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.
 
 

Joby Aviation, a U.S. startup backed by Toyota Motor, said Monday that it has begun demonstration flights of its "flying cars" in New York.

The electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft flew between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan.

Toyota has invested $894 million in the startup and has been involved in its design and electrification technology development.

According to U.S. media outlets, Joby Aviation will conduct flying car test flights this week along the city's existing helicopter flight routes, carrying only pilots and no passengers.

The startup said it aims to begin passenger flights with eVTOL aircraft in New York, Texas and other states as early as the second half of this year.
 
 

The number of crude oil tankers sailing to Japan from the United States has shot up amid the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transport waterway.

As of Thursday, 13 tankers bound for Japan were confirmed to have departed from coastal U.S. areas of the Gulf of Mexico, a key oil loading hub.

One of the ships arrived in Japan via the Panama Canal, and the remaining vessels, including those passing by the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, are set to begin arriving next month.

The Japanese government considers North America an alternative crude oil supplier other than the Middle East, where fighting between U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran has led to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The number of tankers quadrupled from three about a month ago, according to Yutaro Nishi, global analyst at Rakuten Securities Economic Research Institute, who analyzed data from global ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Japanese megabanks are considering loaning a total of about ¥3.6 trillion for the inaugural projects of the $550 billion (about ¥88 trillion) in investments in the United States, it has been learned.

The investment package was agreed upon during Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations.

The target for the initial round of investments is set at $36 billion (about ¥5.7 trillion). The government-backed financial institution Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will provide a loan to cover most of the remaining amount, securing possible funding for projects.

According to sources, the three banks, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd., are each considering providing about ¥1.2 trillion, backed by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance.

The JBIC is expected to announce its investment in the project and lending strategy later this month.

Last year, Japan and the United States agreed on a $550 billion investment package in the United States, and the initial round will target three projects: a gas-fired power plant, a crude oil export facility and a synthetic diamond manufacturing facility.

A gas-fired plant, to be built in Ohio by Japan and the United States, will be one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Multiple Japanese companies, including Toshiba Corp., Hitachi, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., have signaled their willingness to supply components.

Regarding the crude oil export facility, firms such as Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Steel Corp. are seen as possible candidates to lead the project.

Several Japanese companies have shown interest in becoming involved in a synthetic diamond manufacturing facility project necessary for semiconductor production.

In the second round of investments, the construction of next-generation small modular reactors and other projects have already been decided.

The three banks have been asked to provide loans for the second and subsequent rounds of investments, potentially causing the total loan to balloon.
 
 

SusHi Tech Tokyo returned to the nation’s capital Monday for three days of exhibitions, panel sessions and business negotiations.

Asia’s largest startup convention, which runs from April 27 to 29 and is being held at Tokyo Big Sight, Koto Ward, features 770 exhibitions and will attract an estimated 60,000 attendees.  

For the first two days, it is only open to businesses. On Wednesday, it opens to the public.  

“SusHi Tech is where we envision the future — a future that realizes sustainable cities through high technology,” said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the opening ceremony held Monday morning, explaining to the crowd how the name stands for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo. 

“Today, the philosophy behind SusHi is more urgently needed than ever. That is because we are living in a time of profound turbulence, as you know, and we face a volatile international landscape, increasingly frequent natural disasters, growing disruptions surrounding energy and resources and a rapidly accelerating AI revolution,” she added. 

The key to the conference is its ability to directly connect startups with players in the industry that can support their growth, which could matter more in the long term than securing a single contract, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said in a statement. 

SusHi Tech, which is now in its fourth year, has placed an emphasis on bringing in large Japanese corporations looking to actively engage and invest. It also seeks to attract international investors and venture capitalists to create the opportunity for connections. 

Last year, about 6,000 business negotiations resulted from the convention, and 45% of participants who responded to a survey conducted by the event organizers said that their conversations led to collaboration or funding.
This year, the organizers are looking to bring the number of negotiations up to 10,000. 

They have made additions this year to achieve the goal, including the introduction of a business matching app that allows participants to contact each other through the platform during the convention.

Using artificial intelligence, the app also recommends people and companies to the user for possible connections. 

The global nature of the event is another point of focus, with pavilions hosted in the convention center by 21 cities around the world.

Also featured are future experience corners, where exhibitors showcase cutting-edge technology, such as a demonstration of drone soccer and an anthropomorphic heavy machine for high-altitude work. 

The convention this year is structured around four main themes — AI, robotics, resilience and entertainment — and exhibitors are demonstrating technologies in one of these four areas.

Many of the 158 panel sessions scheduled over the three days are centered around these topics. One, held Monday, is about what Tokyo needs to become the Hollywood of the animation industry.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi joined Koike on stage on Monday afternoon and discussed the role startups play in leading the transformation of the country and its growth.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


‘Zero illegal immigrants’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Human rights concerns

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

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

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

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

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

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


 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Burger King has been on quite the tear in Japan recently. Their explosive post-pandemic expansion saw them grow from 77 locations to 352, with a target of 600 by 2028. These ambitions caught the attention of Goldman Sachs, who purchased the Japanese chain for 78.5 billion yen, and provided them with even more financial backing to grow rapidly.

Burger King is certainly holding up their end of the deal by launching quite possibly the most aggressive expansion campaign not only in Japan, but anywhere. 

They have publicly announced that they will offer up to 40 million yen cash to any franchise owner of a rival chain, such as McDonald’s or Mos Burger, that has been in business for at least three years and is willing to convert their restaurants to Burger Kings.

▼ Perks include a faster return on investment and charbroiled, 100-percent beef patties.

 

In addition, Burger King will cover half of the initial investment to make the switch and says that their average location pulls in about 17 million yen a month. This makes a very clear statement to franchise owners that if their income is south of that, then it’s probably time for a change.

The change can take place anytime before December 2028, giving franchisees a little wiggle room to get out of their current contract without having to pay a penalty fee.

If Burger King gets a good response, this could be a key step in their projected growth since poaching other restaurants significantly cuts down on construction time, and every restaurant converted amounts to one less competitor out there.

Of course, this kind of tactic in general is not unheard of, but doing it on such a large and open scale is rare to say the least. And we're 100-percent sure no one has ever made a commercial with a jingle about it in the history of the fast food industry.


▼ The song explains that if you change your car or favorite idol, you don’t get anything for it. But if you change your restaurant, you can get 40 million yen.

https://youtu.be/1_iA4DEC1p0

If this campaign is successful, Burger King stands to win big, but that is a considerable-sized “if” in Japan.

Even in the U.S., these kinds of conversion deals are usually done behind the scenes, possibly through direct connections made at industry conventions rather than flashy campaigns on social media.

It’s probably fair to assume Japan is even more conservative about these matters, if the various corporate apologies for 10-yen price increases or being 20 seconds early are anything to go by.

You might be thinking franchisees are getting all the sweet deals from Burger King, but there are also chances for everyday folks like you and me to cash in as well. 

The chain offers periodic location scouting campaigns where anyone can submit places they think would work well as a Burger King. Any suggestion that results in Burger King leasing a property will win 300,000 yen cash, and just making a suggestion will earn you a coupon for a discount on a Whopper.


▼ They have a commercial for this too, but no jingle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pihwryM5KLU

This campaign is currently not going on, but they do seem to bring it back every few months, so now would be a good time to start scouting your neighborhood to see where a Burger King might look nice.

Meanwhile, if you’re a restaurant franchisee, you’ll have until 30 September to apply to make yourself a burger king, burger queen, or maybe even just a hungry jack.
 

Japan's core consumer prices in March rose 1.8 percent from a year earlier on higher energy costs due to surges in crude oil prices amid the Middle East conflict, government data showed Friday.

The rise in the nationwide consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, followed a 1.6 percent increase in February, when it climbed by less than 2 percent for the first time in nearly four years, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Core-core CPI, which strips away both energy and fresh food to reflect underlying price trends, rose 2.4 percent in March, decelerating from 2.5 percent in February.

For the fiscal year that ended March, core CPI increased 2.7 percent from a year earlier, largely reflecting surges in rice prices, which rose by a record-high 48.9 percent in the reporting year. But it stayed flat from fiscal 2024.

The end of the provisional gasoline tax on Dec. 31 led to a slowdown in rises in consumer prices in January and February but fresh inflationary pressure remains due to higher crude oil prices. The tax was abolished to ease the burden on households grappling with inflation.

For March, energy costs fell 5.7 percent after a drop of 9.1 percent in February, with gasoline falling 5.4 percent from the year before against a 14.9 percent drop the previous month.

Rising fuel costs could continue to be partially offset while a government subsidy program remains in place.

The government has decided to offer aid to wholesalers to keep the average retail price of gasoline to around 170 yen per liter. Before the financial support, the price hit an all-time high of 190.80 yen per liter on March 16. Japan depends on the Middle East for over 95 percent of its oil imports.

But a wide range of other products could see hikes in prices as manufacturers rush to find alternative sources after supplies of petroleum products were disrupted due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on Feb. 28, analysts said.

Petroleum products, specifically naphtha, are used to produce chemicals widely used in manufacturing products including plastics and critical medical supplies.

The weaker yen against the U.S. dollar, which has attracted buying as a safe-haven currency, is also feared to push up import costs, the analysts said.

Takeshi Minami, chief economist at the Norinchukin Research Institute, said it is highly likely that core inflation will remain elevated due to the protracted closure of the strait and rises in crude oil prices.

"Going forward, there is a possibility that the impact will spread widely, including price increases for petroleum-derived products such as plastics, rising food production costs due to difficulty in procuring fertilizers, and increasing logistics costs," he said.

Friday's data will be among materials to be studied at the Bank of Japan's two-day policy meeting starting Monday, when the Policy Board will decide if hiking the policy rate from the current 0.75 percent is necessary to sustainably achieve the 2 percent inflation target.

Without clear signals from Governor Kazuo Ueda about the need to hike rates amid the persistent uncertainties over the situation in the Middle East, market analysts expect that the bank will keep its monetary policy steady for now.

But Ueda has also signaled readiness to keep increasing the rate if the economy and prices move in line with its forecasts.

While the core inflation rate came below the 2 percent target for the second month in a row in March, the bank's new price index released late March to grasp underlying trends showed inflation rose 2.2 percent in February from the previous year.

The new indicator excludes the effects of policies such as free education programs, measures to ease the burden of fuel and utility costs as well as volatile fresh foods. The release of the index is widely viewed by markets as a precursor to a further interest rate hike.
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As evacuations begin, The Japan Times reports:

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

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

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

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

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

Now, Japan is taking no chances.
 
 

As the cost of eating out soars due to rising prices, companies in Tokyo are increasingly introducing employee cafeterias where staff can eat at affordable prices.

With the new fiscal year’s tax reforms significantly raising the tax-exempt limit for meal subsidies provided by companies, there is a growing trend of supporting employees’ household budgets.

At the head office of Tokyo Star Bank in the Akasaka district in Minato Ward, Tokyo, the employee cafeteria was bustling at lunchtime on Wednesday.

Four menu items were available, including a daily special for ¥530 and fried eggplant with Chinese chili sauce on rice.

In March last year, as part of its efforts to create an attractive office environment, the bank introduced a “kitchenless cafeteria” with no kitchen or drainage facilities. Lunches prepared at a production facility are delivered and served hot.

Kazuhisa Miyoshi, a 43-year-old employee, said with a smile, “Eating out can sometimes cost around ¥1,500, so the cafeteria is a huge help for my household budget.”

A bank spokesperson noted, “We can offer meals for around ¥500, which helps support our employees financially.”

According to a March survey by Recruit Co. of workers in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Tokai and Kansai regions, the average budget for weekday lunches for eating out rose to a record high of ¥1,338, up ¥88 from the previous year.

Amid soaring lunch costs, employee cafeterias — where companies subsidize employees’ food expenses — are drawing attention as a source of affordable meals.

According to Bondish, based in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, which operates the bank’s cafeteria, a growing number of companies are adopting kitchenless cafeterias, with inquiries from January to March rising 40% on a year-on-year basis.


Higher tax-exempt limit

The tax reforms for this fiscal year are encouraging corporate meal subsidies.

While there was already a system in place in which income tax is not levied on meal expenses subsidized by companies during work hours up to a certain amount, the government has raised this tax-exempt limit for the first time in 42 years to address rising prices.

The limit has been increased from ¥3,500 to ¥7,500 per person per month.

As long as employees pay at least half of the total cost, they will pay no income tax on their meal subsidy.

For example, if an employee spent a total of ¥15,000 on meals in a month, the ¥7,500 subsidized by the company will be tax-exempt as long as the employee covers half of the total cost.

However, if the employee’s contribution falls short of half of the total, the entire company subsidy will be subject to income tax.

Since meal subsidies effectively increase employees’ take-home pay, they are garnering attention as the “third form of wage increase.”


Related services grow

Following the tax reforms, companies offering corporate meal services have been receiving a flood of inquiries.

Ezaki Glico Co., based in Osaka City, which allows companies to offer corporate meals without setting up a cafeteria, expanded its delivery-based corporate meal service “Sunao Delivery” to the Tokyo metropolitan area in April. It was previously only available in Osaka City.

The service can be used for as few as five meals per day, and the company said it has received many inquiries from small and midsize enterprises.

Edenred Japan Co., based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, offers “Ticket Restaurant,” a meal subsidy service that uses a dedicated smart card for payment.

Employees and their companies split the amount of money deposited on the card, which can be used to purchase meals at participating convenience stores and restaurants.

The company said that inquiries have increased significantly compared to last year.
 


 

The Japanese government on Thursday underlined the need to keep a close watch on weakening consumer sentiment amid concerns about the economic outlook due to tensions in the Middle East.

"Private consumption shows movements of picking up," the Cabinet Office said, leaving its assessment on the sector unchanged. Still, the government agency said that "attention should be given to weak movements of consumer sentiment recently."

The government kept its assessment on the overall economic situation unchanged in a monthly economic report, saying, "The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace, while attention should be given to the effects caused from the situation in the Middle East."

Regarding the deterioration in consumer sentiment, a Cabinet Office official said that while it could lead to restrained consumption going forward, developments in the real economy should be closely monitored.

In the April report, the government revised up its assessment on business investment for the first time in seven months, saying that it is "picking up." The March report said that it is "picking up moderately."
 
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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