Japan has pledged to provide $10bn (£7.4bn) to help its Asian neighbours, especially those in South East Asia, secure energy including crude oil as the region reels from disruptions caused by the Iran war.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the new cooperation framework on Wednesday after an online meeting with other Asian leaders.

Japan relies on South East Asia for petroleum-derived products, most notably medical equipment - something that Takaichi stressed at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"Japan is closely interconnected with each Asian country through supply chains and mutually dependent with them," she said.

Japan's cooperation framework aims to help Asian countries procure crude oil and petroleum products, as well as maintain supply chains and expand stockpiles.

Asia is especially vulnerable to energy supply disruptions stemming from blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, as nearly 90% of the oil and gas passing through the key waterway is bound for the region.

Japan's foreign ministry said the $10bn in financial aid was roughly equivalent to a year's worth of crude oil imports by countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

It added that the initiative was welcomed by leaders at the meeting - including those from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh and South Korea - and that funding for the project would come from a range of sources.
 
 

 
Japan's interest rates could soon exceed the economic growth rate, and this could, in theory, make it more difficult for the country to contain the national debt and for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to aggressively pursue her economic ambitions.
 
Gross domestic product has been growing about 0.5% a year over the past decade and likely grew 1.3% in 2025, according to the OECD.

The Bank of Japan's policy rate is currently 0.75%, and the 10-year Japanese government bond is trading at 2.4%, near a 29-year high.
 
“It wouldn’t be surprising if interest rates naturally rise to around 3% by fiscal 2027,” said Saisuke Sakai, a senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute, which operates under Mizuho Bank.
 
Takaichi wants to make investments needed to boost economic growth, and her agenda is supported by the Liberal Democratic Party's supermajority in the Lower House. 
 
“The Takaichi administration is committed to ending the chronic underinvestment in the future and to shifting away from a mindset of excessive fiscal austerity,” the prime minister has said.
 
To keep the national debt under control, she is counting on an economic theory proposed by American economist Evsey Domar in 1944, which says that when the nominal economic growth rate is greater than the nominal interest rate on government debt, the debt-to-GDP ratio will stabilize.
 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The crews of Japan-linked ships stuck in the Persian Gulf are keeping a close eye on U.S.-Iran talks, a Japanese shipping-sector labor union official has said.

"Right now, there's no prospect (of the crews) getting out of the gulf, and they are patiently watching negotiations between the United States and Iran," Shinichi Tanaka, acting president of the All Japan Seamen's Union, told Jiji Press.

He said that the Japanese government and companies should put crew safety first when deciding whether vessels will sail through the Strait of Hormuz, under the de facto blockade, or whether crew members will disembark from their ships.

Currently, more than 1,000 crew members belonging to the union, including foreign nationals, are on ships stranded in the gulf.

According to Tanaka, they have internet access, so they can contact their families and view news reports about the situation in the Middle East.

"There are no safe places in the Persian Gulf," he stressed. "The biggest concerns for the crews are how long the situation will continue, and whether they will be able to evacuate if the situation worsens."
 
 

Japan’s relationship with NATO is moving beyond broad political dialogue into more “concrete” forms of cooperation across key strategic and security areas, Tokyo’s ambassador to the alliance said in an interview Wednesday.

Following last June’s NATO summit at The Hague, bilateral engagement has entered a more institutionalized phase, Ambassador Osamu Izawa said, highlighting progress made in recent months in defense-industry coordination, emerging technologies and support for Ukraine.

The most significant leap forward, according to Izawa, has been the establishment of a high-level bilateral defense industry cooperation dialogue.

The first meeting was held in late October in Brussels, with a second slated to take place in Tokyo later this year that will include senior NATO secretariat officials.

“This is the first time for Japan and NATO to engage directly to promote industry cooperation,” said Izawa, who assumed his post last year as Tokyo’s first dedicated ambassador to the 32-member alliance.

"Before, we talked about possibilities, but there was no channel, no framework,” he said. “This is an epoch-making development.” 

Unlike traditional government-to-government defense cooperation focused on heavy platforms such as fighter jets, the dialogue also targets “new domains” of warfare.
 
 

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in March was 3,618,900, a 3.5% increase from the same month last year and a new record for March, according to an estimate released by the Japan National Tourism Organization on Wednesday.

Among visitors from East Asia, the number of tourists primarily increased from South Korea and Taiwan, the JNTO said. Southeast Asian visitors increased the most from Vietnam and Malaysia, and among tourists from the Americas and Europe, there was significant growth in visitors from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Tourists from China in March fell by 55.9% year-on-year to 291,600, apparently as a result of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Diet remark in November last year on a possible Taiwan contingency.

The number of tourists from the Middle East fell by 30.6% to 16,700, partly due to canceled and reduced flights as a result of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
 
 

The Ministry of Health and the Tokushukai Medical Group of Japan have designated the Harapan Kita Heart and Blood Vessel Hospital (RSJPD) in Jakarta as the largest hub for cardiovascular education and research in Asia.

"We have not only exchanged doctors and knowledge but now also assets, which has increased both the number of doctors and the level of knowledge," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin remarked on Wednesday.

He hopes that closer cooperation between the two sides will enhance heart health services for Indonesians, given that cardiovascular disease continues to be the biggest expense for the state health insurer, BPJS Kesehatan, amounting to at least Rp17 trillion (US$963 million) in 2025.

Meanwhile, the President Director of Harapan Kita Hospital, Iwan Dakota, said the construction of the new building, a collaboration between the Indonesian government and Tokushukai, will increase the hospital's capacity from around 400 beds to around 800.

"Part of the facility will be used as a private wing (private and exclusive ward) with high-standard services so our people do not need to seek treatment abroad. Furthermore, this building will also function as an education and research center through collaboration with Japan and other countries," he remarked.

The new building will continue to serve BPJS patients, with a proportion of around 70-80 percent, while some of the upper floors will be used for premium services to attract patients who previously sought treatment abroad.

"Furthermore, specialist doctors from Japan and other countries will practice regularly in this new hospital building," Dakota added.

In addition, the Tokushukai Group will also send several doctors and nurses for internship at Harapan Kita Hospital every year.

"They conduct internship here due to the large caseload. Going forward, we will strive to increase not only our educational capacity but also the volume of research. We will increase the number and quality of research collaborations," Dakota said.

Meanwhile, Tokushukai Medical Group CEO Shinichi Higashiue emphasized his company's commitment to make the cardiac education and training center at Harapan Kita Hospital the largest in Asia.

"This building will provide the most advanced cardiovascular services, and we want to make this institution one of the largest cardiac education and training centers in Asia," he stated.
 

The countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Pyongyang frequently criticises Tokyo over its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

North Korea accused Japan of a "grave provocation" on Wednesday (Apr 15) after Tokyo laid out its opposition to Pyongyang's nuclear programme in an annual diplomatic paper.

The countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Pyongyang frequently criticises Tokyo over its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, which ended with World War II.

The Japanese foreign ministry released its annual bluebook last week, detailing Tokyo's official diplomatic views and repeating its opposition to North Korea having nuclear weapons.

The position is "a grave provocation encroaching upon the sovereign rights, security interests and development rights of our sacred state", an unnamed North Korean foreign ministry official said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea's "measures for bolstering up its defence capabilities ... belong to the right to self-defence", the statement said.

It described the bluebook as "woven with conventional gangster-like logic and absurdity".

North Korea has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear arsenal, describing its path as "irreversible" and vowing to strengthen its capabilities.
In its bluebook, Japan also expressed its unease that North Korea had sent troops and ammunition to Russia to aid its war against Ukraine.

Tokyo also downgraded its assessment of China for the first time in a decade, calling Beijing an "important neighbour" instead of "one of Japan's most important" partners.

It marked the latest deterioration in ties with Beijing since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicated in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan.

China views the self-ruled island as its territory and has not ruled out taking it by force.
 
 

Police in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, have launched an investigation into the suspected abandonment of a corpse after the body of an 11-year-old boy was found in a forest.

Elementary school student Adachi Yuki was found dead in the mountains of Nantan City on Monday. He had been missing since March 23.

Police say a detailed examination of the body failed to determine the cause of death. They believe the boy died in late March, around the time he was reported missing.

Police say he had no noticeable external injuries. But they say the fact that he was not wearing shoes and that his backpack was found elsewhere suggest someone abandoned the body.

They say the body was not covered in leaves, showed no signs of having been hidden and had no major tears in his clothing.

Police are retracing the child's movements before he went missing. They are searching his home and investigating other clues that could shed light on the circumstances that led to his death.
 
 

The transport ministry said Tuesday that tighter portable charger restrictions on flights will be introduced on April 24, following a string of incidents involving such devices.

Under the new rules, each passenger will be allowed to bring no more than two power banks in their carry-on baggage, each with a capacity of 160 watt-hours or less.

Charging the batteries and using them to charge electronic devices such as smartphones during flights will be prohibited.

Other existing rules will remain in force. Portable chargers must be carried on board rather than being placed in checked baggage, and passengers are required to keep them within reach instead of placing them in overhead compartments or other storage areas.

Those charging portable batteries and bringing more than two chargers on board in violation of the new rules could face a prison term of up to two years or a fine of up to ¥1 million.

There have been a series of incidents involving portable chargers on planes in Japan and overseas, such as catching fire and emitting smoke.

The tighter domestic regulations follow the adoption late last month of new international standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a specialized U.N. agency that sets global aviation rules.
 
 

Nissan Motor Co.’s 2027 Elgrand large minivan will enable hands-free driving in urban areas by using AI to assess road conditions and other factors.

Overseas manufacturers, such as Tesla in the U.S., have already made strides with similar technologies. By being one of the first Japanese automakers to introduce this feature, Nissan is aiming for a turnaround in the domestic market, where sales have been sluggish.

Nissan’s proprietary driver-assistance technology, ProPILOT, already provides hands-free driving in some models, but its use is limited to certain environments such as highways.

Through a new collaboration with Wayve Technologies Ltd., a British startup specializing in automotive AI, Nissan will incorporate a system where AI predicts driving conditions, thereby enabling hands-free driving even in urban areas.

Following a full model overhaul this summer, the new technology will be introduced to the Elgrand in fiscal 2027.

With other models, such as Toyota Motor Corp.’s Alphard, gaining market share in the minivan segment, Nissan aims to enhance its competitiveness through proprietary technology.
 
 

 Major Japanese home equipment supplier Cleanup has suspended orders for its popular bathroom units, the latest in a string of companies suffering material shortages as the Iran conflict stretches on.

Tokyo-based Cleanup will stop taking orders from Wednesday, the company announced in a statement on its website.

"Due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, it has become increasingly difficult to procure raw materials,” the company said. It didn’t give an expected resumption date. Shares fell 0.8% to ¥904.

Toclas, a Japanese kitchen and bathrooms systems maker under electronics giant Yamada Holdings, also warned Tuesday that the squeeze on naphtha and other raw materials might prompt shortages or price revisions.

Toilet maker Toto halted bathroom unit orders a day earlier, while the Nikkei reported that Lixil and Panasonic Housing Solutions, also major suppliers, have stopped giving delivery dates for their own products.

Japan gets more than 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East and depends on the area for almost 45% of its naphtha, a feedstock crucial for plastic production, according to government data.
 


 

A ritual ceremony of carrying timber to Ise Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture, was held in the city on Sunday and Monday, in preparation for 2033’s “Shikinen Sengu” — an ancient ritual tradition of completely rebuilding the Shinto shrine complex and transferring the deities to the new shrine once every 20 years.

The timber will be used to rebuild the main structures in both the Naiku inner shrine and Geku outer shrine areas.

The ritual of carrying timber is called Okihiki. On Sunday, timber was carried upstream on a boat on the Isuzu River and brought to the Naiku area.

Towing the timber on the river is called kawabiki, while carrying it on land to the Geku area is called okabiki.

During the okabiki ritual on Monday, local residents wearing happi coats pulled ropes tied to a ceremonial cart loaded with an about 5-meter-long Kiso-hinoki cypress log.

They pulled the cart on the street to the sound of a lively wood-carrying song and shouts of “Enya, enya” in a parade for about 2 kilometers.


 

A government survey in 2025 showed Tuesday that 4.5% of respondents in the country often or constantly feel lonely, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous year.

The share of people who often or constantly feel lonely was higher in their 30s to 50s.

The survey, conducted by the Cabinet Office in December, found that 13.7% said they sometimes feel lonely and 19.5% said they have lonely feelings once in a while.

It also found that feelings of loneliness tend to be stronger among people who seldom eat with someone else.

People who often or constantly feel lonely accounted for 17.3% of those who said they seldom have meals with someone else.

The percentage stood at 5.1% among those who eat with other people one or two days a month and at 3.7% among those who dine with others about once a week.

The mail-based survey covered randomly selected 20,000 people aged 16 or older across the country. Valid responses came from 59.4%.
 
 

The Japanese government is planning to present to a ruling party meeting Wednesday a modified draft of a bill aimed at revising the country's retrial system, it has been learned.

Initially, the government considered proposing the revised draft Tuesday but is now set to delay the presentation by one day, due to a scheduling issue regarding a related meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party.

The envisaged retrial system overhaul is intended to speed up the rescue of victims of false charges.

In the modified draft bill to amend the criminal procedure law, the government plans to set limits on public prosecutors' appeals against court rulings to grant retrials to finalized cases, apparently in an attempt to soothe the LDP.

The original bill continued to allow prosecutors to challenge such rulings, but this drew anger from the ruling party, with many calling for banning such appeals.

At a meeting Monday, the LDP conducted hearings with Hiroaki Murayama and Yumi Kamoshida, both lawyers, and former judge Hiroyuki Nakagawa.
 
 

Isuzu Motors Ltd. will postpone the market launch of its fuel cell-powered heavy-duty truck, which it is co-developing with Honda Motor Co., from the planned 2027 date, it has been learned.

The development of hydrogen refueling stations has not been progressing as planned, and the company also determined that the truck’s fuel cell system needed to be smaller and lighter to increase its carrying capacity.
Sales are likely to begin around 2030.

The two companies signed an agreement in 2020 to conduct joint research toward the practical application of hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks.

They have been equipping the vehicles with Honda’s fuel cell system and conducting demonstration runs, with plans to start selling large trucks with a maximum load capacity of 10 tons in 2027.

However, progress in developing the hydrogen stations has been slow. In 2021, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry set a goal of increasing the number of stations nationwide to around 1,000 by 2030, but currently there are only about 150 stations mainly in Tokyo.

Only about 20 of the stations can accommodate large vehicles. For long-distance travel, 24-hour hydrogen stations are essential, but few exist.

The fuel cell system currently planned for installation is heavy, which limits the truck’s load capacity and makes it unlikely to meet customer demands.

Therefore, the companies seem to consider that further technological innovation is needed to make the cell system smaller and lighter.

Hino Motors, Ltd. has been selling large hydrogen trucks, jointly developed with Toyota Motor Corp., in Tokyo, Aichi Prefecture and other areas since 2025.

Honda expects to post a net loss of up to ¥690 billion for the business year ending March 2026 and has indicated its intention to withdraw a policy of making all new cars electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles by 2040.

Honda’s current situation, which makes it difficult to invest heavily in the hydrogen business, is also seen as a factor in the postponement of the joint project with Isuzu.
 
 

 

Three major AI industry developments landed simultaneously this week, signaling a global acceleration in AI adoption at both corporate and national levels.

Meta unveiled an AI clone of Mark Zuckerberg, Japan's biggest industrial names formed a domestic AI alliance, and UK regulators convened emergency talks on AI cyber risks.

Each event points to a different frontier of the AI race, from internal enterprise tools to national security to physical robotics.

The convergence of corporate ambition and regulatory urgency reflects how quickly the AI landscape is evolving in 2026.
  Key Takeaways:

• Meta launched the "Muse Spark" model and built an AI clone of Zuckerberg to interact with employees, under the newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs
• SoftBank, NEC, Sony, and Honda formed "Japan AI Alliance," targeting up to 1 trillion yen (~$6.3B) in NEDO government funding for domestic AI
• Bank of England, UK Treasury, and FCA are in urgent talks with the National Cyber Security Centre about Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview model

Meta Builds an AI Version of Zuckerberg

Meta released a new model called "Muse Spark" as part of a sweeping overhaul under the newly established Meta Superintelligence Labs. Zuckerberg founded the lab after growing frustrated with Llama's progress relative to competitors at OpenAI and Anthropic, according to the Financial Times.

The AI clone of Zuckerberg is designed to interact directly with company employees on internal platforms. This marks an unusually personal use of generative AI, reflecting Meta's push to make AI tools central to everyday operations.

To accelerate its ambitions, Meta has been aggressively recruiting top AI researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The talent war in foundation model development has intensified sharply across the industry in early 2026.


Japan Forms a Domestic AI Powerhouse

SoftBank, NEC, Sony, and Honda officially formed "Japan AI Alliance," a new company dedicated to domestic AI development. Each founding member holds a stake of more than 10 percent, with Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel, MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho also joining as investors, according to Benzinga.

SoftBank and NEC will lead the development of AI foundation models, while Sony and Honda will deploy them across automotive, robotics, gaming, and semiconductor applications. The consortium plans to apply for Japan's NEDO funding program, which has earmarked up to 1 trillion yen, approximately $6.3 billion, for domestic AI infrastructure.

A core goal of the alliance is developing "physical AI" capable of autonomously controlling robots. The new company plans to hire around 100 AI engineers and will be led by a SoftBank executive.


UK Regulators Hold Emergency AI Talks

The Bank of England, UK Treasury, and Financial Conduct Authority are in urgent discussions with the National Cyber Security Centre regarding Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview model.

This follows a high-profile meeting in the United States where Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Fed Chair Jerome Powell convened with major bank CEOs to discuss AI-related cyber threats.

The Mythos model is designed to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities and has been deployed in a limited capacity, according to Benzinga. UK banks, insurers, and exchanges are expected to be briefed on the associated cyber risks within the next two weeks.

The urgency of these talks underscores growing concern that advanced AI models pose systemic risks to financial infrastructure. Regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions are now treating AI cyber exposure as a top-tier threat warranting immediate coordination.


TSMC Posts Fourth Straight Record Quarter

TSMC reported Q1 2026 revenue of NT$1.13 trillion, equivalent to approximately $35.6 billion, up 35 percent year-over-year.

This marks the company's fourth consecutive record quarter, driven by insatiable demand for AI chips, according to Investing.com.

March alone saw year-over-year revenue growth of 45.2 percent, the strongest single-month figure in recent history.

TSMC has guided gross margins for the current quarter at 63 to 65 percent.

The company forecasts full-year 2026 revenue to grow approximately 30 percent in US dollar terms. Demand from AI chip customers including Nvidia remains the primary growth engine for the world's largest contract chipmaker.
 
 

The International Horticultural Expo 2027, billed “the next World Expo” to be held in Japan, is set to open in Yokohama next March but faces many challenges, such as soaring construction costs amid growing tensions in the Middle East and a lack of public awareness.

The venue for the Green x Expo 2027 spans about 100 hectares of a former U.S. military facility across the city’s Seya and Asahi wards.

It will be adorned with about 10 million flowers and plants and feature exhibits on food, agriculture and other related topics. Tokyo-based Kajima Corp. will construct a 60-meter-tall wooden tower using timber from the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo’s iconic Grand Ring.

The Expo has also drawn the participation of 61 countries and international organizations.Development costs — initially estimated at ¥32 billion in fiscal 2021 — have risen to ¥41.7 billion due to soaring material and labor costs.

There are also concerns that costs could rise further depending on the situation in the Middle East. The Japan Association for the International Horticultural Expo 2027, Yokohama, the organizer, said it would closely monitor future developments.

The venue is 2 kilometers away or an about 30-minute walk from the nearest station. Shuttle buses are planned to depart from four nearby stations and organizers plans to secure parking for 6,500 vehicles, but congestion is still expected.

Yokohama City conducted a public survey in March and found that 81% of Yokohama residents were aware of the event, but only 61.1% of Kanagawa Prefecture residents knew about the event in a prefectural survey conducted in October and November.

Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko, who inspected the venue on Saturday, said, “We need to do more to raise its profile.”

The city and the organizer have run a train wrapped with the Expo’s official mascot Tunku Tunku in Tokyo and been promoting the Expo at flower and greenery-related events.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday she conveyed her support for Pakistan's mediation efforts in the U.S.-Iran conflict during phone talks with the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after recent peace negotiations between the warring parties in Islamabad yielded no agreement.

Takaichi and Sharif also affirmed that Japan and Pakistan will work toward an early deescalation of the Middle East situation and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy transportation, she told reporters in Tokyo.

Takaichi said she explained to Sharif about Japan's view. "What is the most important is that a final agreement will be concluded early through dialogue," she said, adding that Tokyo will continue to collaborate with the international community.

The United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire last week but failed to reach a peace deal in two days of negotiations through Sunday in the Pakistani capital.

Following the development, the U.S. military said it will begin blocking all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas from Monday at 10 a.m. in Washington.

Japan relies on the Middle East for more than 90 percent of its crude oil imports. Most transit the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the United States and Israel began attacking the country in late February.
Japan, a close U.S. security ally, has traditionally maintained friendly relations with Iran.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that Japan has made no decision on whether to send its Self-Defense Forces for minesweeping operations in the strait, where Iran may have laid mines to support its de facto blockade.

On Monday, Takaichi also held phone talks with To Lam, leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party who doubles as the country's president since last Tuesday.

Takaichi said the two agreed to strengthen the energy resilience of Asia, whose dependency on oil imports from Middle East is relatively high.
 
 

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara expressed hope for an early U.S.-Iran agreement to end their conflict on Monday, after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement over the weekend.

"We hope they reach a final agreement soon," the top Japanese government spokesman said at a press conference. He noted that the government is closely monitoring the diplomatic efforts of related countries and developments relating to the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked about the possibility of Japan taking part in a U.S. blockade of the strait and mine-clearing operations announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Kihara said that "nothing has been decided" regarding the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces.
 
 

All possible measures will be taken to ensure a stable supply of heavy oil, said Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Norikazu Suzuki on Thursday, seeking to assuage the concerns of green tea producers.

Suzuki made the remarks during a visit to a matcha beverage shop in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, an area popular with foreign tourists. He then spoke with the shop’s operator about expanding matcha exports.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, Suzuki said, “If people gain an appreciation for matcha at the shop, it will generate revenue for all of Japan, including matcha producing regions.”

Thanks in part to the popularity of Japanese cuisine abroad, exports of green tea, including matcha, brought in a record ¥72.1 billion in 2025. The government plans to further expand exports.

However, due to the situation in the Middle East, concerns have been raised among some green tea producers about the availability of heavy oil, which is used for processing, such as when steaming harvested tea leaves, according to the Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association.

“It is crucial for sufficient fuel oil to have been supplied when tea production begins,” said Suzuki.
 
 

 

 

Honda Motor Co. said Friday that it will release a new compact electric vehicle model, the Super-ONE, in Japan in late May.

The Super-ONE weighs 1,090 kilograms, "one of the lightest in its class among all passenger EVs available in the Japanese market," the company said. The model was developed based on its N Series minivehicles.

By improving energy efficiency through weight reduction, the vehicle can travel 274 kilometers on a single charge.

The price has not yet been announced. Honda said that it would make the new model affordable with the help of subsidies.

The company believes that the domestic compact EV market has room for growth.
 
 

The government Friday adopted a support program for the so-called employment ice age generation, planning to implement assistance measures intensively over three years through fiscal 2028.

The program focuses on improving working conditions and securing housing in anticipation of the aging of the ice age generation, or those who had trouble finding jobs after graduating from school in the wake of the collapse of Japan's bubble economy in the early 1990s.

Progress will be reviewed annually at meetings of local governments, experts and labor and management representatives, and support measures will be revised as necessary.

Under the program, information on job changes that would lead to wage increases will be provided at Hello Work public job placement offices across the country. Reskilling opportunities will be offered through subsidies to local governments.

To prepare for the aging of the ice age generation, the government will also work to facilitate the provision of low-rent housing and to secure employment opportunities after they turn 65.

The support program was drawn up based on a policy adopted by the government in June 2025.
 
 

Japan Railways Group (JR Group) on Thursday announced that it will raise prices for its Japan Rail Pass, a ticket popular among foreign tourists that allows unlimited travel on trains across Japan, including most shinkansen bullet train services.

Prices for the pass will increase by around five percent to six percent under the first revision in three years, which will come into effect from October 1.

The price of a pass depends on its validity period. An adult seven-day pass will increase by 3,000 yen ($19) to 53,000 yen for travel in standard train carriages, and by 4,000 yen to 74,000 yen for premium Green Car carriages. 

Other price changes for adult passes include an increase of 4,000 yen to 84,000 yen for a 14-day pass (standard carriage), and 5,000 yen to 105,000 yen for a 21-day pass (standard carriage). 

JR Group last revised prices for its Japan Rail Pass in October 2023, when they were hiked by around 70 percent. The group said the latest revision reflects fare adjustments made by some of its member companies since then. 

In March, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) raised fares on its trains by an average of 7.1 percent in what was the first full-scale hike for the group company since its creation 1987. Under the hike, the base fare of 150 yen for local trains increased to 160 yen. 

The Japan Rail Pass covers travel on trains and shinkansen operated by all six JR Group passenger railway operators.

Services covered include limited express, express, rapid, and local trains, as well as some buses and ferries. Exceptions include the super-express Nozomi and Mizuho shinkansen on the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu lines, for which pass holders need to pay a supplementary fare.

The pass is available to foreign tourists visiting Japan under the entry status of "temporary visitor."

Travelers can buy passes before arriving in Japan at designated sales offices and through official agents overseas, as well as via the official online platform, Japan Rail Pass Reservation.

To encourage use of the online platform, JR Group said prices for passes purchased this way will remain unchanged for a limited time.  
 


 

The Diet, Japan's parliament, began substantive deliberations Friday on a bill to establish a national intelligence council aimed at enhancing the government's intelligence capabilities.

At the day's meeting of the Cabinet Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said that an agency that would serve as the secretariat of the proposed council is "expected to take effective measures against foreign influence operations."

 

It is "urgent" to take measures against such activities, including the spread of false information, because they are "a security threat and shake the foundations of democracy," Ozaki emphasized.

Yuichi Goto of the main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance requested that the bill stipulate the protection of privacy, including personal information.

In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, "Information will be collected in accordance with the law on the protection of personal information, and we do not see the need to set out separate provisions."
 
 

The number of soft drink vending machines installed in Japan in 2025 fell to 1.95 million, preliminary year-end figures show, dropping below 2 million for the first time in the 30 years for which records are available.

The figure is down about 20 percent from its peak seen in 2014 as a series of price hikes has driven more consumers away from the relatively costly items in the machines. This in turn has prompted beverage makers to remove unprofitable units and begin restructuring their businesses.

According to the institute in charge of beverage marketing and research, the number fell by 90,000 from the previous year, the largest decline on record since the Tokyo-based organization started the survey in 1995.

Sales initially grew on the convenience of being available anytime, making vending machines a lucrative source of revenue. But providing staff for restocking and distribution costs have become a burden, and the machines have lost their appeal as a sales channel, particularly as supermarkets and drugstores are able to offer discounts.

Major soft drink makers, including Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc and Dydo Group Holdings Inc, have been hit by weaker earnings as consumers turn away from vending machines, posting losses or falling into the red.

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan said it has reduced the number of its vending machines to around 650,000 from about 700,000 over the past few years, while DyDo has indicated plans to cut the number by a further 20,000.

Despite that, the machines are still relatively widespread in Japan compa
red with other countries and they are particularly popular with foreign tourists as a symbol of public safety, as vandalism and theft involving them is rare.
 
 

Japan is considering an additional release of its oil reserves providing 20 days of domestic consumption in May, as uncertainties remain over safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz even with the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, a source close to the matter said Thursday.

The United States and Iran agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, shortly before the expiry of U.S. President Donald Trump's self-imposed deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its critical infrastructure.

But it remains uncertain whether the strait will be reopened or operate under the same conditions as it was before the war, with Israel continuing to attack the Iran-affiliated Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

The industry ministry is weighing up the extra release on concerns that the effective closure of the strait may continue.

The government started its largest-ever discharge of oil stockpiles in mid-March to ensure a stable oil supply after the U.S.-Israeli launch of attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 left the key energy shipping waterway largely closed.

The government aims to provide a total of about 80 million barrels of oil, equivalent to about 50 days' worth of consumption, to the market from oil reserves held by the state, the private sector and oil-producing Gulf countries.

Of the total, state-held oil covering 30 days is set to be released from 11 bases nationwide by the end of April.

Resource-poor Japan relies on imports for almost all of its crude oil, with over 90 percent of it coming from the Middle East.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed her support for a possible additional joint oil stockpile release by the 32-member International Energy Agency when she met with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in Tokyo last month.

IEA countries also started their oil reserve releases in mid-March, totaling over 400 million barrels, the first such coordinated move since 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
 
 

While the United States and Iran have reached a two-week ceasefire agreement, 42 Japan-linked ships still cannot leave the Persian Gulf due to Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has suggested that it will allow ships to safely pass through the strait, a key checkpoint for energy shipments, during the two-week period, provided that they coordinate with its military. However, specific procedures remain unclear.

"It'd be good if the remaining ships can leave as soon as possible," said an official from the Japanese Ship Owners' Association. "We're closely monitoring the situation."

In a social media post, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that vessels would be able to sail through the strait after coordinating with the military and assessing technical constraints.

However, a shipping industry source said that this post contains "no reliable and specific information." A shipping firm official said there has been "no change in the situation."

The 42 remaining ships include 12 crude oil tankers, which can carry oil equivalent to about 10 days of Japan's domestic consumption, as well as chemical tankers carrying liquid products, vehicle carriers, liquefied natural gas ships and tankers carrying petroleum products.

Normally, a two-week period is enough time for these ships to exit the Persian Gulf. However, even if safe passage is guaranteed, shipping companies alone cannot decide on departure because they need to consult with cargo owners.

"We don't even have information for consultations (with cargo owners) at the moment," an industry source said.

Amid the blockade, three Mitsui O.S.K. Lines ships have passed through the strait. The company said that it would continue to prioritize the safety of its ships, crew members and cargo.
 
 

The government is planning to subsidize municipalities’ efforts to help foreign residents understand local rules and customs, such as how to properly sort garbage.

The government is planning to subsidize municipalities’ efforts to help foreign residents understand local rules and customs, such as how to properly sort garbage.

Ministerial ordinances will be amended this fiscal year by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry so the government can use a special local grant tax to cover half the cost of initiatives that local governments conduct independently for such matters.

The measure is aimed at promoting the “realization of a well-ordered inclusive society with foreign nationals” advocated by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.

Half the costs that local governments incur informing foreign residents of common systems in Japan, such as taxes and social insurance, are already covered by the central government.

However, the growing number of foreign residents had led to more and more difficulties with such daily matters as throwing away garbage.

Municipalities have therefore sought greater support from the government.
The central government envisions paying part of the costs necessary to raise awareness of detailed local rules and to assist with administrative procedures at city offices.

The grants will cover some expenses for classes meant to help foreign residents acquire adequate language skills to understand local rules.
The support will cover labor costs for staff who respond to foreign residents who are asked to visit local government offices by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA)’s consultation desk.

Financial help will likewise be provided for initiatives aimed at training and recruiting personnel who act as intermediaries between foreign residents and municipalities to convey information about daily life and people’s requests.

A system will be introduced that provides an additional ordinary local allocation tax based on the number of foreign staff members, known as coordinators for international relations (CIRs), who are assigned to those municipalities.

The aim is to expand CIRs’ roles to include language instruction and lifestyle counseling by increasing their number.

There were 4,125,395 foreign residents as of the end of 2025, a record high for the fourth consecutive year, according to the ISA.

This represents an increase of 356,418 compared to the same period the previous year, exceeding the 4 million threshold for the first time.
 

 

The Japanese government has decided to add 17 airports and ports to its list of designated facilities to allow the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard to use them from peacetime onward as part of efforts to strengthen the country's defenses.

The newly added facilities include New Chitose Airport in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, Chubu Centrair International Airport in the central prefecture of Aichi and Sendai-Shiogama Port in the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi, according to the decision made on Wednesday.

With the designation, runways will be expanded and seawalls will be improved to prepare for potential use by the SDF and the JCG in contingencies. The latest designation will bring the total number of such facilities to 57--24 airports and 33 ports.

The government has earmarked 225 billion yen in related costs in fiscal 2026, including funds for road development to enhance accessibility to designated facilities in Hokkaido, the Kyushu southwestern region and the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, more than doubling from 96.8 billion yen in the previous year.
 
 

The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan with debts of at least ¥10 million ($63,160) in fiscal 2025, which ended last month, rose 3.5% from the previous year to a 12-year high, Tokyo Shoko Research said Wednesday.

The figure reached 10,505, up for the fourth straight year, reflecting a rise in failures among small companies.

Business failures linked to labor shortages or rising labor costs climbed to a record high of 442 cases. Failures stemming from inflation also increased.
Bankruptcies rose in five out of the 10 sectors surveyed.

In the service sector, including restaurants, the number increased 5.5% to 3,585, also a record high. As food and utility costs continued to rise with no sign of easing, many companies were unable to raise prices and fell into financial difficulties.

The agriculture, forestry, fisheries and mining sector, along with the construction, retail and real estate industries, also recorded more business failures than the previous year.

Total liabilities incurred by failed companies shrank 33.9% to ¥1.56 trillion, falling to the ¥1 trillion range for the first time in four years.

Of the total, cases involving liabilities of less than ¥100 million accounted for 76.7%, highlighting an increase in bankruptcies among small firms and microbusinesses.

In March alone, the number of bankruptcies climbed 8.3% year on year to 924, with total liabilities increasing 16.5% to ¥114.8 billion.

A Tokyo Shoko Research official said that inflation driven by the weak yen could "put pressure on the cash flow of small- and medium-sized enterprises with weak earnings" as the situation in the Middle East starts to affect businesses.

The official predicted that "corporate failures are likely to continue rising."
 
 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that there is a plan to secure crude oil supplies through strategic reserves and alternative procurement sources through the beginning of next year.

She also hinted that she would not rule out calling for energy conservation, amid growing concerns over crude oil supplies following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.

“We have established a plan to secure oil supplies beyond the end of the year,” Takaichi told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office after the budget for fiscal 2026 was passed. “There will be no immediate disruption in the supply” of essential goods, such as medical supplies.

She also indicated that imports from the United States in May are expected to increase to about four times last year’s level for that month, and stated, “We will strengthen our efforts to engage with oil-producing countries to further raise the rate of alternative procurement.”

The prime minister held a telephone conversation with the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Tuesday evening and requested cooperation toward ensuring a stable supply of crude oil.

Regarding the possibility of asking the public to conserve energy, the prime minister stated, “We will respond flexibly without ruling out any possibilities, with the possibility of a prolonged situation in mind.”

During a meeting of the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Tuesday, prior to the vote on the budget, she also said, “I am not going to ask people to conserve energy immediately in a way that would put the brakes on economic activity.”

There are calls from both ruling and opposition parties to compile a supplementary budget that includes measures to address soaring crude oil prices.

The prime minister indicated to reporters that the government would rely on reserve funds from the initial budget for the time being and said, “I do not believe we are in a situation that requires the compilation of a supplementary budget right now.”
 
 

 

North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday morning, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Fired from the Wonsan area in the eastern North Korean province of Kangwon, the missiles are believed to have flown around 240 kilometers.

The latest missile firing came after North Korea launched a projectile suspected to be a ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area only on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that no missiles have been confirmed to have entered Japan's exclusive economic zone. There have been no reports of damage to property and people, he added.

"North Korea's recent string of actions threaten the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community," the top Japanese government spokesman said, adding that Japan will work closely with the U.S. and South Korean governments to gather information and engage in warning and surveillance activities.
 
 

The Fukuoka Prefectural Police have arrested five more people with alleged links to Philippines-based Japanese crime ring JP Dragon on suspicion of fraud and theft.

The suspects, including Miyako Iwamoto, 34, had been detained by Philippine immigration authorities in October and were later transfered to Japan. The Fukuoka police made the arrests on Tuesday.

According to investigators, the five allegedly posed as police officers in December 2022 during a call with an elderly woman in Gifu Prefecture. They defrauded her of ¥1.4 million and stole her cash card.

The latest arrests have brought the total number of apprehended members and people with ties to the group to 14.

Investigators suspect that the group illicitly obtained about ¥900 million from roughly 250 victims across some 20 prefectures since autumn 2019.

In a related case, the Philippine authorities detained alleged leader Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, in June 2025. The Fukuoka police have obtained an arrest warrant on suspicion of theft and are seeking his extradition.
 
 

As part of efforts to support the development of artificial intelligence, the government on Wednesday approved a bill that would relax regulations under the Law on the Protection of Personal Information at a Cabinet meeting before submitting the bill to the House of Representatives.

The bill seeks to strike a balance between privacy protection and supporting AI development by establishing a new penalty system for malicious violations of the law. The government aims to pass it during the current Diet session.

Under the current law, businesses must obtain an individual’s consent when acquiring sensitive personal information that requires special care in handling — such as their medical records, disabilities or criminal records.

However, under the new bill, businesses could be exempted from having to obtain consent to collect such information, as long as it is only to be used for statistical and other limited purposes.

Since this scheme would apply to the collection of vast amounts of data essential for AI training, it is expected to provide a boost to the development of the technology.

While the bill would relax regulations in some ways, penalties for remaining violations would be strengthened. In cases of serious violations that infringe on individual rights, the bill would newly allow for the imposition of administrative fines equivalent to the profits gained by the business operator.

Rules on the handling of children’s personal information would also be tightened. When a business operator collects personal information on individuals under the age of 16, it would be required to notify their parents of its purpose in acquiring the data.
 
 

 

Japan’s industry ministry has requested major oil wholesalers to sell fuel directly to medical institutions and public transportation operators affected by crude oil supply disruptions amid the worsening situation surrounding Iran.

Designating hospitals and other institutions as critical facilities, the ministry asked wholesalers to supply fuel to them on a priority basis, ministry officials said Monday.

The fuel subject to the request is expected to include fuel oil used in boilers for sterilizing medical equipment.

On Saturday, the ministry requested wholesalers to supply the same volume of fuel year on year to nonaffiliated retailers, which are facing procurement difficulties, the officials said.

Regarding naphtha, a key raw material for chemical products, the ministry said Japan is expected to be able to secure about six months’ worth of domestic demand, compared with its previous projection of four months, thanks chiefly to an increase in supplies from outside the Middle East.
 
 

 

The international trade order should be fundamentally restructured under the leadership of Japan and other middle powers, a research group at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies said as part of policy recommendations it released on Friday.

The group at the Minato Ward, Tokyo-based institute is comprised of trade experts and was examining how to restore order after U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs caused disruption.

“Opaque subsidies and excess production impede fair competition,” reads the group’s document, referring to China’s financial support for state-owned enterprises. The group argues that the World Trade Organization, which should be addressing such issues, is dysfunctional.

As a first step toward amending the situation, it proposes that middle powers such as Japan and European countries unite to create an alternative framework to the WTO, where they can implement “high-level” rules and “effective dispute settlement mechanisms” and build a track record.

The document suggests that, in the future, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South American countries be encouraged to join the new framework, ultimately aiming for “an upgraded WTO regime” that includes the United States as well as China.

The group, called the Research Group on the Transformation and Future Outlook of the International Economic Order, has been discussing how to deal with the United States’ flood of tariffs since last year.

“Rather than reacting ad hoc” to these measures, the group argues, the free trade system should be rebuilt by “eliminating the structural factors that drive such actions.”

At a symposium at the institute on Friday, Haruhiko Kuroda, a former Bank of Japan governor and the study group’s chair, said that “all problems stem from China’s accession to the WTO in 2001,” reiterating the group’s view that deviations from trade rules by some emerging economies must be addressed as the root cause of Trump’s tariffs.

The group has released its recommendations in both Japanese and English. While primarily aimed at the Japanese government, the group intends to share its message widely abroad and expand cooperation among middle powers.
 
 

 
The government Tuesday adopted a bill to designate digital textbooks as official materials on par with their conventional printed versions and to make them eligible for free distribution in elementary and junior high schools.

Japan is expected to use digital textbooks, which are currently treated as supplementary learning materials, as official textbooks from as early as fiscal 2030 after government screenings in fiscal 2028.

Local boards of education will select the books. Use of either paper textbooks alone or in combination with digital versions will be allowed.

Digital textbooks have the advantage of allowing students to use audio functions to check pronunciation when learning English and to practice using instruments, such as recorders, while watching videos.

On the other hand, some people have raised concerns about potential adverse effects on children, such as deteriorating eyesight.

The education ministry plans to draft guidelines describing the risks from using digital textbooks for long periods of time.
 
 

 

Japan's parliament passed the government's fiscal 2026 budget on Tuesday, marking the first time in 11 years that a regular budget has been enacted after the April 1 start of a fiscal year.

The budget was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament. It cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, last month.

As the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, are four seats short of an Upper House majority, they enlisted the help of the Conservative Party of Japan and unaffiliated lawmakers to push the budget bill over the line.

The budget calls for a record general-account spending of 122,309.2 billion yen, in line with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's advocacy of "responsible and proactive" fiscal policy.

The expenditures include 39,055.9 billion yen for social security measures and 31,275.8 billion yen for debt-servicing costs, as well as spending to make high school education and elementary school lunches free.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Upper House Budget Committee held intensive deliberations and a concluding round of questioning on the budget bill with the prime minister in attendance.

As the committee's vote on the bill resulted in a tie, its chairman, Masahito Fujikawa of the LDP, exercised his casting vote to approve the bill in accordance with the Diet law, after which it was sent to the Upper House plenary meeting.
 
 

A bear measuring about 1.5 meters in length was spotted in a residential area of the Kuwano district in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Tuesday morning.

The bear headed toward the Ose River, which flows near the residential area, and as of noon, it was reported to be staying in a grassy area along the riverbank.

City government officials and police officers were monitoring the surrounding area and are considering measures such as emergency culling. No injuries to residents have been reported so far.

About 30 minutes after being spotted in the residential area, the bear was seen at the nearby Oshima Shizen Fureai Hiroba park, according to the city government and the prefectural police.

Believed to be the same bear, the city government attempted to capture it by setting up a cage inside the park, but the animal headed to the river at around 10:30 a.m. on the day.

The area is about 3.5 kilometers northwest of JR Koriyama Station.
Since Monday night, there have been a series ofreports of a bear spotted on roads and in other areas nearby.

In response to the bear’s appearance, a nearby elementary school and a junior high school were temporarily closed.
 
 

Even as Japan dips into its vast reserves of oil, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is fueling concerns about medium and long-term shortages and higher prices for everything from gas at the pump to plastic toys sold in ¥100 shops.

While the government has rushed to assure the public that the overall supply of crude oil and petroleum products used in the making of plastics is sufficient for now, efforts to curb electricity and petroleum consumption could be needed by as early as next month if oil imports coming from the strait have not resumed and domestic reserves, enough to cover about eight months of the country’s consumption, are further depleted. 

"We’ll continue to monitor the current situation regarding the supply and demand of essential goods and their prices, and respond flexibly and won’t rule out any possibilities,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday during parliamentary questioning about possibly seeking the public’s cooperation to conserve electricity and reduce consumption.

In the meantime, finding non-Middle Eastern suppliers to quickly send oil could be difficult. That’s because, while countries such as the U.S. can export oil, Japan’s domestic oil refining infrastructure could have difficulty turning the raw product into petroleum products quickly and cheaply.

“Crude oil comes in a variety of qualities, ranging from thick, asphalt-like substances to very light, fluid types. Japanese refineries have been designed specifically to process crude oil from the Middle East,” said Go Matsuo, head of the Energy Economics and Society Research Institute during a testimony at the Upper House on March 24.

This oil, accounting for 94% of total imports — 93% of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz — is also cheaper compared to U.S. crude oil. While Japan should keep its options open for other suppliers, it could be more expensive to process U.S. oil than Middle Eastern oil due to its different qualities and the possibility that refineries might need to be modified to handle U.S. oil, Matsuo said. 

Unlike the International Energy Agency, the Japanese government has not yet urged consumers to take specific actions to curb consumption.

The IEA has warned of the severity of the threat, comparing it to the oil shocks of the 1970s. The key difference between then and now is that, while the previous oil crises involved reductions in oil production and supply, there were no major disruptions to distribution. 

On March 18, the agency listed 10 policies advanced economies should implement to conserve supplies. These include reducing highway speed limits by at least 10 kilometers per hour, encouraging remote work for up to three days a week, avoiding business air travel where possible, making Sundays a car-free day in major cities while encouraging the use of trains instead of planes where possible. 

The report also encourages walking, cycling, more efficient use of trucks for transportation and boosting the use of electric vehicles. Immediate implementation of the above could cut worldwide oil demand by 2.7 million barrels per day in the next four months, the IEA estimates.

Japan began releasing some of its oil reserves last month. As of Friday, it had about 230 days, just under eight months, of oil in storage, raising questions about what happens if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed over a long period. 

“If the current situation continues for more than four months, we’ll almost certainly have no choice but to move toward curbing consumption. I expect government policies will initially be implemented in line with the IEA’s 10-point plan,” said Masatoshi Kojima, a professor and oil distribution expert at Momoyama Gakuin University.

While possible oil shortages have led Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) to announce new fuel surcharges for international flights starting in June, and there are worries about a spike in gasoline prices, everyday household items could also be subjected to price hikes. 

Naphtha is a hydrocarbon liquid processed from crude oil. It’s used to produce chemicals such as butadiene, ethylene and propylene, which are used for manufacturing solvents, fuels, plastics, and rubber products, among other things. 

A naphtha shortage would create a ripple effect across supply chains, directly impacting mass-produced goods. If sufficient supplies of raw materials can’t be secured easily, the retail sector could face severe impacts. 

“The first items affected by a price spike would be things like disposable diapers, sanitary products, bottled beverages, detergents, and plastic packaging materials,” Kojima said.

“Japan’s ¥100 shops might continue to operate and retain their current name. But their pricing structure could change, with prices falling into roughly three categories: ¥200, ¥150 and ¥100.” 
 

 

An economist urged the government "to present countermeasures ahead of time, assuming the worst-case scenario."

Soaring energy prices caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East are beginning to impact public services, including transportation and health care.

In mid-March, the Tokyo metropolitan government’s Bureau of Transportation sought diesel for its Toei bus services through open bidding. The bidding was divided into four groups by area for the procurement of 5.4 million liters of low-sulfur diesel for the April-June period.

All bids exceeded expected prices, and none were accepted. The pricing of bids submitted by companies in one group was 50% to 80% higher than in December last year. The bureau managed to procure diesel for April by switching to no-bid contracting at the end of last month.

The metropolitan government is considering seeking no-bid contracts for the May and June procurements as well.

“Bearing in mind that this situation could continue forsome time, both the central and local governments must be quick in examining how to respond,” said a senior metropolitan government official.

The cities of Kawasaki and Kitakyushu have also seen the open bidding process fail for diesel.

On March 30, six ordinance-designated cities operating municipal bus services — Yokohama, Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kobe and Kitakyushu — made an urgent request to the central government, asking it to approach industry leaders to ensure a stable fuel supply, in addition to asking for financial support.


Fewer ferry trips

Ferries have also been affected by the soaring fuel prices, with services reduced.

Segawa Kisen Co., based in Saikai, Nagasaki Prefecture, which operates ferries connecting Sasebo and Saikai, cut back its services from March 23.

After the company was told by a diesel supplier that it could no longer secure diesel, Segawa Kisen bought fuel through the local fishing cooperative and later switched to heavy fuel oil.

Anticipating a prolonged problem, the company has suspended four daytime services that have lower passenger volume — out of the 22 services run each weekday and on Saturdays.

Suo-Nada Ferry Co., based in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which runs ferry services connecting Yamaguchi and Oita prefectures, also suspended one round-trip service at night and plans to raise fares from June.


Chance of clinic closures

Health care providers are also grappling with the crisis.
Some components in dialysis machines use materials derived from crude oil. “If the supply of such components stops and patients can no longer receive treatment, it will be a matter of life and death for them,” a support group for the patients said.

One dental clinic in Tokyo is unsure whether it can continue to obtain rubber gloves. The clinic was reportedly told by suppliers that “They are difficult to procure.”

As the clinic only has a one-month supply of gloves in stock, the dentist said, “If this situation continues for an extended period, we may have to consider suspending our services.”

Petroleum products are used in a wide range of medical devices, and an official at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said, “The situation is likely to become worse as time goes on.”

The government has set up a headquarters for ensuring a stable supply of medical and other goods. At a press conference following a Cabinet meeting on Friday, Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said, “For the time being, we do not anticipate any shortage of supplies.”

Hideo Kumano, a chief economist at Daiichi Life Research Institute Co., said: “Given the possibility of oil prices continuing to rise for some time and of emergency stocks becoming depleted, the government needs to present countermeasures ahead of time, assuming the worst-case scenario. Based on this, local governments and companies should work out strategies to minimize the possible impact.”
 
 

As Generative AI applications transition from the cloud to internal corporate environments, the demand for enhanced data security and localized performance continues to surge. Supported by the Taiwan-Japan Industrial Collaboration Promotion Office (TJIC) of the Institute for Information Industry, a strategic trio—Neuchips, Netiotek, and ShareGuru—has joined forces to launch an integrated on-premise AI solution.

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Triple Collaboration: Building the Foundation for Localized AI


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• Netiotek: Provides the NERMPC-265K, an industrial-grade edge computing platform. Renowned for its superior stability and thermal design, it serves as the ideal hardware foundation for long-term on-premise AI operations.
• ShareGuru: Provides an enterprise-level semantic document retrieval and Q&A system. Utilizing its core ShareQA technology, it transforms diverse corporate documents into a real-time, high-precision knowledge base.
• Neuchips: Provides AI inference acceleration cards specifically optimized for Transformer architectures. The low power consumption and ease of deployment significantly reduce the operational costs for enterprises adopting Large Language Models (LLMs).

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Exhibition Information


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• Event: Japan IT Week (Embedded, Edge & IoT Computing Expo)
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• Location: Tokyo Big Sight, Japan

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The start of the new business year last week saw many companies in Japan holding ceremonies to welcome new recruits.

Among other factors, a shortage of labor is steadily raising starting salaries for new employees.

One company offers up to 400,000 yen, or around 2,500 dollars per month for some new hires, while the starting salary for a typical new hire is about 340,000 yen, or roughly 2,100 dollars.

This spring, the Tokyo-based operator of a leading electric appliance retail chain launched a new salary scheme in a bid to recruit talented workers.

The scheme provides the higher starting salary to new employees who have worked part-time for the company for at least one year before joining it as a regular employee. They must have experience in store operations, and have deep knowledge of products that the company sells.

Only 25 of the more than 500 new employees at this firm are eligible for the higher salary.

Under the new scheme, the company hopes it can continue to hire excellent student part-time workers as full-time employees after they graduate.

A labor ministry survey shows last year's average monthly salary for new graduates was the equivalent of about 1,640 dollars. That was up more than 220 dollars from 2020.

The ministry says many companies are still eager to recruit new employees, while smaller firms are facing difficulty in doing so.

The ministry says it will continue to work with job placement services to address Japan's labor shortage problem.
 
 

 
 
 
Japan plans to strengthen its defense system in the Pacific Ocean as part of the revision of three security-related documents slated to be made by year-end, sources have said.
The government aims to improve the country's deterrence and response capabilities in light of increasing Chinese military activities in the area. The Defense Ministry has begun examining concrete measures on a full scale at the Pacific defense concept office set up this month.

"A vast area on the Pacific side is a defense vacuum," Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters during his visit to Iwoto, the island widely known as Iwo Jima, in the village of Ogasawara, Tokyo.

Apparently with China in mind, Koizumi referred to "increased activities by a neighboring country" in the area and expressed his policy of expanding the presence of the Self-Defense Forces there.

Japan's warning and surveillance network has focused on the Sea of Japan and the Nansei southwestern islands, including Okinawa Prefecture, to counter North Korea's missile threat and China's advance into the East China Sea.

Currently, Japan has no radar system installed in the Pacific area that constantly monitors the skies, leaving the area only thinly covered. In addition, SDF unit presence is sparse there.

Meanwhile, China is believed to be enhancing its blue-water operational capabilities, with its military activities increasing in the Pacific.

China is said to view the so-called second island chain, which connects Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands and the U.S. territory of Guam, as a defense line against the U.S. military in the event of a contingency in Taiwan.

In June last year, China deployed the aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong simultaneously near the area for the first time. That month, a Chinese aircraft based on one of the two vessels flew dangerously close to a Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft.

This situation made Japan recognize the urgent need to strengthen the functions of SDF bases and develop a radar network in the Pacific.

One of the bases is Iwoto, about 1,250 kilometers south of central Tokyo. Currently, about 290 MSDF members and 110 members of the Air Self-Defence Force are stationed there mainly to refuel arriving aircraft and provide logistic support for training.

The Defense Ministry is considering establishing a pier to accommodate large ships and improve the island's runway for future fighter jet operations.

On the island of Minamitorishima, east of Iwoto, the construction of a firing range for surface-to-ship missile training is under way. Proposals to install radars and expand the runway are also being considered for the easternmost island.

The Japanese and U.S. governments exchanged documents on the development of undersea rare earth resources around Minamitorishima to coincide with last month's bilateral summit.

The deployment of the ASDF mobile warning and control radar system to Okinawa's Kitadaitojima Island is expected to be accelerated. The island is about 360 kilometers east of the main island of Okinawa, and the local municipality has been informed that about 30 members will be stationed on the island.

On the Pacific side, however, there is little land that can accommodate bases, limiting Japan's ability to cover the vast sea area on its own.

"We have no choice but to make deterrence work by combining the warning and surveillance capabilities of allying and partner countries, such as the United States, Australia and the Philippines," an SDF source said.
 
 

 

 

The government has launched an initiative to address supply challenges for medical equipment and other critical items made from petroleum-derived materials, citing disruptions in the distribution of certain petroleum products.

In response to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the government convened its first cross-ministry task force on Thursday to ensure the security of essential supplies, including petroleum products.

The task force is composed of senior officials including those from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

Although the necessary volume has been secured for Japan as a whole, there are supply imbalances and distribution bottlenecks in some areas, said Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa, who is also responsible for ensuring the stable supply of critical materials amid the situation in the Middle East.

Akazawa instructed each ministry to conduct a comprehensive review of the supply of critical materials, saying, “I want the relevant ministries and agencies to cooperate broadly to grasp the reality of supply chains and make all-out efforts to ensure stable supplies by staying one step ahead.”

Although there had been a shortage of heavy oil necessary for the sterilization of medical catheters for newborns, injection needles and blood collection tubes, the necessary amount has been secured for the time being through coordination with oil primary distributors, according to the industry ministry.

The ministry has already addressed issues concerning ethylene oxide gas, which is required for sterilizing medical equipment.

Meanwhile, it now faces emerging concerns over the supply of thinner for paint manufacturing.

The ministry plans to investigate the supply chain to locate points of disruption.

The fisheries ministry plans to introduce a special measure by mid-April that will allow kanpachi amberjack to be imported duty-free once they grow to a specific size.

Maritime transportation fuel shortages have caused delays in importing juvenile kanpachi amberjack for aquaculture that were caught in Chinese waters.

To address this issue, the limit on the maximum size for tariff-free imports will increase from 30 to 50 centimeters in total length.


U.S. helium to cover supply needs

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry announced Thursday it will increase alternative helium procurement from the United States, as imports from Qatar have been disrupted by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The ministry said there are no concerns over a stable supply, as U.S.

products are expected to cover almost all of the total import volume. Applications for Helium include its use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
 

 

The Japanese government is planning to consider carefully whether it will ask companies and the general public to cut back on electricity and petroleum product consumption, several government sources said Friday.

Amid concerns over a possible prolonged military conflict between the U.S.-Israel camp and Iran, the government will make a decision on the matter after assessing the impact of the Middle East situation on energy supply and the Japanese economy.

"We'll consider all policy options in a way that would not greatly impact the people or the economy," industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said at the day's press conference.

"Energy-saving consciousness is high in Japan," a senior government official said. "The public is expected to respond quickly if we request it."

Suggesting that Japan still has adequate oil stockpiles, the official added that the government "will not make such a request until at least after the Golden Week holiday period (from late April to early May)."
 
 

The Indonesian government sent 200 migrant workers under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) scheme in the manufacturing sector to Japan, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar said on Friday.

"The dispatch today proves that the SMK Go Global program is key to expanding access for Indonesian workers to enter the global labor market," he said at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

The initiative is part of a national strategy to expand workforce access to overseas markets through the SMK Go Global program.

He said the program is a priority of President Prabowo Subianto, as instructed following a cabinet meeting on November 5, 2025.
"This is an initial pilot phase supported by state-owned enterprises’ CSR funding. The model will be tested and refined before being implemented as a regular program," Muhaimin said.

He said the program aims to prepare Indonesian talent to compete globally and represent the quality of the national workforce.

He added that migrant workers remain a national priority for achieving long-term welfare.
"They are expected not only to work abroad, but also to become agents of economic transformation upon returning home," Muhaimin added.

"With global knowledge, work culture, and networks, they can contribute to domestic industries. The state will continue to protect and facilitate them," he said.

The 200 workers were sent through several schemes, including 50 under PT Angkasa Pura’s CSR program, 30 under PT Kereta Api Indonesia’s CSR program, and 120 through licensed migrant worker placement agencies (P3MI).
 

Three tankers operated by Oman, one French owned container ship, and one Japanese owned gas carrier have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Thursday, according to shipping data, reflecting Iran’s policy of allowing vessels it considers friendly to transit.

According to Reuters, Friday (3/4), Iran initially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries around one fifth of global oil and LNG, after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in late February triggered a wider conflict.

Iran later stated it would allow ships not linked to the United States or Israel to pass.

Oil and commodity markets are watching closely for signs that traffic is returning to normal. Several tankers and container ships managed to pass through the blockade in previous weeks, but those movements were followed by days of complete standstill.

A French owned container ship, CMA CGM, transited the Strait on Thursday, the same day French President Emmanuel Macron said that only diplomatic efforts, not military operations, could reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The French vessel changed its destination on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to “Owner France” before entering Iranian waters, signalling its nationality to Iranian authorities.
India Ship India Crew

The ships appear to have switched off their AIS transponders during the crossing, as their signals disappeared from vessel tracking data.

Two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and one LNG carrier operated by Oman Shipping Management also exited the Gulf on Thursday, according to MarineTraffic and LSEG data.

Oman, which mediated talks between Iran and the United States before the strikes, criticised the launch of the attacks while negotiations were still underway.

Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said on Friday that the jointly owned LNG carrier Sohar LNG had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first Japan linked vessel and the first LNG carrier to do so since the conflict began.

A Mitsui spokesperson declined to tell Reuters when exactly the transit occurred or whether negotiations were required.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Transport, as of Friday morning, around 45 vessels owned or operated by Japanese companies remained stranded in the region.

Another Mitsui owned LPG carrier, Green Sanvi, left the Gulf via Iranian territorial waters earlier on Friday, according to shipping data. The India flagged vessel listed its destination as “India ship India crew”.

In addition, a large Panama flagged gas carrier, Danisa, left the Gulf via the same route heading for China. (YS/LM)
 

 

The “Mirai Ningen Sentakuki” (human washing machine of the future), a fully automatic bathing machine exhibited at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, will be exported for the first time this spring.

The decision was prompted by an importer’s official visiting the Expo shortly after its opening in April last year. The official observed visitors’ using the machine and concluded that it offered significant relaxation benefits.

An official of Science Co., the Osaka City-based plumbing manufacturer that developed the machine, said: “We hadn’t even considered expanding overseas. We hope many people enjoy it.”

The futuristic human washing machine envelops the entire body in warm water containing fine bubbles, removing dirt such as sebum. Its main feature is being environmentally friendly, as the machine does not use soap or shampoo. With calming visuals and music played in response to the user’s heart rate, trial sessions during the Expo proved so popular that reservations filled up immediately.

The machine caught the eye of an official from a U.S. company planning a large-scale resort facility in a nature-rich area in the state of Georgia, set to partially open this summer.

The company’s Japan representative responsible for equipment procurement visited the Expo the day after it opened to inspect the machine

. Feeling that it aligned with the facility’s philosophy of harmonizing with the environment and contributing to physical and mental health, he offered to purchase the machine from Science.

According to Science, the device — developed at a cost of about ¥100 million for the Expo — was the only one on display at the time.

While not initially planning to commercialize the machine, Science decided to sell following negotiations with the representative and due to the high number of people who were unable to secure reservations at the Expo.

Domestically, Science began delivering units to hotels and other facilities starting late last year.

Science plans to export a total of five units to the U.S. resort in stages, though the price has not been disclosed.

The representative said that while people in the United States do not have much of a habit of taking baths, the machine offers an experience similar to meditation, which can appeal to many. He added that he would be delighted if people could appreciate the excellence of Japanese technology.”