oriented infrastructure development is also beginning to diffuse across borders. A notable example is the selection of Azusa Sekkei—an architectural firm involved in the development of the National Stadium for Tokyo 2020—as a contractor for the main stadium of the Brisbane 2032 Games.

Looking ahead, a key question for sports policy is how Japan can internationalize the “soft” dimensions of legacy—particularly the social impacts of initiatives embedded in local contexts—and feed them back into global practice.

As a mature nation that does not rely on rapid economic growth, Japan is once again being challenged to redefine how it can contribute internationally through sport.
 
 

Visitors to a garden near Tokyo are enjoying cherry trees that are blooming earlier than usual in the warm weather.

Hokoen garden is near the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, known for its mild climate and flower production.

The garden has about 50 Gancho-zakura trees, a cherry variety that usually blossoms in the cold weather before spring.

The Minamiboso City Tourism Association says warm weather since autumn caused the cherry trees to blossom at the end of last year, 20 days earlier than usual.

The warm weather on Saturday attracted many visitors to Hokoen. They strolled through the garden and took pictures of the cherry blossoms. They also enjoyed scenic views of the ocean.

A man in his 70s from nearby Tateyama City said he was glad to visit on a sunny day and hopes to come back again next year.

The tourism association's Toriumi Tatsuo said the early variety is nearing full bloom. He invited people to come and enjoy the signs of spring.

The Gancho-zakura blossoms at the garden can be viewed through early February.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering including a proposal to temporarily cut the consumption tax on food to zero percent, from the current 8 percent, in her ruling party's campaign pledges for a House of Representatives election she is expected to call soon, government and party sources said Saturday.

A temporary suspension of consumption tax on food in the future has been part of the coalition agreement between Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party.

A senior official from the ruling camp said the contents of the agreement will be a focal point of the upcoming election.

JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita told reporters on Saturday in Tokyo, "Our party has consistently called for cutting the consumption tax on food to zero percent for a two-year period, and we will continue to emphasize it."

If victorious in a lower house contest expected in early February at the earliest, the ruling party is mulling proposing a tax reform bill that includes the consumption tax-cut plan at the extraordinary Diet session to be convened after the election.

The tax cut could be implemented as early as January 2027, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Centrist Reform Alliance, a new party formed by the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito for their lower house members, has already emphasized its intention to tackle inflation by making a reduction of the consumption tax on food to zero percent a central pillar of its platform.

Jun Azumi, secretary general of the CDPJ, has criticized the prime minister's lower house dissolution plan, likely to be announced next week, calling it "unreasonable" and a "sneak attack."

"We want to propose bold tax cuts that put ordinary citizens first," Azumi said at his party's meeting in Sendai.

Komeito head Tetsuo Saito told reporters the same day in Tokyo, "We will lay out concrete solutions for people struggling with rising prices."
Saturday marked the first weekend since the prime minister expressed her intention to dissolve the lower house early.
 
 

Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) plans to endorse smartphone apps designed to help combat fraud, featuring functions such as blocking international calls and alerting users to potential scams.
 
The initiative aims to improve the reliability of such apps and promote their widespread use, as fraud-related losses continue to soar.
 
The NPA started accepting applications for endorsement in December last year. It expects to select apps as early as March.
 
As of the end of November last year, losses from so-called special fraud cases, including telephone scams, have reached about 121.3 billion yen, already far exceeding the previous worst on record set in 2024.
 
About 80 percent of the cases began with phone contact, with calls to smartphones or other mobile phones accounting for 41 percent, up sharply from 25 percent in 2024.
 
Perpetrators increasingly posed as police officers, making international calls from their overseas bases. Between January and November last year, 76 percent of calls linked to special fraud originated from international numbers, often starting with +1 or other country codes.
 
Apps to be endorsed by the NPA must meet criteria, including the ability to block both international and domestic calls from numbers previously used in fraud cases and to deliver crime prevention information, such as the latest fraud schemes collected by the agency.
 
The NPA also has high expectations for the initiative to facilitate functional improvements through private-sector technologies, such as AI-based fraud detection.
 
Currently, most crime prevention apps are paid for, but the agency expects endorsed apps to be offered free of charge in principle.
 
Apps that pass the NPA screening will be allowed to display the agency's logo and emblem. While development costs will not be subsidized, developers are expected to benefit from improved credibility and public image.
 
The NPA will also publish user statistics and highlight apps that successfully prevented fraud on its website.
 
Recently, new scam methods have emerged, luring people to download a fraudulent app disguised as "Digi Police," a security app developed by Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department. The NPA will also consider measures to prevent abuse of endorsed apps.
 
"Not answering phone calls from perpetrators is an effective countermeasure," an NPA official said. "We hope to promote (endorsed) apps and reduce fraud-related losses."

 

 
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama expressed concern about the yen's recent depreciation on Friday, saying the government is ready to take "decisive action" to stem the currency's continued fall.

"I have repeatedly said that we will take every possible measure," Katayama told a news conference, as the Japanese currency again weakened to the upper 158 range against the U.S. dollar earlier Friday.

Katayama said she and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently shared the view that the yen's recent weakness does not reflect economic fundamentals and is "excessive."

The Japanese and U.S. finance chiefs held talks earlier this week in Washington on the sidelines of a multilateral meeting over critical minerals supply chains.

Katayama also did not rule out market intervention by Japanese authorities, saying such a step has been mentioned in a joint statement issued by Japanese and U.S. finance chiefs last September.

Earlier this week, she made remarks taken as verbal warnings of possible intervention as the yen declined to the 159 zone against the dollar, its lowest level since July 2024.

The Japanese unit has been under selling pressure since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office in October due to expectations that her expansionary fiscal spending policy will worsen Japan's fiscal health.

The currency has faced renewed selling since Takaichi decided to dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election, a move seen as potentially allowing her to advance her agenda.
 
 

 

Cut chrysanthemums will be exported for the first time from Japan to the United States this year.

The Aichi Minami branch of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, will carry out the exports in cooperation with the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and the Aichi prefectural government.

Aichi Prefecture leads Japan in both chrysanthemum production volume and output value, with more than 30% share of the national total in both categories.

However, domestic demand has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic due to factors including the growing popularity of smaller-scale funerals. New opportunities overseas are thus being sought.

The planted area of chrysanthemums in Aichi Prefecture was 1,262 hectares in 2023, the shipment volume was 419 million stems and the production value was ¥21.8 billion, all ranking first nationally, according to 2023 data.

The main chrysanthemum production areas within the prefecture are the cities of Tahara and Toyokawa.

The region’s warm climate, secure water supply — from sources like the Toyokawa irrigation canal — and established electric lighting cultivation techniques enable three harvests per year through greenhouse cultivation.

In recent years, the diversification and simplification of funerals, such as family-only services, along with event cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted markets severely.

This has particularly affected varieties like Ringiku single-stem chrysanthemums, often called the “rice of the flower industry.” Production within the prefecture has fallen to its lowest level in recent history, down 10% compared to 10 years ago.

Chrysanthemums have a strong connection with Buddhist altars and graves. JA Aichi Minami has been promoting their everyday use and wider popularization. In 2024, the office secured funding as it was selected under the ministry’s large-scale export production base strengthening project.

The Tokai Regional Agricultural Administration Office is also seriously committing to supporting the flower’s export.

Next month, the JA will have six farmers export hundreds of thousands of cut chrysanthemums to Hawaii and Guam, where they will be sold in stores to gauge demand. In the United States, chrysanthemums are reportedly seen as cheerful flowers, often given as gifts to friends.

To implement the necessary white rust disease control measures for export, each farmer’s field will be registered with the Plant Protection Station, and air transport will be arranged in cooperation with domestic sales companies.

“While assessing the impact of exporting to the United States, we want to build a brand and engage in exports in the hopes of creating a future,” said the chairman of the JA’s chrysanthemum division.
 
 

Legendary Entertainment, producer of "Dune" and "A Minecraft Movie," formed a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based broadcaster TBS Holdings to develop Japanese stories into global film and TV properties.
 
TBS, parent of the Tokyo Broadcasting System, will acquire a $150 million stake in Legendary, according to a statement from the companies.

The shares are being acquired from Apollo Global Management and Legendary’s leadership and value the company at more than $4 billion, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
 
Legendary aims to capitalize on the growing market for Japanese stories. Its film "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," based on the iconic Japanese monster, grossed more than $570 million in theaters in 2024, while Sony Group’s "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Infinity Castle" took in over $700 million last year. That topped U.S. blockbusters like "Superman" and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
 
TBS, one of the leading media companies in Japan, approached Legendary a year ago, according to Josh Grode, the U.S. company’s chief executive officer. TBS owns broadcast networks, streaming services and a studio that produced the hit Netflix show "Alice in Borderland."
 
Legendary has already produced several movies and series set in the monster universe. It produced the TV shows "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" for Apple TV and "Skull Island" for Netflix.
 
"Having them as partners to enhance what we are already doing in Japan appealed” to Legendary’s leadership, Grode said in an interview. Foreign media companies are always seen as outsiders, and having a local partner can help open some doors.
 
While Japan has long been one of the world’s largest media markets, most of its biggest players have been focused on domestic customers. That’s changed as Netflix, Spotify Technology and other global services have made it easier for stories and songs in any language to reach audiences abroad.
 
Toho, Japan’s biggest movie company and the owner of Godzilla, has been looking to release more of its films globally and build attractions based on its characters outside of Japan.
 
Toho encouraged Legendary to do the deal with TBS, which has some of its own intellectual property and relationships across the Japanese industry, Grode said.
 
Legendary, based in Burbank, California, is one of the largest independent studios and financiers in the U.S. It was wholly owned by the Chinese company Dalian Wanda until 2022, when Apollo acquired a $760 million equity stake. Legendary bought out Wanda’s remaining holdings in 2024.

 

The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito have agreed to form a new centrist party ahead of a likely February snap election, in a stunning development that would remodel Japan’s political landscape.

“This represents a crucial step for Japan to develop its economy while securing peace and ensuring its long-term survival,” Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito told reporters on Thursday afternoon after meeting with CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda.

The new centrist force, unthinkable only three months ago, is expected to counter the conservative ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party (JIP).

“It’s an opportunity to position centrist forces, which were previously divided into ruling and opposition parties, at the very heart of politics,” Noda said. “It’s a major turning point for Japan.”

The parties will now aim to fine-tune electoral coordination and draft a manifesto for snap polls expected on either Feb. 8 or 15. Their respective policy chiefs are slated to outline their policy proposals on Monday.

The party name is still under discussion, though reports have suggested it will be along the lines of “Centrist Reform Party.” For the moment, Saito and Noda will serve as co-leaders, until a new leadership line-up is decided.

Komeito and the CDP will remain as separate parties in the Upper House and local assemblies across the country, as the party faces an imminent Lower House election.

CDP and Komeito Lower House lawmakers will leave their respective parties, join the new party and run under the same flag. Upper House lawmakers will follow suit as soon as possible.

The new party will reach out to the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) as well as centrist lawmakers within the ruling LDP. DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki criticized the move, saying his party won’t join the new initiative.

Asked about the new party’s future ties with the LDP, Komeito’s former coalition partner, Saito left room for cooperation at a local level, adding that, in districts where the new party doesn’t field any candidates, Komeito will make ad hoc adjustments based on the individual candidate.

“We have no intention of forming a party to confront the LDP head-on,” Saito said. “Within the LDP, there are many who share our perspective of centrist reform.”

In the upcoming election, Komeito won’t field any candidates in single-seat constituencies. Four of Komeito’s lawmakers in the Lower House were elected in single-seat districts.

The new party will present a unified list of candidates for proportional representation, which is expected to include the four Komeito Lower House lawmakers currently elected in single seat districts. No further details were provided on the potential order of candidates.

Electoral coordination is on top of the agenda of discussions between the two parties, which, until four months ago, sat on opposite sides of the aisle.

“We can’t afford to take too much time,” said a Komeito lawmaker Thursday afternoon, adding the details of electoral coordination in single-seat constituencies remain unclear.

As for policy, Saito said on Thursday that Komeito’s five pillars announced in November — a social security system for working generations, an inclusive society, doubling per capita gross domestic product, a realist diplomatic and security policy, and political reform — will constitute the backbone of the new party’s platform.

The two parties still have policy differences, such as on security and nuclear energy. The CDP has long opposed the security legislation passed under the LDP-Komeito government in 2015 — even though the party has recently shown a willingness to formally review its stance.

“We’ll address these matters while ensuring consistency with Komeito’s stances,” Noda said Thursday.

The CDP and Komeito currently have a total of 172 seats in the Lower House, while the LDP-JIP bloc has 233.

Since Komeito’s surprise departure from the LDP-led ruling coalition last October, the CDP has been wooing the party on the grounds of an affinity in their political stances.

Until the last few days, though, Komeito had kept a more ambiguous position that potentially left the door open for electoral cooperation with the LDP.

In an interview with The Japan Times in December, Komeito leader Saito reiterated that his party would keep a distance from both opposition and ruling parties.

However, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decision to go all in on a snap election only three months into her taking office and before building any track record has prompted a change in tack.

Komeito, supported by the lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, has long struggled with declining fortunes. Without the LDP’s support, the party needed to rethink its electoral strategy both in single-seat constituencies and proportional representation.

The CDP, meanwhile, is dealing with its own issues, such as internal disagreements over key policies and floundering poll numbers.

The emergence of the new force would mark the end of an era for Komeito, one of Japan’s oldest parties. Founded in 1964, Komeito wielded influence over Japanese politics during its 26-year stint as part of the ruling LDP-led government.

It’s not the first time Komeito has decided to join hands with an opposition party. For three years — from 1994 to 1997 — the party was part of the New Frontier Party together with several small opposition parties.

The CDP, founded in 2020, is the result of a series of mergers and splits within the opposition since 2012, after the government led by the Democratic Party of Japan — to which many of the CDP’s members belonged — lost power.

Divergences over security and energy policy have long been a source of friction within the opposition camp.

In 2017, right after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a snap election, the then-Democratic Party merged with Kibo no To with the explicit goal of countering the LDP.

The party stumbled soon after due to irreconcilable differences on security policy, and failed to meet initial expectations in the subsequent vote.
 
 

Indonesia and Japan have launched new talks to explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in higher education, science, and technology, officials said following a meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, January 14.

Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto highlighted the potential for collaboration during a meeting with Japanese Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Myochin Mitsuru, emphasizing opportunities for academic and technological partnerships.

“As a major economy, Indonesia sees strong potential for cooperation with Japan in higher education, business, and technology. We aim to elevate this partnership to new heights,” Yuliarto said in a statement on Thursday.

The minister stressed expanding student and lecturer exchanges, joint degree programs, and other cross-border academic initiatives as key areas for deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Myochin expressed interest in increasing Indonesian student enrollment in Japanese universities, part of broader efforts to improve the quality of global human resources through international education.

Indonesia and Japan have pursued human resource development through two primary schemes: one targeting professional workers and researchers, the other focused on students, aiming to meet industrial talent needs while offering cultural and academic experience.

The meeting also addressed collaboration in research and applied sciences, with goals to produce not only scientific publications but also practical and commercially viable innovations for industry.

Both sides reaffirmed commitment to align scientific and technological cooperation with national development and industrial priorities, agreeing to advance discussions through technical coordination talks in the coming months.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology said in its statement that deeper collaboration with Japan supports Indonesia’s goal of making higher education, science, and technology more impactful for society and national development.
 

Japan's Waseda University has canceled the enrollment of five graduate students who were found to have cheated on a TOEIC English proficiency test.

The organizer of the Test of English for International Communication nullified the scores of 803 examinees who were involved in organized cheating by Chinese graduate students and others last year.

Waseda University says 52 of those invalidated scores were used in its undergraduate and graduate entrance exams.

In addition to the five graduate school students whose enrollment was canceled, the university revoked the admission of three prospective graduate students who had passed the entrance exam but had not yet enrolled.

Also, an undergraduate who had failed the graduate school entrance exam was indefinitely suspended.

The university said it would impose strict penalties whenever misconduct comes to light to maintain a fair and impartial entrance exam system.

Other Japanese schools such as the University of Tsukuba and the Tokyo University of Science have also canceled enrollment or admission offers for students who cheated on a TOEIC test.

The test organizer plans to tighten identity verification to prevent impersonation.
 
 

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to work together on developing new artificial intelligence models and preparing related laws.

The AI-sector cooperation was included in a joint statement adopted at a meeting of digital ministers from Japan and ASEAN member states in Hanoi on Thursday. The statement was proposed by Japanese communications minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who attended the meeting.

Japan and ASEAN aim to join hands at a time when the United States and China are boosting their presence in the AI sector.

At the outset of the meeting, Hayashi, who served as co-chair, said that Japan will continue making contributions to the development of ASEAN.

In a Japan-ASEAN summit held in Kuala Lumpur last October, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for launching an initiative to expand joint research in fields such as semiconductors and AI.
 
 
 

The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan surpassed 10,000 in 2025 for the second consecutive year amid a labor shortage and high prices, particularly affecting small and medium-sized enterprises, a survey by a credit research company showed Tuesday.

Business failures with debts of at least 10 million yen rose 2.9 percent from the previous year to 10,300, the highest level since 2013, with small-scale bankruptcies accounting for 76.6 percent of the cases, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.

Total liabilities were 1.59 trillion yen, down 32.1 percent from the previous year amid few large-scale bankruptcies.

By industry, the service sector, including restaurants, saw the highest number of bankruptcies at 3,478 cases, up 4.5 percent, followed by construction at 2,014, up 4.7 percent, and manufacturing at 1,186, up 3.9 percent.

The survey showed that bankruptcies resulting from labor shortages surged by 36.0 percent, reaching a record high of 397 cases. Additionally, business failures attributable to high prices increased by 9.3 percent, reaching 767 cases.

A Tokyo Shoko Research official predicted that corporate bankruptcies will "moderately increase" in 2026, citing rising interest rates, the impact of U.S. tariffs and deteriorating relations between Japan and China as notable concerns.
 


 

Japan's main stock index hit another intraday high on Wednesday to top the 54,000 mark for the first time.

Many investors believe that the stimulus policies of Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will support the economy and boost investment in growing sectors.

The Tokyo benchmark surged right after the opening to hit a record high two days in a row.

The bullish run comes amid speculation that Takaichi will dissolve the Lower House at the onset of the ordinary Diet session later this month.

Meanwhile, currency investors are selling the yen on expectations of ramped-up fiscal spending.

The currency weakened against the dollar to the mid-159 range. That's a level not seen in a year and a half.

The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond hit 2.18 percent at one stage for a 27-year high. Yields rise when prices fall.

The upward pressure also stems from the view that the stimulus by the Takaichi administration will continue.
 
 

The second summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, held Tuesday in her home prefecture and political base, highlighted the personal chemistry and affinity between the two leaders.

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi briefly traded diplomacy for drums on Tuesday, sitting side by side for an impromptu duet accompanying recent K-pop hits.

Cheong Wa Dae described the moment as a glimpse of the two leaders’ “chemistry and personal rapport.”

The moment came after the two wrapped a joint news conference on the summit’s outcome and moved into a private session, where the Japanese side had arranged a surprise event that quickly drew attention, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said in a press statement.

In front of a Pearl drum kit — one of Japan’s best-known music brands — the two leaders donned matching blue uniforms prepared by the Japanese side and launched into an impromptu duet.

Takaichi is widely known as a fan of bands such as Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. She has said she began drumming in a college band.

“The event was specially prepared by the Japanese side as a symbolic way to showcase the chemistry and personal rapport between the two leaders,” Kim said.

Lee and Takaichi played “Golden,” the theme song from Netflix’s global hit “KPop Demon Hunters” — a joint project involving South Korea, Japan and the United States — as well as “Dynamite,” the Billboard-topping BTS track.

“The two leaders turned their post-summit conversation into a distinctive moment of cultural exchange,” Kim added.

During the event, Lee remarked, “I fulfilled a lifelong dream today. Ever since I was young, I had wished to play the drums.”

Takaichi, for her part, took the lead in the impromptu session, personally explaining basic drumming techniques and guiding the duet.

Takaichi also presented Lee with a pair of drumsticks. The two leaders signed the sticks and exchanged them.

“The uniforms worn during the performance were embroidered with each country’s national flag and the leaders’ names in English, adding another layer of friendship and mutual respect to an unexpected event,” Kim said.

The second summit between Lee and Takaichi, held Tuesday in her home prefecture and political base, highlighted the personal chemistry and affinity between the two leaders.

Takaichi personally greeted Lee outside his lodging upon his arrival in Nara on Tuesday, offering a warm welcome as he visited her home prefecture.

Cheong Wa Dae said the reception was upgraded from a hotel-hosted greeting originally planned to one led by Takaichi herself.

Takaichi personally came out to greet Lee, visibly brightening when she saw him. With a deep, folded-handed bow, she said, “Hello. Welcome to my hometown — I’m truly glad you’re here.”

Lee responded that he was overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception. “If you welcome us by breaking protocol like this, we hardly know where to put ourselves,” he said.

“We’re very happy you came,” Takaichi replied.

Lee added, “Not only the Japanese public, but the people of South Korea as well, will be deeply grateful for this kind of gesture from you.”

During the news conference, Lee repeatedly underscored his appreciation for Takaichi’s efforts to improve Seoul–Tokyo ties.

Lee returned to the issue of the two sides’ agreement to jointly pursue DNA testing to help identify the remains of victims of the Chosei Coal Mine tragedy, along with plans to hold working-level follow-up consultations.

The disaster occurred on Feb. 3, 1942, when flooding in an undersea tunnel off Ube, Yamaguchi prefecture, killed 183 workers, including 136 forcibly mobilized Koreans during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

“I am grateful for the prime minister’s special attention,” Lee said.
Before wrapping up the news conference, he again expressed his thanks.

“Once again, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the prime minister for the exceptional and generous hospitality, and for the special consideration she has shown — sparing no effort, almost to the point of throwing herself into it — in improving Korea–Japan relations.”
 
 

Japanese Emperor Naruhito expressed his hope for peace in Japan and the world in the new year in a poem recited at the annual New Year's Poetry Reading on Wednesday.

The emperor, who attended Shinto rituals at the Imperial Palace Sanctuaries before dawn on New Year's Day, put into verse how he was moved when he saw Venus shining brightly in the sky ahead of one of the proceedings.

The emperor and Empress Masako, together with their daughter Princess Aiko, attended the ceremony at the Imperial Palace along with Crown Prince Fumihito and his family, including Prince Hisahito, who joined the event for the first time after coming of age.

Members of the general public whose poems were selected were also present.

The theme of this year's poems at the reading was "mei," which primarily means "bright" or "light."

Peter MacMillan, a translator and a Japanese literature scholar who was born in Ireland, was invited by the emperor to present his poem, becoming the first foreign national to fill the role.

The official translation of the poem written by the emperor and provided by the Imperial Household Agency reads as follows:

Watching the morning star

Shining high in the sky

I pray sincerely for

Peace in the new year

Empress Masako's poem focused on the Tokyo Deaflympics, held in Japan for the first time in November.

The emperor, empress and princess attended a swimming event, with the family learning both Japanese and universal sign language to greet the athletes.

The official translation of the empress's poem reads as follows:

With medals around their necks

The athletes are beaming with joy

Using sign language

I convey to them

"Congratulations"

Princess Aiko wrote about her first official visit abroad to Laos in November last year, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Southeast Asian country.

The bright and lively voices

Of the young Laotian students of Japanese

Fill the classroom cheerfully

The poems and compositions by other imperial family members, as well as 10 other pieces chosen from among 14,600 entries submitted by the public, were recited in the traditional style at the reading.

Waka poetry was developed by the court aristocracy in ancient Japan. A "tanka" poem, the most common form of waka, consists of 31 syllables in a pattern of 5-7-5-7-7.

 
 

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a forum that he is committed to strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance for peace in the Indo-Pacific region through “the power of true reconciliation,” which the two countries experienced in the process of overcoming their World War II confrontation.

Koizumi, currently visiting the United States, delivered a speech on Monday at the Honolulu Defense Forum, an international conference on security held in Hawaii. It was the first time that a Japanese defense minister participated in the conference.

In the 15-minute-long speech made in English, Koizumi explained Japan’s efforts to enhance its defense capabilities, such as by increasing defense spending and plans to revise the National Security Strategy and two other security documents within this year.

Koizumi said he would “dedicate my full efforts” from a defense perspective to advance the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific, with this year marking the 10th anniversary of Japan first proposing it.

He cited regional crises including attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas, provocative military activities intensifying in the Pacific and the weaponization of information and cyberspace.

His remarks come at a time when China has waged an information war with the intention of dividing Japan and the United States in ways such as asserting that China fought together with the United States against Japan’s fascism in World War II.

“Those who once fought each other have built a relationship of trust and forged an alliance unparalleled in the world,” Koizumi told reporters after the speech, referring to the Japan-U.S. relationship. “Cooperation with allies and like-minded nations is crucial, and we want to advance cooperation on information warfare.”

Prior to the speech, Koizumi visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which stands above the battleship USS Arizona, which was sunk in the Imperial Japanese Navy’s attack on Pearl Harbor. He laid a wreath with U.S.

Ambassador to Japan George Glass, highlighting the close ties between Japan and the United States.

Following his stop in Hawaii, Koizumi visited a U.S. company manufacturing drones in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
 
 

Honda Motor Co. announced that it will launch its latest electric motorbike, the Honda UC3, in Vietnam in June.

The Vietnamese government plans to gradually restrict gas-powered motorbikes in central Hanoi, starting in July.

Honda will expand its lineup of electric motorcycles, aiming to maintain its 80% share of the Vietnamese market, which is known for its huge extensive use of lightweight motorcycles.

The UC3 can travel about 120 kilometers on a single charge, with its performance equivalent to that of a 110cc class gas-powered two-wheel vehicle, according to Honda. The price is still undecided.

Honda launched its first electric motorbike in Vietnam in April 2025. Local manufacturer VinFast is leading the electric motorbike market in Vietnam.

Honda will increase the number of its electric models to three, including the UC3, by July 2026, when the new regulations will be enforced.

For now, local authorities have not provided specific details of the regulations, such as the areas and times when the use of gas-powered motorbikes is prohibited.

“The impact of the regulations on the industry is significant and we will lobby [the Vietnamese government] to apply [them] gradually,” said Sayaka Arai, the president of the Vietnamese arm of the automaker.
 
 

 

The renowned chimpanzee was famous for her cognitive abilities
The Kyoto University’s Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior announced this week that Ai, a genius chimpanzee known for her cognitive abilities, has died at the age of 49.

According to the center, she died on January 9, 2026, of old age and organ failure. The renowned chimpanzee, who could recognize letters of the alphabet and kanji characters, was reportedly surrounded by staff at the time of her passing. 


 

Ai, which means love in Japanese, was born in 1976 in the Guinean Forests of West Africa. Sold to the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University (KUPRI) just over a year later, she was the first subject of the Ai project, a research program launched by Kiyoko Murofushi and Tetsuro Matsuzawa.

The aim of the project was to better understand chimpanzee cognition through computer interface experiments.

A customized keyboard linked to a computer was created for Ai and two other chimpanzees (Akira and Mari), who joined her as part of the project.

Murofushi and Matsuzawa, in collaboration with Toshio Asano, studied their memory skills, number learning abilities and perception of color. One of the early tasks for the chimpanzees was to discriminate between red, green and blue.

“At the age of five, Ai learned that Arabic numerals can represent numbers,” wrote Matsuzawa in a review essay for the website Inference in 2021.

“She was the first chimpanzee to successfully label numbers… At the age of six and a half, Ai started learning the letters of the alphabet. After some time, she was able to discriminate between all twenty-six uppercase letters.”

On the evening of October 3, 1989, Ai escaped from her cage and then released Akira and her orangutan friend Doudou after apparently using a key to open the padlocks.

Two graduate students called Matsuzawa to inform him about the situation when they saw Ai walking around campus with the key in her mouth. She had reportedly presented her bottom to the two students as a submissive signal. 

In 2010, Ai gave birth to a son, Ayumu, who is also renowned for his exceptional working memory. Away from taking cognitive tests, Ai was known to enjoy drawing and painting.

As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Ai Project in 2017, esteemed primatologist Dame Jane Goodall was presented with a scarf made from one of the famous chimpanzee’s paintings. 
 

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara informed the Diet on Tuesday that this year's ordinary session of the parliament will be convened Jan. 23.

The top government spokesman made the notification at board meetings of the steering committees of both Diet chambers.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is reportedly considering dissolving the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, at the start of the ordinary session for a general election.

If the Lower House is dissolved, parliamentary deliberations on the government's fiscal 2026 draft budget would be carried over to a special Diet session to be convened after the general election, making its enactment by the March 31 end of fiscal 2025 difficult.

At the steering committee meetings, the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, did not present opposition parties with a schedule for the second and subsequent days of the ordinary Diet session, including the prime minister's policy address.
 
 

Japan currently holds about 10 per cent of the global semiconductor market, down from 50 per cent in 1988.

Japan’s bid to revive its semiconductor dominance is reshaping the rural heart of Kumamoto, where billions in government-backed investment and the arrival of tech titan Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are driving job growth and a broader economic boom.

This comes as semiconductors have been designated a strategic pillar of the country’s industrial policy, as Tokyo seeks to rebuild domestic chipmaking capacity and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains.

Billions of dollars in state support are being channelled into chipmaking hubs such as Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu, which is sometimes dubbed Japan's “Silicon Island” for its semiconductor history.



SEMICONDUCTOR BOOM

Taiwan’s TSMC opened its factory in Kumamoto's Kikuyo town in February 2024, under the name Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing. It is a joint venture with Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Denso, and Toyota as partners.

A second fabrication plant is under construction, though local media have reported that work has been paused as design changes are considered.

The total investment in the plants, estimated at more than US$20 billion, is the largest the prefecture has ever received. Kumamoto is now pushing for a third TSMC plant.

Kumamoto governor Takashi Kimura said the TSMC plant has triggered a semiconductor boom, attracting around 70 related firms and creating more than 6,000 jobs.

“The number of jobs increased by several thousand, but this is taking place in what has been a very rural town,” he noted.

“Without roads and infrastructure fully developed, the fabrication plant was completed. Around there, roads are congested. These are matters to be resolved.”

To meet growing demand for skilled workers, new training facilities have sprung up.

Nisso Technical Center Kumamoto opened just two months after TSMC’s factory, offering programmes to train new hires and career switchers in semiconductor manufacturing.

It has even set up a mock fabrication facility, complete with protective gear, sanitisation procedures and machines used in real production lines.

The training centre said it saw an opportunity to fill the need for trained workers.

“TSMC is one (of the reasons). There are also Sony and other semiconductor makers coming here, so we set up targeting them,” said Osamu Kyan, director of its human resources development division.

“They especially lack those (workers) with moderate experience – those in between newcomers and veteran workers.”

More than a thousand people have already passed through its programmes.
“I want to make products that satisfy customers and create made-in-Japan products,” said trainee Shogo Yoshioka.



GROWING PAINS AND PRESSURES

The influx of workers is also driving demand for other services such as schools, as more families move into the area.

Educational institutions are expanding to keep pace.
Kumamoto International School, for instance, began as a preschool in 2003.

It accelerated plans to open its high school after TSMC arrived, launching grades seven, eight and nine in 2023.

Today, the school has more than 300 students and 55 staff, offering classes in Japanese, English and Mandarin for both native and non-native speakers.

“The plan is to expand the building … and to expand the number of students that we can admit,” said its principal Matthew Ohm.

As businesses move in, the cost of living is also rising.

Commercial land prices in Kikuyo jumped nearly 31 per cent last year, according to government data.

But the town's coffers are also growing, with an estimated 30 per cent jump in property tax revenue for fiscal year 2025.

The drive to turn Kumamoto into the epicentre of Japan’s chip renaissance shows no sign of slowing.

Japan currently holds about 10 per cent of the global semiconductor market, down from 50 per cent in 1988.

“Industries that utilise the latest semiconductors hardly exist in Japan and the world,” said Kimura. “We would like to create a new industry that shapes the future in Kumamoto.”
 
 

 
A new program that offers comprehensive legal assistance for victims of serious crimes, including murder and sexual offenses, and bereaved families started in Japan on Tuesday.

The assistance, both in criminal and civil procedures, is provided basically free of charge.

The Japan Legal Support Center, known as Houterasu, will serve as the point of contact for the program, which is designed to prevent individuals from forgoing legal help due to financial constraints.

Eligible participants include victims and bereaved families with current assets of ¥3 million ($18,900) or less, such as deposits and savings.

The program covers crimes that intentionally caused death, including murder and dangerous driving causing death, as well as sexual crimes like nonconsensual sexual intercourse and nonconsensual indecency.

It also includes injuries requiring three months or more before a full recovery can be made and those resulting in a certain level of residual disability.

Applications for assistance can be submitted for incidents that occurred on or after Tuesday.

Assigned lawyers will prepare reports of damage and written complaints, negotiate out-of-court settlements with perpetrators and file lawsuits for damages.

They will also accompany victims and others on visits to investigators and help them with media interactions to alleviate psychological and other burdens.

The program was established under the revised comprehensive legal support law enacted in April 2024.
 
 

Sales of products made by prisoners in Japan have risen for four straight years, driven in part by efforts to promote them on social media, a foundation supporting the country's correctional system said.

Sales totaled about 812 million yen in fiscal 2024, recovering from a sharp decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, after hitting a record low of 369 million yen in fiscal 2020, according to the Japanese Correctional Association.

Prisoners nationwide have produced goods such as woodcrafts, sewn products and traditional Japanese crafts under labor programs designed to foster disciplined work habits and improve concentration.

Although prison labor ceased to be mandatory in consideration of inmates' ages and other characteristics following an amendment to the Penal Code that took effect in June last year, it continues to serve as a central measure for rehabilitation.

The prison-made products are gaining popularity, with about 37,600 people visiting an annual sales event in December, up roughly 1,900 from the previous year.

Sales rose by about 7 million yen to 45 million yen at the event, with barbecue grills made at Abashiri prison in Hokkaido, men's shoes from a prison in Chiba near Tokyo and pasta produced at a Yokohama prison selling well.

According to a survey of visitors to the Justice Ministry-hosted event, more than 20 percent said they learned about it through social networking services or YouTube, while 57 percent said it was their first visit. The survey also showed an increase in visitors in their 30s or younger.

"Purchasing these products helps maintain inmates' motivation and promotes their rehabilitation," said Masami Suzuki, an official at the ministry's Correction Bureau.

The products, marketed under the brand name CAPIC, an acronym for Correctional Association prison industry cooperation, are also sold at shops attached to prisons across the country and online.
 
 

Major Japanese nonlife insurer MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings plans to consolidate its domestic bases ahead of the planned merger in April 2027 of its key subsidiaries, its president, Shinichiro Funabiki, said in a recent interview.

"Without a certain level of integration, we cannot achieve cost reductions," Funabiki said, suggesting the insurance group is set to consolidate its domestic bases from some 360 to 240 at the time of the merger.

When the two subsidiaries — Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance — are merged, the group is scheduled to change the name of the holding company to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group.

The company aims to achieve ¥700 billion in profit as the basis for shareholder returns in fiscal 2030, a level at which it expects to maintain a trend of dividend increases even after completing the sale of its cross-shareholdings.

"We will be able to provide new coverage and services" as the business scale increases, Funabiki said, expressing his willingness to achieve the target. In addition to the base integration, it plans to implement thorough cost-cutting measures, including the introduction of an early retirement program.

In response to a series of scandals in the nonlife insurance industry, including fraudulent insurance claims and price-fixing of insurance policies for corporate clients, the Financial Services Agency has been revising the insurance business law and supervisory guidelines in recent years.

"We need to rebuild a customer-oriented business model," Funabiki said, stressing that his company will continue to focus on restoring public trust.
 
 

Japan will send personnel to the Civil-Military Coordination Center, set up to monitor the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and coordinate humanitarian assistance for the war-torn Palestinian region, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has said.

Motegi, who is on a Middle East tour, told a news conference in Jerusalem on Sunday that Tokyo will dispatch Takeshi Okubo, ambassador for reconstruction support for the Gaza Strip, and one specialist to the U.S.-led center in Israel.

He inspected the center earlier. During the visit, he conveyed to officials related to the center Japan's policy of actively making contributions.

At the news conference, Motegi expressed an eagerness to take diplomatic actions unique to Japan to realize lasting peace and prosperity in the Middle East region.

On the same day, Motegi met with Hussein al-Sheikh, vice president of Palestine, and the region's prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa.

Motegi explained Japan's support for a "two-state solution" for coexistence of a future Palestinian state and Israel. He also said his country will provide about ¥25 billion in aid for the restoration and reconstruction of Gaza.

Motegi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, demanding appropriate action to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure humanitarian assistance.

He expressed serious concern over settlement activities in the West Bank, calling them a violation of international law.
 
 

A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo's drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply.

The month-long mission of the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori Island some 1,900 km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, will mark the world's first attempt to continuously lift rare-earth seabed sludge from 6 km (4 miles) deep onto a ship.

Japan, like its Western allies, has been reducing its dependence on China for the minerals vital to the production of cars, smartphones and military equipment, an effort that has taken on urgency amid a major diplomatic dispute with Beijing.

"After seven years of steady preparation, we can finally begin the confirmation tests. It's deeply moving," Shoichi Ishii, the head of the government-backed project told Reuters, as the vessel departed the port city of Shizuoka on a bright sunny day, with a snow-capped Mount Fuji in the background.

"If this project succeeds, it will be of great significance in diversifying Japan's rare earth resource procurement," he said, adding that recovering the key minerals from 6 km below sea level would be a major technological achievement.

The vessel, with 130 crew and researchers, is scheduled to return to the port on February 14.

 

REDUCING RELIANCE ON CHINA WON'T BE EASY

Last week, China banned exports of items destined for Japan's military that have civilian and military uses, including some critical minerals. The Wall Street Journal reported Beijing has also begun restricting rare-earth exports to Japan more broadly.

Japan has condemned China's dual-use ban but declined to comment on the report of a broader ban, which China has not confirmed or denied. Chinese state media, though, have said Beijing was weighing the measure.

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrial powers will discuss rare-earth supplies at a meeting in Washington on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Japan is no stranger to facing China's wrath over rare earths. In 2010, China held back exports following an incident near disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Since then, Japan has reduced its reliance on China to 60% from 90% by investing in overseas projects like trading house Sojitz's tie-up with Australia's Lynas Rare Earths and promoting rare-earths recycling and manufacturing processes that rely less on the minerals.

The Minamitori Island project, however, is the first to attempt to source rare earths domestically.

"The fundamental solution is to be able to produce rare earths inside Japan," said Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute.

"If this new round of export controls ends up covering a lot of rare earths, Japanese companies will again make efforts to move away from China, but I don’t think it will be easy," he said.

For some heavy rare earths, such as those used for magnets in electric- and hybrid-vehicle motors, Japan is almost totally dependent on China, analysts say - a major risk for its key automotive industry.


LONG-TERM PROJECT

Since the 2010 scare, the Japanese government and private companies have built stockpiles of the minerals, though they do not disclose volumes.

At a New Year's party for Japan's mining industry on Wednesday, several executives said they were better prepared than before to cope with the potential disruption, citing Japan's diversification efforts and stockpiles.

But Kazumi Nishikawa, principal director of economic security at the trade ministry, said the government had to continually remind companies to diversify their supply chains.

"Sometimes, you know, some event happened, then the business reacts, but the event finishes, the business forgets. We have to maintain continuous efforts," Nishikawa said on the China Talk podcast this week.

The Minamitori Island project, into which the government has sunk 40 billion yen ($250 million) since 2018, is also a long-term play.

Its estimated reserves have not been disclosed and no production target has been set. But if it succeeds, a full-scale mining trial will be conducted in February 2027.

Mining the mud was previously viewed as uneconomical due to high costs. But if supply disruption from China continues and buyers become willing to pay higher prices, the project could become viable in coming years, said Kotaro Shimizu, principal analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting.

China is keeping a close watch. When the ship was conducting surveys around the island in June last year, a fleet of Chinese naval ships sailed nearby, Ishii said.

"We feel a strong sense of crisis that such intimidating actions were taken," he said. China said its actions were in line with international law and called on Japan to "refrain from hyping up threats".
 
 

ANA Holdings Inc. will start using drones for a nationwide logistics service by fiscal 2028, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

According to the plans, which would establish a transportation network, takeoff and landing bases across the country would be established. Each base would cover an area with a radius of about 500 kilometers.

The service will be used to deliver medicines and daily necessities to remote islands and other areas during normal times, and in the event of disasters, can be used to transport food and other supplies to isolated regions.

The service will utilize drones developed by U.S.-based Skyways Air Transportation Inc. that measure 3 meters long and have a 7-meter wingspan.

The drones, which can carry about 50 kilograms of cargo per flight and have a maximum range of about 1,600 kilometers, use motors to power eight propellers during takeoff and landing and will switch to engine-driven propellers when cruising. Operations will be mainly automated, with human operators providing remote monitoring and control.

ANA Holdings plans to increase the number of drone bases by one or two annually, deploying around 10 drones at each location. In the event of disasters, the drones will use onboard cameras to assess damage and deliver relief supplies to areas cut off from transportation. Multiple demonstrations of the service have already been conducted in Okinawa Prefecture and elsewhere.

“If we can deliver cargo within a 500-kilometer radius from each takeoff/landing base, the number of potential delivery destinations becomes virtually limitless,” said ANA Holdings Executive Vice President Yoshiaki Tsuda, who is in charge of the project. “We aim to develop this into future social infrastructure.”

Drone logistics operations are already in practical use in places like Shenzhen in China. In Japan, however, the focus has largely been on experimentation, with few practical implementations.

ANA Holdings anticipates constant demand in regions like Okinawa Prefecture and the Kyushu region, which have many remote islands, and plans to advance commercialization while verifying safety and other factors.
 

 

Japan's average rice price hit a new record high since statistics began in March 2022, following a small decline, according to agriculture ministry data.

In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ¥93 from the previous week to ¥4,416 per 5 kilograms, the data released by the ministry Friday showed.

The average price fell by ¥14 to ¥4,323 in the week ended Dec. 28 last year.
In the latest reporting week, the price of "brand rice," primarily newly harvested rice, grew by ¥21 to ¥4,516. Brand rice accounted for 74% of total rice sales, up 2 percentage points.

The price of relatively cheap blended rice climbed by ¥261, with the share of blended rice falling to 26%.

A separate survey of about 1,200 supermarkets showed that the average rice price went up ¥291 to ¥4,176.
 
 

The city assemblies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have adopted statements urging the Japanese government to adhere to the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Kyodo News reported.

The Hiroshima City Assembly unanimously adopted its statement on Friday, pointing out that the ruling party's attempt to revise the non-nuclear principles has caused concern, and strongly urging the Japanese government to take the feelings of people in the atomic-bombed cities seriously and to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, the report said.

The Nagasaki City Assembly passed its statement on Thursday by a majority vote, noting that successive Japanese governments have regarded the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a national policy.

It said the ruling party's intended revision of the principles while amending the country's security documents is totally unacceptable.

On August 6 and 9, 1945, in an effort to force Japan, which had launched a war of aggression, to surrender as soon as possible, the U.S. military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

The Three Non-Nuclear Principles – not possessing, not producing, and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory – were first declared by then-Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and formally adopted by parliament in 1971, establishing them as Japan's basic nuclear policy.

The National Security Strategy, one of the three documents approved by the Cabinet in 2022, states, "The basic policy of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles will remain unchanged in the future."

Japanese media have previously reported that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering reviewing the third of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibits nuclear weapons from entering Japan's territory, when updating related documents.
 
 

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has strengthened the Indonesia-Japan research and industrial partnership through strategic discussions with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and Toyota.

Director General of Research and Development Fauzan Adziman, in a written statement on Saturday, said that the meeting, recently held at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), aimed to encourage focused and impactful collaborative pilot projects.

The government targets launching several key projects soon by leveraging the specialized capacities of both Indonesian and Japanese institutions.

"Our role is to ensure this strong collaboration is accelerated through policy and program support, allowing research results to be implemented quickly for a broad impact," Adziman said.

He emphasized building a long-term partnership aligned with a decade-long vision to strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem.

The collaboration focuses on strategic areas, including biofuels and sustainable technologies, matching NEDO's research priorities.

ITB Chancellor Tatacipta Dirgantara noted that the partnership stems from long-standing academic ties now bolstered by ongoing research.

He cited the development of a biofuel catalyst factory with Pertamina as an example of research tailored to future energy needs.

"Environmentally friendly energy is the goal of global energy development. Meanwhile, collaboration across countries, industry, universities, and governments is key to ensuring research delivers tangible benefits for future generations," he said.

NEDO Executive Director Kikuo Kishimoto described the meeting as productive, affirming Japan's commitment to sharing technological knowledge.

"We want to build a collaboration where we not only share technology but also grow together to face future challenges," he said.

During the visit, delegates toured ITB’s research facilities and laboratories to observe the infrastructure and ecosystem supporting the development and downstreaming of science and technology innovation.

The forum remains focused on accelerating applicable research in biofuels to support the energy transition and national industrial competitiveness.