A Japanese group of forestry organizations launched an online timber marketplace in February to match forest owners with buyers nationwide.

About 30 businesses, mainly buyers, had registered on the platform by the end of April, with timber listings and transactions expected to increase soon.
Standing timber is typically traded through negotiations.

In such deals, individuals who own forests and small forestry cooperatives often have to sell at depressed prices presented by lumbering companies with large financing power and rich transaction experiences.

The new platform was set up by the Tokyo-based group for promoting the use of domestic timber and protecting forests. It makes it easier for both sellers and buyers to find transaction partners from around Japan.

The group aims to make the platform "an online flea market site for timber," an official said.

Organizers expect that transaction data accumulated on the site will facilitate the formation of market prices by conditions such as the tree species, volume and location, just as consumer online flea market platforms do.

Forest owners could refer to market prices to consider their selling prices. If market prices become widely available, many owners would find it easier to negotiate with lumber businesses.

The platform also incorporates into transaction prices reforestation costs, which are entrusted to financial institutions. Sellers can withdraw the money after replanting logged areas.

This mechanism to secure reforestation funding is expected to appeal to major construction companies and home builders increasingly seeking timber sourced with consideration for forest conservation after logging.
 
 

Honda Motor Co will freeze its plan to build an electric vehicle factory in Canada due to slow U.S. demand for such cars, sources close to the matter said.

The company, which earlier canceled development of three EV models for production in North America, originally planned to invest C$15 billion ($11 billion) to build the EV plant and another factory to make batteries in the country.

The automaker last year decided to postpone the start of EV production in Canada from 2028 by about two years.

Honda will provide details when it reports fiscal 2025 financial results on May 14, the sources said.

Citing the rethink of its EV strategy, Honda has projected a net loss of between 420 billion yen ($2.6 billion) and 690 billion yen for the year ended March.
 
 

Renowned Japanese novelist Koji Suzuki, whose seminal work "Ring" ignited a global fascination with Japanese horror, died from an illness at a Tokyo hospital on Friday, May 8, 2026. He was 68 years old.
 
Suzuki, a native of Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, rose to international prominence after his 1991 novel "Ring" became a bestseller. The story, centered on a cursed videotape that kills viewers after seven days, was adapted into a hit Japanese film in 1998 and a successful Hollywood remake in 2002.

His literary career began in 1990 with the fantasy novel “Rakuen”, also known as “Paradise”. This debut earbed him a superior prize at Japan Fantasy Novel Award, setting the stage for his subsequent success in the horror genre as reported by NHK and Nippon.com.

Beyond the "Ring" series, which included sequels "Rasen" (Spiral) and "Loop," Suzuki authored other notable horror titles such as "Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara," translated as "Dark Water."

His works received significant critical acclaim, including the Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Award for newcomers for "Rasen" and the Shirley Jackson Award in the United States for "Edge."

Other majors contributions to his bibliography include “Kamigami no Promenade” (Promenade oh the Gods) and “Ubiquitous”. The author remained active late into his life, publishing his most recent novel just last year according his publisher.
 

The fifth Japan Parade event to promote Japanese culture was held in Manhattan, New York, on Saturday.

About 100 organizations including companies, schools and groups of Japanese nationals from various prefectures took part in the event. Participants marched through the streets, performing dances, martial arts and taiko drumming.

Festival-style stalls were also set up, offering Japanese food. According to the organizer, about 50,000 people attended the event.

Defying heavy rain, participants in the parade delivered their performances, such as a board-breaking karate demonstration, drawing cheers from the crowd.

At the end of the parade were cast members from a stage adaptation of the popular manga and anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen."

A woman living in New York wearing Japanese anime merchandise said she was happy to see cast members because she loves anime.

Lines formed in front of stalls selling such items as yakitori (charbroiled chicken skewers) and taiyaki fish-shaped pancakes containing sweet bean paste.

A man who bought takoyaki (ball-shaped pancakes) containing pieces of octopus said it was his first time eating the popular Japanese dish and enjoyed it.

The New York Times included the city of Nagasaki in its "52 places to go" list for 2026. Nagasaki Prefecture featured local traditional female entertainers, known as geikoshi or geisha, in the Japan Parade event.

"We hope many tourists will visit regional cities," not just Tokyo or other big cities, said Yoshihiro Date, a cultural and tourism official of the prefecture.
 
 

Japan have been pitted against two-time reigning champions Qatar as well as Thailand and Indonesia in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup following Saturday's tournament draw in Riyadh.

Record four-time champions Japan begin the tournament in Saudi Arabia against Indonesia on Jan. 11 before facing Thailand on Jan. 16 and Qatar four days later, with the final set for Feb. 5.

Japan icon Hidetoshi Nakata appeared as an assistant during the draw, which saw 24 teams split into six groups of four. The top four third-placed teams will join the top two nations from each group in the round of 16.

The Samurai Blue are currently top among the Asian nations in the FIFA rankings at 18th. Their group rivals Qatar are 55th, Thailand 93rd and Indonesia 122nd.

Iran, 21st in the world, are in Group C with Syria, while 25th-ranked South Korea are in Group E with the United Arab Emirates.
 
 

Sony Group will buy back up to ¥500 billion ($3.2 billion) of its shares, the company said as it set out a profit forecast largely in line with expectations on Friday.

For the year through March 2027, the Tokyo-based company expects an operating profit of ¥1.6 trillion, about a 11% increase. Sony improved profitability in the fiscal year just concluded, with its music and smartphone image-sensor businesses making the biggest contributions to growth.

Shares rose as much as 7.3%, their biggest intraday jump in over two months, after Sony’s announcement.

Sony said it plans to cancel 3% of its shares on May 29, helping take some of the pressure off after its Tokyo-traded stock declined more than 20% this year due to pressure from surging component costs.

The company also said that its PlayStation 5 sales plans for the year will be contingent on its ability to procure reasonably priced memory for the flagship console.

The company is in the midst of an overhaul, casting off unprofitable hardware businesses and fixing its focus on expanding intellectual property-led divisions.

It’s close to securing a nearly $4 billion deal for a music catalog that includes the works of Justin Bieber and Neil Young, while earlier this year it surrendered majority control of its TV business to a joint venture with China’s TCL.

Its solid outlook may reassure investors about the pace of Sony’s transition and signals confidence in the company’s resilience to macroeconomic risks. Sony’s shares are down 22% this year as escalating component costs erode margins across the consumer electronics industry.

The core games division combines the burden of escalating hardware costs with promising software margins.

The upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI in the fall is a likely catalyst to bring in more users to Sony’s entertainment platform and online services.
 


 

Outstanding Japanese government debts grew by 1,670.6 billion yen during the first three months of the year to a record 1,343,842.6 billion yen as of the end of March, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

The total translates into about 10.94 million yen per capita, based on an estimated population of 122.86 million as of April 1.

Government spending continues to exceed tax revenues, leaving the country reliant on debts.

Of the total debts, general bonds rose by 9,811.0 billion yen to 1,104,298.4 billion yen. Borrowings increased by 191.6 billion yen to 44,324.3 billion yen, while financing bills fell by 8,100.1 billion yen to 92,299.5 billion yen.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indonesia’s Deputy Ambassador to Japan, Maria Renata Hutagalung, opened the Indonesia–Japan Meeting and Partnership (IJMP) 2026 forum in Nagoya on Friday, May 1, 2026. It highlights opportunities for stronger economic cooperation and human resource development between the two countries.

The forum, themed “Co-creating the Future of Economic Synergy and Human Resource Development,” focused on the export potential of Indonesia’s footwear industry and palm oil derivative products in the Japanese market.

In her remarks, Maria Renata, conveyed that Indonesia’s footwear products have become an important part of the global supply chain and hold strong potential in Japan, a market that values quality, design, and sustainability.

“Indonesia’s palm oil derivative products also have strategic potential, not
only as trade commodities, but also as part of global solutions toward sustainable energy,” Maria Renata said in a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo received in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

She said the products are in line with Japan’s energy transition and biomass development agenda, while stressing the importance of sustainability practices, transparency, and certification to meet Japanese market standards.

The event was attended by Indonesia’s Honorary Consul in Nagoya Hideo Sugimoto, Director of Nagoya’s Investment and Exchange Division Kobayashi Shunsuke, Chairperson of Solidaridad Japan Sato Hiroshi, and Chairperson of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (GPPI) Delima Hasri Azahari.

The forum also discussed efforts to improve the quality of Indonesian workers in Japan. According to data from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, the number of Indonesian workers under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) scheme reached 86,955 people, while 124,967 Indonesians joined the Technical Intern Training Program.

As of December 2025, the total number of Indonesian citizens in Japan stood at 266,069, with Aichi Prefecture recorded as the region with the largest Indonesian community at 21,153 people.

During her visit to Nagoya, Maria Renata also attended Indonesia Fair 2026, which showcased Indonesian creative products, culinary specialties, cultural performances, and consular and immigration services for Indonesians living in Japan.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Prudential Financial’s first-quarter profit beat Wall Street’s expectations, relieving pressure on Chief Executive Officer Andy Sullivan as he contends with a sales pause in one of its biggest markets.

The insurer posted operating earnings per share of $3.61 in the first quarter, according to a statement Tuesday.

That’s up 9.7% from a year earlier and above the $3.09 average estimate of analysts, according to compiled data. Net investment income grew 11% to about $5 billion in the quarter.

Sullivan took over as CEO last year with the goal of hitting financial targets after misses in recent years. After less than a year in the role, he had to respond to a regulatory probe involving its Japan unit.

Earlier this year, Prudential voluntarily paused life insurance sales in the country for three months to restore trust after the investigation showed employee misconduct cost clients an estimated $20 million.

Since then, the firm has extended the sales pause to Nov. 5. Forced to walk back its objective to grow earnings per share by as much as 8% by 2027, the insurer now expects the sales halt to hit its earnings by as much as $575 million this year and $450 million in 2027.

The sales extension prompted Fitch Ratings to place Prudential on rating watch negative Monday.

Prudential’s stock declined 11% this year as of market close Tuesday.
 
 

Japan has won a commitment from the United Arab Emirates to increase joint crude oil stockpiles held in the Asian country by UAE companies, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa said Tuesday.

Akazawa said he made the request to expand such oil stockpiles in a meeting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday with his UAE counterpart, Sultan Al Jaber, who is also special envoy to Japan.

They agreed to promote cooperation to ensure a stable supply of crude oil as the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy transportation hub, remains closed due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

"We want to significantly increase the joint stockpiles with the UAE," Akazawa told reporters in Paris after his Middle Eastern tour.

"The UAE has promised to replenish the crude oil already released and to expand the stockpiles further," he said.

Crude oil from the UAE accounts for about 40 pct of Japan's total crude oil imports. The UAE withdrew from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Friday, planning to gradually increase production at its own discretion.
 
 

Footwear products and palm oil derivatives have great potential to develop in the context of Indonesian-Japanese economic cooperation, said Deputy RI Ambassador to Japan Maria Renata Hutagalung.

This was said by the Indonesian Embassy, Maria Renata, following the Indonesia-Japan Business Forum Meeting and Partnership (IJMP) 2026 which carried the theme "Co-creating the Future of Economic Synergy and Human Resource Development".

"Indonesian production footwear has been known to be an important part of the global supply chain. Japan is a potential market that values quality, design, and sustainability.

This opens up opportunities for penetration into the Japanese market," explained the Japanese Embassy Maria Renata, launching the statement of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo (6/5).

"Meanwhile, Indonesian palm oil derivatives have strategic potential, not only as a trading commodity, but also as part of a global solution towards sustainable energy. This is in line with Japan's agenda in energy transition and biomass development," he continued.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Embassy in Jakarta, Maria Renata said, "Indonesian palm oil products can contribute to the provision of environmentally friendly energy raw materials."

"For this reason, it is important for us to continue to encourage sustainable practices, transparency, and certification according to the standards of acceptance in the Japanese market," he said.

In addition to discussing trade opportunities, the IJMP forum held in Nagoya also emphasized the importance of improving the quality of Indonesian labor human resources in Japan.

The number of Indonesian workers in Japan through the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) scheme is recorded at 86,955 people and participants in the internship program (Technical Intern Training Program) at 124,967 people.

In total, it reached 211,922 people or about 79.65 percent of the total number of Indonesian citizens in Japan, which amounted to 266,069 people as of December 2025.

Aichi Prefecture is the largest Indonesian 'pocket' in Japan, with a record of 21,153 people as of December 2025, said the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo.

The IJMP 2026, which was held on May 1, was attended by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Nagoya, Hideo Sugimoto; Director Investment & Exchange Division, Nagoya, Kobayashi Shunsuke; Chairperson of Solidaridad Japan Sato Hiroshi; Chairperson of the Indonesian Plantation Entrepreneurs Association (GPPI) Delima Hasri Azahari; Director of Tokai Office IM Japan Iwada Shinji; Vice President of the Aichi Japan Indonesia Friendship & Exchange Association (NPO) Sato Matasada; and Director of ITPC Osaka Didit Akhdiat Suryo.

Also present at this forum were farmers and MSMEs from Lamandau Regency, Central Kalimantan who processed palm oil production waste, including fruit coconuts, coconut stems and other palm oil production waste into flagship products with added value.

This SME development program is carried out together with GPPI and Solidaridad to empower and improve the economy of residents living around oil palm plantations.
 
 

Mizkan Holdings said it would suspend sales of four of its natto products from this month due to supply constraints.

The Aichi Prefecture-based foodmaker said Friday that prolonged geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have driven up prices and heightened supply risks for naphtha, a key feedstock used in petrochemical products such as packaging materials.

As a result, procurement costs have increased, putting a strain on packed natto production, Mizkan said.

Separately, the company said it would raise prices on all 19 of its natto products starting June 1, with reference retail prices, excluding tax, set to increase by between 6% and 20%.

Mizkan said it had tried to absorb the higher costs but determined that maintaining product supply under the current pricing structure had become difficult.

The company also warned that further price revisions or supply impacts could occur depending on future trends in raw material and energy costs.

Last month, the Federation of Consumer Goods Industries and Consumer’s Associations, a coalition of 712 companies and groups, conducted an emergency survey of its members in response to supply concerns tied to the war in the Middle East.

The survey, conducted between April 17 to 22, found that 44% of member companies who responded to the survey were already experiencing supply issues, with the percentage expected to increase to over 75% within the next three months.

Based on the results of the survey, the group submitted a policy proposal to the trade ministry calling for measures to ensure consumers can make informed decisions to prevent the panic buying of essential goods and for the ministry to create systems that prioritize the supply of such goods.
 
 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Supporting the town

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Over 2,000 areas nationwide

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

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

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

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

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


Sustainable transportation needed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There has been a growing trend of agricultural companies shifting production to cooler regions such as northern Japan and high-altitude areas in response to increased damage to crops caused by the summer heat.

This is due to abnormal weather patterns becoming the norm in recent years, which could significantly alter the regions suitable for cultivation.


‘We’ve reached our limit’

In April, Kyoto-based agricultural corporation Koto Kyoto was to start cultivating Kujo green onions, a traditional Kyoto vegetable, in Date, Hokkaido. The company has purchased approximately 10 hectares of land and expects to harvest about 100 tons in the first season using 4 hectares.

Kujo green onions are relatively sensitive to heat, with an optimal growing temperature of 15-25 C. The average temperature in Kyoto City during July and August has reached around 30 C in recent years and last year the city saw 47 days of extreme heat with maximum temperatures exceeding 35 C.

The company reports that maintaining yields has become difficult due to poor growth caused by high temperatures.

Koto Kyoto initially cultivated the onions within Kyoto year-round, however, it has suspended summer cultivation and dispersed production to the northern and central regions of Kyoto Prefecture since 2022.

The company has expanded operations to places outside the prefecture, such as Iwate Prefecture, where it has contracted growers, and is focusing on securing yields. However, anticipating that the impact of the heat will continue to spread, the company decided to expand into Hokkaido.

“I feel we have reached the limit of summer cultivation,” said President Toshiyuki Yamada. “This is to protect our high-quality, delicious green onions.”

Date is located in southwestern Hokkaido, where the average temperature during the summer (June-September) remains around 20 C. Because the area is relatively warm and receives little snow compared to the rest of Hokkaido, it has attracted attention from agricultural corporations outside Hokkaido as a summer production base.


Accelerating diversification

Asai Nursery, Inc., an agricultural corporation producing cherry tomatoes in Mie Prefecture, also completed a 1.6-hectare greenhouse in Date in late January, investing approximately ¥1.3 billion in construction costs.

The farm expects an annual harvest of about 340 tons as a summer production base.

Adverse effects such as “poor flowering” — where flowers fail to bloom due to summer heat — and “hollow fruit” — where the flesh is extremely sparse — have become increasingly noticeable at farms in Mie Prefecture over the past four to five years.

President Yuichiro Asai, 45, says, “As the heat has become more severe year by year, the diversifying of production areas was unavoidable when forecasting the next 10 or 20 years.”


High-altitude cultivation

There is also a trend toward seeking new cultivation sites in high-altitude areas. Agricultural corporation Zebra Greens., Ltd. in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, constructed approximately 1.3 hectares of tomato greenhouses in a village at an elevation of about 600 meters in Nose, Osaka Prefecture, last year and began cultivation.

Summer temperatures there are about 5 to 6 C lower than in the surrounding plains, and nighttime temperatures — which are crucial for tomato growth — drop to near the ideal range (below 20 C). Representative Toshihiko Kakitsubo said, “Since it’s near the consumer market, we can keep shipping costs down.”

“The movement to protect agriculture through a ‘production relay,’ finding new suitable locations and ensuring uninterrupted shipments, will continue to expand,” said Yasufumi Miwa, an expert on agriculture of the Japan Research Institute.

He also pointed out that “individual and small-scale farmers, for whom relocating farmland is difficult, may be forced to quit farming, so local governments need to take the lead in promoting the development of heat-tolerant varieties and the transition to alternative crops.”


Heat-related damage

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, high temperatures have persisted across the country since the 1990s, and last summer (June-August) saw average temperatures reach record highs for the third consecutive year.

A total of 9,385 locations saw extreme heat days with maximum temperature exceeding 35 C, with temperatures of 40 C or higher observed at 30 locations.

Heat-related damage to crops is occurring across the country. A survey by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry in 2024 reported that effects consistent with heat stress were observed in 40-50% of tomato-growing regions and 30-40% of mandarin orange-growing regions nationwide.

The ministry predicts that suitable growing areas for major fruit crops such as apples and mandarin oranges will shift northward and inland in the future due to global warming.

In Hokkaido, areas being used for sweet potato cultivation has increased, and Akita Prefecture is also conducting cultivation trials of the crops.

It has been reported that due to poor coloring of ornamental cabbage from central and western Japan, the flower market has requested producers in Yamagata Prefecture to increase production.
 
 

Nissan Motor Co said Friday it will scrap its plan to produce electric vehicles in the United States as demand is slowing, partly due to the end of a tax break on EV purchases in the country.

The Japanese automaker "remains fully committed to the U.S. as a lead market and a foundation for stable returns and sustained growth," its official said.

Nissan explained to U.S. auto parts suppliers that it would cancel the planned output of EV vehicles at a plant in Canton, Mississippi, and instead increase production of other models there.

The carmaker's production strategy in the United States, which centered on multiple EV models, has stagnated due to delays in development.

The company, which had planned to produce multiple EV models at the plant, said last year that it would give up producing a compact EV.

At a briefing on its long-term vision in April, Nissan said it would take a flexible approach to EV investment in the United States while closely monitoring demand trends and policy changes.

The company plans to narrow down its lineup while offering multiple powertrain options, such as hybrid vehicles, to boost competitiveness, a move that could affect its production plans.
 
 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

• The yen, trading just shy of 160 yen to the dollar

Japan spent at least 5.0 trillion yen ($32 billion) in the foreign exchange market, according to multiple reports, in its first intervention to prop up the currency since 2024.

The yen, trading just shy of 160 yen to the dollar, is close to its level from the summer of 2024, when Japanese authorities spent billions of dollars to boost its value.

Officials had hinted in recent days at potential intervention for the currency, which has weakened against the dollar in recent months amid the Iran war and rising oil prices, as well as the gap between US and Japanese interest rates.

Thursday’s intervention was around 5.0 trillion-6.0 trillion yen ($32 billion-$38 billion), according to market participants’ estimates based on current account deposit data released by the Bank of Japan on Friday, Jiji Press and the Nikkei business daily reported.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported similar figures on Saturday, citing an unnamed government source as confirming that the government had intervened.

The reports come after Japan’s finance minister hinted strongly Thursday that Tokyo was close to intervening in the market to support the yen, after the currency slipped to its lowest level against the dollar since mid-2024.
 

 

The government and the Bank of Japan conducted a yen-buying, dollar-selling market intervention for the first time in 21 months with the aim of preventing excessive yen selling by speculators.

They took the action ahead of an extended holiday period, when trading activity typically slows.

The foreign exchange intervention was conducted Thursday, and its amount could reach about ¥5 trillion, government sources told The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Some observers believe the effects of the intervention will be limited because conditions conducive to a weaker yen and stronger dollar, such as high oil prices and concerns over Japan’s fiscal deterioration, are expected to persist.


Move seen as ‘surprise’

The government and the BOJ had expressed concerns over the weakening of the yen, which is fueling the ongoing rising prices. It is believed they also grew concerned that the yen would stay at the ¥160 range against the U.S. dollar.

However, the latest intervention came as a “surprise,” a market source said. The government and the BOJ previously intervened in July 2024 when the yen approached ¥162 against the U.S. dollar. Among market players, ¥162 was widely perceived as a red line.

On Thursday, the yen traded in the upper ¥160 range against the dollar until the evening. At about 5 p.m., Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said to reporters, “The time to take decisive action is approaching.” She also said, “Keep your smartphones with you even when you’re out and on your days off.”

Thirty minutes later, Atsushi Mimura, vice finance minister for international affairs who oversees foreign exchange interventions, warned markets, saying, “This is our final evacuation advisory.”

However, since Mimura assumed the current post in late July 2024, no intervention had been carried out, leading to speculation that this was merely “verbal intervention.”


Concerns over volatility

Behind the latest intervention, there was also caution regarding the possibility of reduced market participation and increased volatility.

As Friday fell on May Day, European and other markets were closed, while Japan was set to enter an extended holiday period starting Saturday.

In 2024, the government and the BOJ carried out yen-buying, dollar-selling interventions on April 29 and May 1.

On Thursday, the yen strengthened sharply against the dollar by about ¥5 following the intervention, surging to the ¥155 level. On the following day, the yen briefly touched the ¥155 range again, exceeding the previous day’s yen level. The intervention appears to have put a temporary halt to yen selling.

Masahiro Ichikawa, a chief market strategist of Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co., said, “Caution about [the possibility of] an intervention will likely persist for the time being, making it difficult for speculators to act.”


Changes in economic structure

However, the yen has become more susceptible to selling pressure due to changes in Japan’s economic structure. It remains to be seen how long the effects of the latest intervention will last.

The nation’s trade balance, calculated by subtracting imports from exports, remained in surplus through the 2000s, but turned into a deficit in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

Amid the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, prices of fuel, such as crude oil, have remained high, raising the possibility that Japan’s trade deficit will widen in 2026. Because Japan needs to sell large amounts of yen to procure dollars, the yen has become more susceptible to depreciation.

A gap in interest rates between Japan and the United States is also a factor. Amid rising prices, the BOJ kept its policy rate unchanged at around 0.75% at its monetary policy meeting in April.

Meanwhile, in the United States, where President Donald Trump has been calling for rate cuts, the Federal Reserve Board maintained its benchmark rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, causing market expectations of a U.S. rate cut this year to fade.

The foreign exchange interventions conducted by the government and the BOJ in 2024 caused the yen to strengthen in the short term, but the Japanese currency gradually returned to a weaker level.

“A foreign exchange intervention generally has immediate effects but lacks sustainability,” said Takahiro Hori, a senior market economist of Mizuho Bank.

“Whether the exchange rate will stabilize depends on factors such as the situation in the Middle East and monetary policies in Japan and the United States.”
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

As the situation in the Middle East deteriorates, anxiety is spreading among farmers in Japan over rising prices and supply of materials and packaging used in agricultural production.

Many of these materials and packaging products are petrochemical products made with naphtha, the price of which has been surging. If naphtha prices remain elevated, higher production costs will be unavoidable, potentially leading to higher prices for food and beverages.


Little room for ingenuity

“We cannot farm without fuel or petroleum-derived materials, and there is little room for ingenuity,” said Masaharu Inoue, who grows napa cabbage in Bando, Ibaraki Prefecture.

In his fields, Inoue uses petrochemical materials such as mulch sheets, which cover raised rows of soil to suppress weed growth. Okura Industrial Co., a Kagawa Prefecture-based manufacturer of mulch sheets, raised prices starting with shipments on April 21.

The company cited worsening procurement conditions for naphtha, with some products rising by more than 30% from previous prices. Similar moves are likely to spread to other companies.

Inoue is also concerned about transportation costs for delivering napa cabbage to food processors. Delivery prices are contracted in advance, including transportation costs. But if fuel oil prices rise sharply, he said, “we may need to negotiate a price revision.”


Containers also affected

Before farm products reach retail shelves, packaging materials such as films and bags, as well as containers such as trays, are needed to maintain freshness. Many of these products are also made from naphtha, and price increases are beginning to emerge.

Denka Polymer Co., a Tokyo-based company that makes food packaging materials, announced a series of price revisions in April for products such as commercial-use plastic wrap and plastic containers.

The company will raise prices by at least 35% for wrap delivered from May and by at least 30% for containers delivered from June. The company said it had become “extremely difficult to maintain prices through self-help efforts alone.”

For rice bags, supplies of ink used to print on films and bags have also deteriorated, prompting price increases among manufacturers. A Tokyo-based company that sells rice bags described the pace of raw material price increases as “unprecedented.”


Further push to inflation

The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations also plans to gradually raise the prices at which it sells materials to regional agricultural cooperatives from April.

The scale of the increases has not been disclosed. The move comes in response to price increase requests from suppliers.

Higher agricultural production costs are likely to eventually be passed on to retail prices.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, which is responsible for ensuring a stable food supply, is taking the situation seriously.

This month, it set up a specialized response team within the ministry and began investigating distribution conditions for agricultural materials and food packaging.

According to the national consumer price index released by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, food prices, including fresh food, rose by 5% to 7% year on year each month from January through December 2025, before slowing to the 3% to 4% range from January through March 2026. That was because the impact of rising rice prices had eased.

But inflationary pressure could intensify again because of higher crude oil and naphtha prices caused by the worsening situation in the Middle East.

Tsuyoshi Kubota, chief researcher at Teikoku Databank, which tracks food and beverage price trends, said, “The surge in crude oil prices in March may begin to feed through into food price increases from June onward.”
 
 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Japan Airlines Co. said Thursday its revenue rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to a record 2.01 trillion yen ($12.5 billion) in the fiscal year ended March, the highest since its relisting in 2012, aided by robust demand for domestic and international travel.

Its net profit for fiscal 2025 jumped 28.6 percent to 137.60 billion yen, driven by an increase in travelers, including those flying on business and inbound tourists.

The number of domestic passengers rose 5.8 percent to 38.23 million, while international travelers increased 5.6 percent to 8.01 million.

For the current fiscal year started April, the company maintained its forecasts announced in March, saying it can cope with "severe" global conditions, such as the tense situation in the Middle East.

It expects net profit to fall 20.1 percent to 110 billion yen, partly due to an increase in maintenance costs, while sales are projected to grow 4.1 percent to 2.10 trillion yen.

The airline said at a press conference Thursday it expects to offset the impact of rising fuel prices through countermeasures, including government relief measures and higher fuel surcharges.

JAL is set to raise its surcharges for international flights in May.
Meanwhile, ANA Holdings Inc reported its net profit for fiscal 2025 rose 10.5 percent from a year earlier to a record 169.08 billion yen, also helped by strong demand.

Revenue grew 12.3 percent to 2.54 trillion yen, while operating profit rose 10.6 percent to 217.44 billion yen, both marking record highs, the parent of All Nippon Airways Co said.

For fiscal 2026, it forecasts net profit will drop 43.2 percent to 96 billion yen, on sales of 2.77 trillion yen, up 9.1 percent.

It expects operating profit to decrease to 150 billion yen, partly due to the impact of soaring fuel prices amid the Middle East conflict.
 
 

A Japan-linked vessel that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has passed through the waterway and is now sailing toward Japan, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Sources close to the Japanese government said that no transit fee was paid to the Iranian side to allow the vessel to pass through the strait.

The vessel, the Idemitsu Maru, has three Japanese crew members aboard.
According to the sources, the ship is a tanker owned by a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co., a major Japanese oil wholesaler.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on X on Wednesday that she regarded the news as “a positive move, including from the standpoint of protecting Japanese nationals.”

“We will continue urging the Iranian side to allow the passage of vessels from all countries, including the remaining Japan-linked ships,” she added.

The Japanese government has repeatedly conveyed to Iran that it is essential to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, PressTV, an outlet affiliated with Iranian state television, reported, “A Japanese-owned supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after securing permission from Iranian authorities.”

That amount is about one day’s worth of oil consumption in Japan.
It is thought that a total of three Japan-linked vessels have passed through the strait since the United States and Israel began its attacks on Iran in late February, but PressTV said the Idemitsu Maru was believed to be the first crude oil tanker to do so.

According to the report, the tanker had been anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates for more than a week before it began sailing through the strait on Monday night. It had reportedly loaded crude oil in Saudi Arabia in early March.

According to MarineTraffic, a public vessel-tracking website, a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker named Idemitsu Maru passed through the Strait of Hormuz and, as of Wednesday night Japan time, was sailing in the Arabian Sea. The ship is believed to be the Idemitsu Maru and is reportedly headed for the Port of Nagoya.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that one Japanese crew member had disembarked from a Japan-linked vessel still in the Persian Gulf and returned to Japan.

About 40 Japan-linked vessels remain in the gulf, with 12 Japanese crew members still aboard.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leaders from major cities around the world, gathered in Tokyo for the G-NETS Leaders Summit, have adopted a joint statement stressing the importance of inter-city cooperation for strengthening natural disaster and climate change measures.

The summit was held in conjunction with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, an international event organized by the Tokyo metropolitan government to foster exchanges among startups, major corporations, researchers and investors.

The summit lasted three days and explored solutions to the challenges facing modern society.

Mayors and governors from about 50 cities participated in G-NETS, holding in-depth discussions on disaster preparedness, greening cities and other topics.

The joint statement released on Tuesday reaffirmed that disaster measures are an urgent common challenge for the cities.

“We will promote the real-world application of cutting-edge technologies through startup support and utilization, and have this contribute to enhancing the well-being for residents,” the statement reads.

“Action Announcements by Participating Cities” were also issued for the first time on Tuesday, with cities outlining specific measures.

Tokyo’s action announcement, signed by Gov. Yuriko Koike, reads, “To protect Tokyo’s residents from increasingly severe and frequent torrential rainfall, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will advance the construction of regulating reservoirs to bring a cumulative storage capacity of 3.65 million cubic meters online by FY2035.”

As to the summit’s achievements, she said, “As cities face a variety of disasters, we not only compiled a joint statement, we talked about its execution.”

On the final day of the summit, the Tokyo-Southeast Asia Capitals Dialogue for Sustainability (TOKYO-SEADS), a forum bringing together leaders from Tokyo and Southeast Asian cities, was held for the first time on Wednesday.

The forum aims to strengthen cooperation with Southeast Asia, which is close geographically and shares vibrant cultural and economic ties with Tokyo.

The leaders discussed insights and exchanged views on the themes of tackling storm and flood disasters and developing urban infrastructure.
On Wednesday, the forum issued a joint statement on advancing practical initiatives.

“The threat of storms, floods and other natural disasters has notably been growing, year after year,” said Koike in closing remarks at the forum.

“We will focus on the areas of storm and flood countermeasures, urban infrastructure development, renewal and maintenance and the usage of digital technologies as we aim to create a resilient and a sustainable urban future together … Tokyo will further strengthen cooperation with the participating capitals.”

Leaders also visited the Tokyo metropolitan government’s Storm Surge Management Center in Koto Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday. They observed the management and operation of harbor gates and the maintenance of seawalls and drainage pump stations.

The next G-NETS summit is scheduled to be held in two years.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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


 

Japan’s largest power generator JERA Co. announced Monday that it would postpone the release of its earnings forecast for fiscal 2026 due to the situation in the Middle East.

The company said it has secured the fuel necessary for thermal power generation through July but indicated that electricity rates charged by power companies will likely rise from this summer due to soaring fuel prices.

Electricity generated by JERA is sold on the Japan Electric Power Exchange and can be purchased by retail electricity providers.

Some companies make a contract directly with JERA, giving the power supplier significant influence over electricity rates. Since electricity rates reflect the price of fuel three to five months prior, rates are expected to rise gradually from June.

This is the first time JERA has decided not to announce its earnings forecast since fiscal 2022, when Russia began its aggression against Ukraine.

“We will cope with soaring prices and secure a stable fuel supply,” JERA Financial Strategy and Planning Division head Masato Otaki said during an online press conference.

JERA, which adopted International Financial Reporting Standards, announced its consolidated financial results for fiscal 2025 on Monday. The results showed ¥3.05 trillion in sales, down 9.1% from the previous fiscal year, and ¥193.5 billion in profit, which was up 5.2%.

Since the price of electricity sold is linked to fuel prices, the company’s sales declined due to falling liquefied natural gas and coal prices. However, the profit increased because the company was able to secure fuel at lower prices.