From the launch of new products and services in Japan to facilitating leveraged trading bets, crypto exchanges and some financial firms are rushing to cash in on rising investor enthusiasm for digital assets amid hopes of easing regulations.

The recent surge underscores a higher appetite for riskier investments in Japan as inflation outpaces wage growth and overrides a wariness around crypto investments that followed serious security breaches at exchanges in 2014 and 2018.

Japanese investors' crypto assets surpassed a record 5 trillion yen ($33.16 billion) at the end of July, jumping 25% from just a month earlier. The price of bitcoin - the dominant holding - rose only 15% in yen terms over the same period.

Holdings have since dropped marginally to 4.9 trillion yen as of end-September.

Industry players are now positioning for growth to pick up pace. Regulatory changes under discussion could bring in yet more retail investors by potentially cutting tax paid on crypto gains and easing curbs on trading using borrowed money and asset securitization. 


'CONSIDERABLE OPPORTUNITY'

"There are around three times as many people with securities accounts as crypto accounts, so there's still a considerable opportunity," said Satoshi Hasuo, representative director and executive officer of exchange Coincheck .
"Next, we have to think about how we'll win these people over," Hasuo said. 

CJ Fong, Asia Pacific general manager at crypto market maker GSR, said the firm has also been engaged in more talks this year with Japanese exchanges and financial firms, mainly to provide greater liquidity across a spectrum of digital assets.

The burst of activity shows how Japan is re-establishing itself as a major crypto market as industry players capitalise on the boost the industry has had globally under U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The Trump administration has spurred the Japanese government and regulators into adopting a friendlier approach to crypto, so Japan doesn't fall behind," said Noriyuki Hirosue, CEO of exchange Bitbank.

According to a report by crypto data platform Chainalysis, Japan ranked 19th out of the top 20 nations in crypto adoption globally this year. 



NEW PRODUCTS AND ENTRANTS

Established exchanges are developing products and services in anticipation of regulatory changes that would tax digital-asset gains like those of securities and allow crypto investment through products such as ETFs and tax-free investment vehicles.

The Japan Financial Services Agency is refining rule changes, which will then be debated by parliament and, if passed, would come into effect in 2026 or 2027.

A similar overhaul of tax rules around foreign exchange trading in 2012 triggered a boom that saw trading volumes swell about tenfold in the space of 10 years, Bitbank's Hirosue said.

"I think this could hugely expand the market," he added.
In August, Coincheck announced a partnership with the crypto assets arm of online marketplace Mercari to offer a wider range of assets to Mercari's more casual customer base.

Mercari introduced simple crypto trading functions to its marketplace buyers and sellers in March 2023 and grew to 3.4 million crypto accounts by July 2025, making up over a quarter of Japan's total of 13.2 million accounts.
Its rapid growth has helped introduce crypto trading to a much larger audience, industry players say.

SBI VC Trade is considering "enhancing leveraged trading services" on the prospect of leverage trading ratios being relaxed from the current two times to about 5-10 times, representative director and president Tomohiko Kondo said.

The firm, the crypto trading arm of conglomerate SBI Holdings, also plans to offer lending services in USDC stablecoin and is exploring the launch of crypto ETF products, Kondo said.

Japan's financial regulator is considering allowing members of banking groups to launch cryptocurrency trading services, in a move to expand market access and foster competition, the Nikkei reported in October.



CHASING THE HIGHS

The crypto trading boom in Japan comes as retail investors seek higher returns and diversify away from low-yielding assets like government bonds and bank loans.

"Over 90% of my assets are in cryptocurrency. A diversified portfolio is only worthwhile when you have a big sum of money already," said Umi Soyama, a 27-year-old worker at a Tokyo-based advertising agency and a crypto investor for around two years.

"I want to take on risk now and then. If I build up enough assets I'll diversify into stocks, bonds and gold," Soyama said. 

Other investors have responded to Trump's crypto boosterism. In the month he was elected, SBI VC Trade said it saw account openings grow five times more than usual.

However, crypto assets' wild volatility poses risks to new investors.
"It can go up, go down. People have to understand this kind of movement and if they are to invest it's an alternative investment, not the main play," said Motonobu Matsuo, senior managing director of the Japan Securities Dealers Association.

And with asset prices near all-time highs, some investors are now looking to reduce their holdings.

Kou Okamoto, CFO at a Tokyo-based financial firm, has invested a small proportion of his assets in crypto since 2019. He now primarily owns bitcoin but is considering reducing his exposure to "altcoins" - those other than bitcoin.

"You can't make 100 or 200 times returns on other types of investments and easing regulations would make crypto more attractive, but altcoins are like gambling with slightly better odds than horse racing," Okamoto said. "I'm considering moving those into more medium-risk, medium-return investments."
 
 

Usually about half of the patients lose their lives, according to Gu Jin, director of the colorectal cancer surgery at Beijing Cancer Hospital.

Chinese colorectal cancer patients may not have to give up treatment even if they are at an advanced age or in the late stage, as overseas services now give them more choices.

Jointly established by China’s Saint Lucia Consulting and Japan’s Toranomon Hospital, a service platform to transfer Chinese colorectal cancer patients to Japan’s leading medical institute was launched in Beijing on Saturday to mutually improve the disease’s screening, prevention and treatment.

Asian countries have a large number of colorectal cancer patients, with China, which saw about 517,100 new cases in 2022, and Japan having the second-largest number in its cancer population. Usually about half of the patients lose their lives, according to Gu Jin, director of the colorectal cancer surgery at Beijing Cancer Hospital.

For doctors keeping patients’ anus remains a challenging task as most rectal cancer sufferers have lesions on the middle or lower section of the rectum, which are next to the sphincter ani.

Kuroyanagi Hiroya, vice-president of Toranomon Hospital and one of the world’s leading gastrointestinal tumor surgery experts, said laparoscopy and AI-assisted gastrointestinal surgery are widely adopted in the hospital to reduce patients’ pain and better protect their anus.

Toranomon Hospital, located in the urban area of Tokyo, leads in colorectal cancer treatment nationwide with a five-year survival rate of terminal-stage patients as high as 40 percent to 50 percent.

Masashi UENO, director of gastrointestinal surgery (lower gastrointestinal tract) of Toranomon Hospital, said more than 50 percent of the late-stage colorectal cancer patients treated in the hospital are cured thanks to their improving surgical resection technology and preoperative radiotherapy.

Cai Qiang, founder and board chairman of Saint Lucia Consulting, said patients of critical and complex diseases such as cancer are recommended to seek overseas medical services to receive better medical consulting, treatment, and possibly new drugs and treatments that have yet to be approved in the country.

Saint Lucia Consulting, headquartered in Beijing, is one of China’s largest and most well-established medical consulting and medical referral companies for patients seeking the best medical care in the world. Its global partners include some of the most prestigious hospitals in the US, the UK, Japan and Singapore.

Since its establishment 13 years ago, the company has helped more than 6,000 Chinese patients seeking medical treatment abroad. About 70 percent of them were cancer patients.
 
 

Championship-chasing Elfyn Evans cut the gap on Rally Japan leader Sebastien Ogier after Saturday's third day to leave the world title race poised on a knife edge.

Welshman Evans started the day 10.2 seconds behind France's Ogier but he ended it 6.5sec off the pace after a day of hard-charging action in the penultimate rally of the season.

Evans arrived in Japan with a 13-point lead in the overall standings over his Toyota team-mates Ogier and Kalle Rovanpera.

He can wrap up his first world title on Sunday if he outscores both by 23 points but that now looks unlikely with Ogier leading the rally heading into the final day.

That means the championship is likely to be decided at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia later this month, with every point earned in Japan crucial.

"Overall it's been a good day, we could be happy with most of it," said Evans. "Just the last two stages where we didn't do quite as well as we would have liked but on the whole it's been a good day.

"We're here to score as many points as we can and of course we have to try and keep fighting," he added.

Evans moved from third to second after Japan's Takamoto Katsuta hit a barrier and damaged his power steering to tumble out of contention.

Evans, a four-time world championship runner-up, ratcheted up the pressure on Ogier by winning two of the day's first four stages and moving 1.4sec behind the leader.

But Ogier, who is looking for a record-equalling ninth world title, hit back by winning the day's final three stages to edge further back in front.
"It's not easy to create gaps," said the Frenchman.

"At least we did better this afternoon but I could have done better this morning."

Finland's Rovanpera was 6min 27.9sec behind Ogier after a shunt on the second day put a serious dent in his chances of winning a third world title.
Conditions have been dry and sunny so far on the twisting, leaf-strewn asphalt roads of the Japanese course.

But rain is forecast for Sunday, throwing a potential spanner in the works for the final six stages.

"We haven't had big rain this year so I don't think we know what to expect," said Rovanpera. "It will be a tricky day, I think."

Belgium's Thierry Neuville, the reigning world champion, retired from the race with a mechanical problem.
 
 

McDonald's fast food chain in Japan plans to stop using work straws around 3,000 outlets across Japan, responding to customer dissatisfaction with the drinking experience.

McDonald's will stop using the paper straw, which was introduced in 2022, by starting using a new design of drink caps that eliminate the need for straws on November 19.

The new cap will be made of recycled plastic bottles, taking into account the environmental impact, designed to make drinking easier and prevent spills while being carried away, the company said, reported by Kyodo News November 7.

In addition to stopping the use of paper straws, McDonald's also announced a number of environmentally friendly policies in its services. For example, a wrapping container for orders brought home, with a new container, will be made of materials consisting of 95 percent bioplastic vegetable.

The place had previously been introduced at a outlet in trimbuh in May and will be implemented nationwide this month.

Next, McDonald's has committed to transitioning all Happy Meal toys to sustainable materials, such as renewables, recycling, or certification, by the end of 2025, quoted from Japan's McDonald's website.

Starting with the new "Honno Happy Set" illustrated book released in March 2025, the materials used for books and packaging will be changed.

Previously, a hard-coupled picture book used pure plastic, but has now been replaced with a soft cover made of FSC chain-certified paper (FSCwas N004151), so that all books are sustainable and free from pure plastic.

Book packaging has also been changed from vinyl to FSC certified paper bags.
 


 

Canon Inc. plans to release a new high-end mirrorless camera, the EOS R6 Mark III, on Nov. 21, according to the company.

Designed for a broad range of users, from novices to serious enthusiasts, the camera delivers upgraded performance in high-speed burst shooting and autofocus accuracy, Canon announced Thursday.

The resolution has increased from 24.2 million pixels in the previous model to 32.5 million pixels. It also supports high-speed continuous shooting at up to about 40 frames per second, making it ideal for capturing wildlife and sports action.

The camera is also equipped with a function that allows it to prioritize the detection of people who have been registered in advance. The camera body is priced at ¥429,000 on Canon’s online store.
 
 

Japan has resumed shipping marine products to China for the first time since Beijing banned imports in 2023 due to the disposal of processed radioactive waste water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the sea, the government said on Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minuru Kihara said at a press conference the government responded to a "positive" delivery of six tons of frozen shells from Japan's northern main island, Hokkaido, to China on Wednesday, according to Kyodo News November 7.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki said in a separate press conference that 600 kilograms of salted sea cucumbers would follow on Monday.

China imposed a comprehensive ban in August 2023 as a form of strong resistance to the disposal of waste into the sea, which began that month.

However, the two countries agreed that in June this year, Japanese seafood imports from China would be continued in stages.

Japanese exporters are required to register their facilities with Chinese authorities and submit radioactivity inspection certificates for their fishery products before sending them.

So far, only three facilities have been allowed to export, while registration for hundreds of other facilities is still pending.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Friday at a regular press conference in Beijing, "If any risks are found, the necessary import restriction measures will soon be taken in accordance with the law."

He expressed his hope for continued international monitoring and independent water sampling by the Bamboo Curtain Country, adding Beijing would maintain strict scrutiny of Japanese seafood imports to ensure food safety for its people.

Separate bans remain in place for imports of marine products and other products from 10 out of 47 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima, Miyagi, and Tokyo, which were imposed after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the nuclear disaster.

China's resumption of Japanese seafood imports comes amid efforts by its two neighboring countries to stabilize bilateral relations that are often strained due to issues related to the territory and history of war, amid rising competition and tensions over China-US trade under US President Donald Trump.

China has also completed an important step towards restarting imports of Japanese beef, which was stalled following an outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan in 2001, with Beijing completing its domestic quarantine procedures in July, according to the Japanese Government.

Kihara, the government's main spokesman, said Tokyo would continue to urge Beijing "firmly" to lift remaining restrictions on Japan's 10 prefectures and continue importing beef.
 

On a quiet street in Tokyo's Jimbocho district, known for its secondhand bookstores and publishing houses, one shop stands out: Chekccori.

The store's shelves are lined with Korean literature translated into Japanese, as well as works in the original language. It has become a gathering place for readers eager to cross cultural borders one page at a time.

The name Chekccori means "a celebration after finishing a book" in Korean. The store was founded in 2015 by Tokyo-based South Korean publisher Kim Seung Bok.

In recent years, it has seen a surge in young women drawn by their love of K-pop, as well as middle-aged men who have discovered the charm of Korean novels after Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2024.

Ayano Tachibana visited the shop in late August to find books for her upcoming trip to Seoul. She said she first encountered Korean literature through friends who loved K-pop and later studied Korean at university.

"I loved 'The White Book' by Han Kang," the 23-year-old Tachibana said, referring to the author's poetic exploration of grief and fragility through reflections on white objects such as ice and paper.

"Reading it with classmates, guided by a professor who was a fan, made me realize literature could be a conversation across borders."

Chekccori stocks around 4,000 books, including titles from Kim's own publishing company as well as other publishers.

Kim founded Cuon Inc. in 2007 to bring more Korean literature to Japanese readers, at a time when few bookstores stocked such works. Cuon's first release was Han's "The Vegetarian," a novel that won the 2016 International Booker Prize, bringing her international acclaim.

The novel, which tells the story of a woman whose decision to stop eating meat provokes a violent backlash from her ignorant husband and authoritarian father, has been acclaimed for its haunting portrayal of repression, desire, and the struggle for autonomy.

Kim said that it may not be an easy-to-read book, but it is the kind of work that serious readers would recognize as extraordinary.

"I wanted to establish a reputation for publishing works of real literary achievement," said Kim, who has been in Japan since the early 1990s when she came to study literary criticism after learning creative writing at a university in Seoul.

Originally from South Jeolla Province on the southern tip of the country, Kim witnessed how Japanese culture flowed into South Korea in the 1980s through magazines she read such as "Non-no" and novels by Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto.

"So I thought, literature could also flow the other way," she said.
After working in advertising, Kim launched Cuon in Tokyo but struggled to promote Korean titles because most bookstores had no dedicated section for them.

"The category of 'Korean Literature' did not exist, making it hard to find shelf space. Rather than feeling disappointed, I instead decided to create that space myself," she said.

That led to Kim opening Chekccori in 2015.

Over the past decade, the number of Korean books translated into Japanese has increased dramatically. Kim estimates that 300 to 400 South Korean titles are now published annually in Japan, compared to only about 20 per year around 2010.

The trend was fueled in part by the success of Cho Nam Joo's "Kim Ji Young, Born 1982," which sold 290,000 copies in Japan after its 2018 release by publisher Chikumashobo Ltd. The novel, about a woman facing systemic misogyny in a patriarchal society, resonated deeply with readers.

Kim credits this popularity to the rise of social media, which has allowed ideas and movements -- including feminism -- to spread rapidly across borders. The feminist movement in South Korea gained momentum after a 2016 murder case in Seoul, followed by the global #MeToo movement in 2017.

Kim's publisher has released many books themed on feminism, including a collection of essays titled "#Living as a woman who speaks up" by Jeong So Yeon, an author and lawyer.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Chekccori has set a new goal to introduce more Korean poetry, a genre still relatively underrepresented in translation. The bookstore held events for Korean poet Shin Mina, who was in Tokyo for two months earlier this year under a writer-in-residence program.

Interest in Korean poetry is growing. Yukinori Ebihara visited Chekccori for the first time after hearing Mariko Saito, translator of Han's novels and many other works, read Korean poems on the radio.

"Even without understanding the words, the sound was beautiful. It made me want to hear more, to feel that resonance," the 74-year-old said.

Today, Kim's focus has shifted from growth to sustainability. After recovering from cancer a few years ago, she hopes to ensure that Chekccori continues connecting readers and writers for years to come.

"What I'd like to do is to return to the basics -- the craft of choosing excellent books, creating them with care, and placing them in the hands of readers in the right way," she said.
 
 

Japan's Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister, proposed at a subcommittee meeting on Friday that the government considers sales of minimum access rice for staple food as long as they do not affect markets.

Currently, the Japanese government sells most such rice at lower prices for feed and processing, after importing it without tariffs. Losses have been caused by gaps between the sales prices and procurement costs.

The council made the proposal as the amount of minimum access rice from the United States, whose import cost is relatively high, is set to increase due to Japan-U.S. tariff agreements.

Japan annually imports 770,000 tons of minimum access rice. Of the total, up to 100,000 tons is sold as staple food, while the rest is treated as general minimum access rice for feed and processing.

Rice from the United States accounts for some 40 pct of general minimum access rice, but the figure is set to rise to some 70 pct under the tariff agreements.

In fiscal 2023, sales of U.S. rice resulted in a loss of 68.4 billion yen due to the gaps with the import cost, which stood at 130 yen per kilogram, compared with 84 yen for rice from Thailand. Losses are expected to expand further if U.S. rice imports increase.
 
 

The 2025 Japanese Film Festival (JFF) officially opened on Thursday, November 6, 2025, as a cultural platform aimed at deepening ties between Indonesia and Japan. 

This year’s edition features 15 carefully curated films spanning diverse genres and themes, screened in nine major cities across the archipelago.

The festival marks a significant expansion from previous years, with Padang and Balikpapan added to the lineup. With this growth, JFF now reaches audiences across four of Indonesia’s main islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

Host cities include Jakarta, Makassar, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Palembang, Medan, Balikpapan, and Padang.

Inami Kazumi, Director General of The Japan Foundation Jakarta, expressed her surprise at the overwhelming public response.

“We were amazed by how quickly tickets sold out on the first day. This year, we’re thrilled to expand to two new cities,” she said during the opening ceremony. ​

Despite the broader reach, Inami acknowledged that many regions in Indonesia remain inaccessible for in-person screenings. To address this, The Japan Foundation launched an online platform called JFF Theater, allowing audiences to enjoy Japanese films remotely.

The digital platform updates its selection every three to four months, offering a rotating lineup of titles.

Mitsuru Myochin, Charge d’Affaires of the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta, welcomed the growing enthusiasm for Japanese cinema.

“JFF 2025 enables us to bring Japanese films to a wider audience across Indonesia. These films, many of which have received domestic and international acclaim, reflect the richness of Japanese culture, history, and social life,” he said.​

The Japanese Embassy hopes the festival will serve as more than just a cinematic showcase. It aims to spark deeper cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two nations.

JFF 2025 runs from November through December at CGV cinemas nationwide. The festival opened its series at CGV Grand Indonesia in Jakarta with the screening of Sunset Sunrise, a film starring Masaki Suda.

Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunset Sunrise follows Shinsaku, a Tokyo office worker and avid fisherman, who temporarily relocates to the coastal town of Minamisanriku. 

Drawn by affordable seaside housing, Shinsaku’s arrival as an outsider stirs tension among local residents, particularly the elderly, who remain vulnerable to the virus.
 
 

A robot is selling merchandise as part of a trial run at an unstaffed souvenir store at Narita Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture.

The trial, the first of its kind at domestic airports and commercial facilities, is being jointly conducted by Narita International Airport Corp. (NAA) with Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI), which developed the store. They are evaluating the approach as a possible solution for labor shortages in the future.

With an adorable, animal-like face, the robot is 1.2 meters tall with a length of 1.8 meters and a width of 60 centimeters. It moves on a rail to fulfill customer orders. The store, which is a glass booth measuring 7 meters wide and 2.7 meters deep, has stacks of 12 different kinds of boxed souvenirs.

The robot uses its tail, which serves as an arm with a sucker at its end, to pick up a box, place it down and bring it to the delivery window.

Pickru Store was installed on Oct. 10 near domestic boarding gates at the airport’s Terminal 3, which is used by many passengers for budget airlines.

To buy souvenirs, shoppers browse via a panel showing the contents of the boxes and their prices. Payment is accepted via credit card or by QR code. A purchase can be made in a minute and without a shop assistant. According to NAA, the store is used by an average of 20 people every day.

NRI is studying the potential of robots in providing an answer to serious labor shortages due to the decline in Japan’s working-age population. Narita Airport faces the issue of how to secure enough staff to handle the increase of arrivals and departures at its facility in the future.

The airport’s operator decided to take part in the trial run as a possible solution that makes up for labor shortages.

NRI lists the advantages of the Pickru Store compared to regular unstaffed shops and vending machines as follows: The initial investment is small; there is no risk of shoplifting; the store can accommodate souvenir boxes in various sizes; and the robot’s physicality is eye-catching to passersby.

“In this country, it is presumed that there will be a shortage of about 7 million people in the working-age population in the near future,” said Kenichiro Hiroto of NRI.

“Labor shortages will pose a serious problem to the retail industry as well. We are exploring various styles of retailing by using robots. In this trial run, we’d like to examine customers’ reactions, too.”

Pickru Store will be open at the airport until Dec. 15. NAA is planning to review the data from the trial run at the end of this year or early next year.
 
 

A Japanese Fisheries Agency panel has approved an expansion of the fiscal 2025 fishing quota for the Japanese common squid by 1,800 tons following bigger-than-expected catches.

At its meeting Wednesday, a subcommittee of the Fisheries Policy Council gave the green light to the plan to increase the quota for the year through March 2026 to 27,600 tons from 25,800 tons at present, mainly by reallocating the portion reserved for adjustment.

The increase will also cover small fishing boats, which were ordered last week to suspend operations, but they will not be allowed to resume fishing as their catches already exceed the newly approved level.

The total quota for the squid for the current year was initially set at 19,200 tons, down 60,000 tons from a year before, following poor catches in recent years.

Once the squid fishing season began, however, catches turned out unexpectedly good, and the quota was boosted by 6,600 tons in September.

Ahead of the high season, there have been calls for increasing the quota again, mainly from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
 

 

The number of visitors to the exhibition “Expressing Prayer, Capturing Form: Buddhist Sculptures by Unkei from the Northern Round Hall of Kohfukuji Temple” at the Tokyo National Museum in Taito Ward, Tokyo, surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday.

The museum celebrated the occasion with a ceremony.
The 200,000th visitor recognized by the museum was a 19-year-old university student in Kyoto, who came to the exhibition with her mother during a visit to her family home in Tokyo.

“I go to museums and art galleries at least once every month in Kyoto,” said the student, who paid visits to several museums on Wednesday, including the Tokyo National Museum.

During the ceremony, she received exhibition merchandise from Makoto Fujiwara, the executive director of the museum, and a commemorative shikishi card from Eishun Moriya, the abbot of Kohfukuji temple in Nara.

“I look forward to seeing ‘The Seated Miroku Nyorai (Maitreya Buddha)’,” she said with a smile.

The exhibition runs through Nov. 30.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday pledged continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion during her first phone talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since taking office last month.

During the 30-minute conversation, Takaichi said Japan would continue supporting Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and expressed strong backing for the war-torn nation's efforts to achieve a "just and lasting peace as soon as possible," according to the Foreign Ministry.

Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for Japan's contributions so far, and the two leaders affirmed their commitment to continued close cooperation, the ministry said.

Noting that Ukraine and Japan "share an understanding of the dangers that Russia's war poses to everyone in the world," the leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to enhance security and development in their respective nations and regions, Ukraine's presidential office said.

Japan has remained steadfast in its support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, viewing the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific as interconnected. Along with the United States and other Group of Seven members, Japan has imposed economic sanctions on Russia, including asset freezes.

Days after taking office on Oct 21, Takaichi joined virtually a summit of more than 20 countries, including Britain and France, to discuss the situation in Ukraine, underscoring Japan's commitment to supporting Kyiv and maintaining economic sanctions on Russia.

Japan also recently announced measures to help Ukraine address the impact of land mines, including training demining personnel and enhancing medical and welfare services for victims.

During the talks, Zelenskyy expressed deep gratitude for Japan's readiness to provide equipment to support Ukraine's energy sector, enabling communities to withstand the winter cold, his office said.

Later Wednesday, Takaichi held her first phone talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during which she expressed eagerness to elevate bilateral ties to "greater heights" as the two countries make steady progress in cooperation on security and economic matters.

They also agreed to deepen collaboration among like-minded nations to realize a "free, open and stable international order," according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
 
 

Wasteful and ineffective use of taxpayer money by the Japanese government in fiscal 2024 totaled about ¥54.081 billion in 319 projects, according to a report the Board of Audit of Japan submitted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday.

Both figures were lower than those of the preceding year.
Of the total cases for fiscal 2024, which ended in March this year, 271, involving over ¥8.6 billion, were related to law violations or improper budget execution.

While the fiscal 2023 audit of the government focused on projects linked to COVID-19, the board mainly inspected a wide range of projects, including those aimed at ensuring people's safety and related to the defense and digital fields, for fiscal 2024.

Yuhei Harada, chief of the board, said during a news conference, "With restoring fiscal soundness being a major challenge for the government, we'll continue strict and fair audits of various administrative and fiscal projects funded by taxpayer money."

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry had the worst single case of taxpayer money being wasted or used ineffectively, with the amount totaling about ¥20.365 billion.

The funds for subsidies provided by the affiliated Small and Medium Enterprise Agency to the Japan Federation of Credit Guarantee Corporations to aid fundraising at small firms impacted by the March 2011 powerful earthquake and tsunami have not been utilized effectively, the board said.

The ministry was also the biggest taxpayer money waster within the government, misspending some ¥22.058 billion in total. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry came second, with around ¥3.752 billion, followed by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, with about ¥1.963 billion.

The board also said that there were 290 locations with landslide risks along expressways, calling on three expressway operators to take countermeasures.

Amid heightened cybersecurity risks, the board called for improvements to be made for 58 information systems of 12 administrative agencies that were found to lack measures against vulnerabilities.
 
 

A subcommittee of a finance ministry advisory panel Wednesday started discussions to formulate the Japanese government's budget for fiscal 2026, which starts in April next year.

It will be the first budget compiled under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration. She has pledged to pursue an aggressive yet responsible fiscal policy.

Budget requests from government ministries and agencies under former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reached a record high of over 122 trillion yen, reflecting increased spending aimed at boosting wages and addressing inflation.

With expectations for even greater fiscal spending, balancing fiscal soundness with expansion will be a key challenge.

In her policy speech to parliament on Oct. 24, Takaichi said she would "strategically deploy fiscal measures" to build a "strong economy."

She pledged to achieve economic growth through public and private investment in strategic sectors while ensuring fiscal sustainability by increasing tax revenues.
 
 

Film critics and commentators have often drawn parallels between "My Neighbor Totoro" and aspects of Japan’s religious beliefs and folklore, particularly the concept of spirits and deities being present in the natural environment.

But while the title character is a forest spirit, and there is a Shinto shrine not far from sisters Mei and Satsuki’s country home, you won’t find mentions of Totoros or creatures with his traits in Japanese mythology. Totoro is entirely the creation of director Hayao Miyazaki, and didn’t exist prior to the 1988 anime film from Studio Ghibli.

However, it would be fair to say that Totoro has become a symbol of modern Japan, and so while the character himself is less than 40 years old, he still makes a great motif for traditional Japanese handicrafts, with this bento lunch box being a perfect example.

 

The lid features illustrations of both big (gray) and small (white) Totoros among a colorful array of ume/plum blossoms, an auspicious image in Japanese culture, as well as unfurled wagasa, classical Japanese waxed paper umbrellas.

The sides of the 15-centimeter square box feature more of the imagery in gold, contrasting nicely with the faux-lacquer coloring of the urethane container, and the inside is a striking vermillion.

 

Bento boxed lunches can consist of various dishes, but they always also contain white rice, and so the box is two-tiered, so that you can keep the rice separate from the other items and prevent any unwanted mixing of flavors.

Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to use this Totoro box for orthodox bento, and it will work just as well for carrying picnic snacks of any type, and would also look perfectly adorable as a stay-at-home storage box, organizer, or even just as a decoration that blends traditional and modern Japanese aesthetics.

 

The Totoro Wagasa Two-tier Box, as it’s officially called, is available for 4,620 yen from Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku, which has recently restocked them through the chain’s online shop here.
 
 

Japan's military deployed troops to the country's mountainous north on Wednesday (Nov 5) to help trap bears after an urgent request from local authorities struggling to cope with a wave of attacks.

The operation began in the town of Kazuno, where residents for weeks have been told to avoid the thick forests that surround it, stay home after dark and carry bells to deter bears that might forage near their homes for food.

There have been more than 100 bear attacks with a record 12 people killed across Japan in the year since April, according to the environment ministry. Two-thirds of those deaths were in Akita prefecture, where Kazuno is located, and nearby Iwate.

"The townspeople feel the danger every day," Kazuno Mayor Shinji Sasamoto said after meeting 15 or so soldiers who rolled into town in an army truck and several jeeps, equipped with body armour and large maps.
"It has affected how people live their lives, forcing them to stop going out or cancel events," Sasamoto said.

The troops will help transport, set and inspect the box traps used to capture the bears, but they are culled by trained hunters with weapons more suited to that purpose.

Authorities in Akita say bear sightings have jumped sixfold this year to more than 8,000, prompting the prefecture's governor to request help from Japan's Self-Defence Forces last week.

After Kazuno, a town of around 30,000 people known for its hot springs, dramatic landscapes and variety of sweet apples, the soldiers will head for the cities of Odate and Kitaakita under an agreement due to last until the end of the month.


ATTACKS IN SUPERMARKET, HOT SPRING RESORT

Rising bear numbers, climate change-driven shifts in natural food sources and depopulation of rural areas are increasingly bringing people into contact with bears in Japan. An ageing band of hunters that authorities once relied on is overwhelmed.

In recent months, bears have attacked customers inside a supermarket, jumped a tourist waiting at a bus stop near a UNESCO World Heritage site and mutilated a worker cleaning out a bath at a hot spring resort. Some schools have had to temporarily close after bears were spotted wandering in and around their grounds.

Bear attacks often peak in October and November, as the animals forage intensively before winter hibernation.

Japanese black bears, common across most of the country, can weigh up to 130kg. Brown bears on the northern island of Hokkaido can weigh as much as 400kg.

Japan previously deployed the military to assist in wildlife control around a decade ago when they provided aerial surveillance for hunts of wild deer. Elsewhere, the British army provided logistical support in the mass culling of animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease in 2001.

Japan plans to recruit more licensed hunters as part of a package of emergency measures to deal with the bear problem due to be announced later this month, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato told a press conference in Tokyo. In September, it relaxed gun rules to make it easier for hunters to shoot bears in urban areas.

"As bears continue to enter populated areas in many regions and injuries from bear attacks increase daily, we absolutely cannot afford to put off bear countermeasures," he said.
 
 

Japanese experts are warning of the rapid spread of a foreign species of bookworm that eats paper and causes damage to ancient documents.

Ctenolepisma calvum, also known as ghost silverfish, is about one-centimeter long and is indigenous to Europe and Central America.

It is known as one of the pests that feeds on paper and can cause serious problems at museums, libraries and archives.

The ghost silverfish was first discovered in Japan in 2022, when five prefectures reported its existence.

A survey by a group of researchers at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties shows that the species had spread to 19 prefectures, including Hokkaido and those in the Kyushu region, by the end of September this year.

The researchers say that the ghost silverfish has expanded its habitat through the movement of documents and materials between institutes.

The researchers have found that females can reproduce without males. They are warning that even one egg is enough to allow the species to proliferate.

The institute plans to launch a website dedicated to the ghost silverfish on Tuesday. It also plans to send, free of charge, sticky traps and bait containing expellant to facilities where the pest has been found.

A senior official at the institute, Sato Yoshinori, said that the species has spread faster than expected due to its strong reproductive power.

He warned that it can propagate itself across Japan and cause damage to cultural properties.
 
 

The co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that he will stop outsourcing work to a company headed by his secretary following a report alleging a tax money kickback.

The allegation was raised by the Sunday edition of the Japanese Communist Party's official newspaper, Shimbun Akahata. Fumitake Fujita reiterated his view that the transactions were lawful, saying he will give a detailed explanation at a press conference on Tuesday.

Akahata reported that between June 2017 and November 2024, Fujita paid about 20 million yen to the firm run by his publicly funded first secretary for flyer printing and other work.

The report also stated that the company paid the secretary about 7.2 million yen annually in compensation, pointing out that over 90 percent of the roughly 20 million yen spent came from public funds.

Fujita said on his YouTube channel that the move has caused misunderstanding or suspicion. "I take the criticism seriously...," he said, adding, "I will reflect on my actions and fulfill my responsibility to explain."

The JIP, known as Nippon Ishin, formed a coalition with the LDP after Sanae Takaichi won its presidential election on Oct. 4, allowing her to become Japan's first female prime minister.
 
 

 
Japan's health ministry is planning to deny in principle the renewal or change of residential status for foreign citizens who refuse to pay national health insurance premiums, it was learned Tuesday.

"We're preparing to start it in June 2027," health minister Kenichiro Ueno told a press conference.

Ueno also said that his ministry will strengthen measures against foreign residents who do not pay medical expenses. The ministry will collect nonpayment information from medical institutions and share it with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

Foreigners staying in Japan for more than three months are obliged to enroll in medical insurance and other programs.

However, only 63 pct of foreign residents in 150 municipalities with available data were paying national health insurance premiums as of the end of 2024. The overall payment rate, which covered Japanese citizens, was 93 pct.
 
 

 

 
The press got a first look at a train car to be used for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev line when it was unveiled on Friday on a test line in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The M10, Central Japan Railway Co.’s (JR Tokai) new train car, is still being tested and is expected to be used when the Linear Chuo Shinkansen begins running.

One feature of the M10 is that its seats do not recline, as it is meant for passengers traveling for only a short amount of time.

Since construction for one section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen’s track has not started, the timeline for when the M10 will be used is still unclear. However, the cars are still being built.

It is the first maglev train car to be unveiled in five years.
The maglev train will have a top speed of 500 kph and is expected to travel between Shinagawa and Nagoya stations in as fast as 40 minutes.

To achieve such speeds, the seats’ reclining function and other features were removed to make them more lightweight. The space in front of each seat has been increased, so passengers can place their luggage and other items at their feet.

The Linear Chuo Shinkansen’s speed and images such as a blue sky and various locations will be projected on the car’s ceiling as the train track goes through many tunnels and there will not be much of a view from the windows.

“The technology necessary for the maglev’s operation is mostly developed,” said the director of the maglev train’s testing center in Yamanashi Prefecture.
However, with concerns being raised about the construction of a tunnel having various environmental impacts, construction on a section of the track in Shizuoka Prefecture has not started, and there is no timeline for when it is expected to begin.

In addition, JR Tokai said Wednesday that the total cost of construction for the maglev line between Shinagawa and Nagoya stations is expected to increase by about ¥4 trillion to ¥11 trillion. Securing a large amount of funds will pose a significant challenge.
 


 

Asian shares retreated Tuesday despite the big lift in overseas markets from optimism over AI technology, as traders sold shares to lock in recent profits.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 1.7% to 51,497.20 following a national holiday on Monday.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.9% to 8,813.70.
South Korea's Kospi dipped 2.4% to 4,121.74, reversing after a rally took it to record highs in recent days.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng erased earlier gains to fall 0.6% to 25,983.29, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.4% to 3,960.19.

On Monday, gains for Nvidia, Amazon and other AI superstars propped up share prices. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and pulled closer to its all-time high set last week, even though the majority of stocks in the index sank. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 226 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

Nvidia was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500, as it has been for much of the year so far. The chip company rose 2.2% to bring its gain for the year to date to 54.1%.

Amazon was the No. 2 force pushing the market higher. It rallied 4% after announcing a $38 billion agreement with OpenAI, which will use Amazon’s cloud computing services to run its AI workloads.

IREN, an AI cloud service provider, jumped 11.5% after Microsoft announced a $9.7 billion contract with it that will give the tech giant access to some of Nvidia’s chips.

Palantir Technologies, which came into the day with a stunning 165% gain for the year so far, rose another 3.3%. Traders pushed the AI darling higher in the final hours before the data platform company reported its latest quarterly results after trading closed for the day.

Companies across the U.S. stock market will need to hit expectations for growth in profit to justify the big gains for their stock prices since April. Criticism has been rising that the broad U.S. market, and AI stocks in particular, have become too expensive and could be inflating into a dangerous bubble similar to the 2000 dot-com bust.

For the most part, companies have been meeting the high expectations for profits. Four out of every five companies in the S&P 500 have topped analysts’ forecasts so far this reporting season, according to FactSet.

With roughly two-thirds of all S&P 500 reports in, companies in the index are on track to deliver healthy growth of nearly 11% versus a year earlier.

On the losing end of Wall Street on Monday was Kimberly-Clark, which dropped 14.6% after it said it would buy Kenvue in a deal valuing it at $48.7 billion. Kenvue, which sells Tylenol, Band-Aids and Listerine, jumped 12.3%.

A discouraging report on U.S. manufacturing said that activity shrank by more last month than economists expected. Several manufacturers told surveyors for the Institute for Supply Management that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are creating financial pain.

In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude fell 21 cents to $60.84 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, declined 22 cents to $64.67 a barrel.

The U.S. dollar slipped to 153.64 Japanese yen from 154.21 yen. The euro cost $1.1524, inching down from $1.1519.
 
 

 
Japan has expressed strong interest in investing in the development of Indonesia’s new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantar (IKN), particularly in its green and sustainable infrastructure. 

The project, located across parts of Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kartanegara regencies in East Kalimantan, continues to attract international attention as it moves into its next phases of development.

“IKN continues to offer investment opportunities focused on green and sustainable development,” said Head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, during a visit to Sepaku, Penajam Paser Utara, on Monday, November 3, 2025, as quoted by antaranews.com.

The first and second phases of IKN’s construction are centered on building government offices and housing. Future development will expand into nine designated zones covering a range of economic and industrial sectors.

Basuki emphasized that industrial development within IKN will prioritize clean and green industries, in line with the sustainable development principles upheld by the IKN Authority. “The envisioned industries include agro-industry and fisheries, sectors that align with our clean and green approach,” he explained.

Among the interested investors is the Saga office of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which is exploring various opportunities for collaboration and investment in Indonesia, particularly in infrastructure and industrial zones within IKN.

Basuki welcomed JETRO’s interest, describing it as a potential starting point for concrete cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in realizing a modern, sustainable capital city. “JETRO has already reviewed the direction of IKN’s development,” he noted.

Tsuru Katsuya, CEO and Chairman of JETRO Kanzaki Industry Corp, echoed this sentiment, stating that Japan’s experience with urban density challenges makes IKN’s development particularly compelling. He added that the long-term vision behind IKN aligns well with the interests of Japanese investors.

JETRO is currently assessing key economic infrastructure, including industrial zones, transportation facilities, and other strategic assets, as part of its preparations to explore future investment opportunities in Indonesia, especially within the IKN project, Tsuru said.
 
 

The ratio of job openings to job seekers for auto mechanics and technicians in Japan eclipsed 5.00 in fiscal 2024, far greater than the overall 1.14, as the country's birthrate continues to fall.

The ratio rose by 0.10 point to 5.09 compared to the previous year, recent government data showed. It means there were 509 job openings for every 100 job seekers.

The labor shortage in the industry has raised concerns over its potential adverse impact on automobile safety, with its tough working environment and low pay also believed to be contributing factors.

According to the data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the ratio has been on the rise since hitting 4.50 in fiscal 2020, when it began taking records.

The number of automotive service businesses that closed, were disbanded or went bankrupt climbed to a record high of 455 in fiscal 2024 due to a chronic labor shortage, with some companies forced to delay deliveries or limit the number of units on order, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd.

To combat the shortage, dealership NTP Nagoya Toyopet Corp. has implemented a system that pays up to 100,000 yen ($650) to employees who successfully introduce peers who are recruited. It has employed nine technicians since the practice was set up in fiscal 2022.

Meanwhile, Nal Net Communications, which undertakes maintenance outsourcing for corporate leased vehicles, is supporting digitalization efforts at its partner repair shops to help them operate efficiently with less staff.

The data comes after some Toyota dealerships in 2021 were found to have conducted fraudulent vehicle inspections due to understaffing, with the auto giant vowing to reduce the workload.

But the number of people who applied for a license as a mechanic fell to a record low 35,504 in fiscal 2024, plunging 51.1 percent since its peak in fiscal 2004, according to the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association.
 
 

Kansai Electric Power will start a survey early this month to assess whether it can build a new nuclear reactor in or near its Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, sources said Monday.

The survey will mark the first concrete move toward nuclear reactor construction in Japan since the March 2011 meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 plant.

Kansai Electric will announce soon when the survey will begin.
In July this year, the company announced plans to conduct a survey needed to build what the industry calls an innovative light-water reactor, seen as safer than conventional reactors.

The town of Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, which hosts the Kansai Electric plant, accepted the start of such a survey in August.

The survey will be conducted in two stages. The company will collect rock samples through drilling and examine geological conditions in the first stage. In the second stage, the company will excavate tunnels to check the properties of rocks constituting the ground. The survey is expected to continue until around 2030.

Japan needs to secure stable power sources as electricity demand is expected to increase mainly due to the spreading use of artificial intelligence systems.

Kansai Electric, which has already restarted all of its seven operable nuclear reactors, will move toward the construction of a new reactor given that it will take about 20 years from the survey to the start of operations.

The company will not make a decision on the construction based on the results of the survey alone, President Nozomu Mori has said, adding that it will take into account profitability and the Nuclear Regulation Authority's regulatory policy.

It would also be essential for the central government and the nuclear plant operator to provide careful explanations to foster understanding of local residents and resolve difficult problems in the country's nuclear power policy, such as the selection of a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste.
 
 

The global market for daily necessities is booming. Private research forecasts substantial growth from approximately $215.2 billion in 2025 to about $263.2 billion by 2030.

Recognizing this immense potential, Kanagawa Prefecture is actively helping its local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tap into the massive U.S. consumer market.

In August, the prefecture made a strategic move by hosting a "Kanagawa Booth" at "NY NOW Summer 2025," one of America's largest lifestyle trade shows, held from August 3 to 5. Nine SMEs from Kanagawa participated, showcasing a diverse range of over 100 unique lifestyle products.

These included a fascinating daily calendar that doubles as a calligraphy experience, and a stylish shoulder bag crafted from authentic Japanese craft tape. The showcase proved to be a major draw, attracting numerous buyers and resulting in successful deals for many of the innovative items.

"Although it was our first time exhibiting, I am extremely satisfied that we attracted interest from far more buyers than I expected," commented Momoyo Stoby, representative of Momoyo Stoby Fashion, which develops and sells upcycled apparel using vintage Showa-era fabrics.

"We hope this opportunity would be leading to further appeal for a multitude of American people." This enthusiasm highlights the positive step forward for Kanagawa's talented local businesses.
Beyond the U.S.: A Test Sale in Paris, France

Kanagawa Prefecture's commitment to global market expansion doesn't stop with the U.S. Next February, the prefecture will conduct its first-ever test sale of lifestyle products and Japanese sake from Kanagawa in the European epicenter of style, Paris, France.

To introduce these unique items to the French audience, an experience event and tasting session are also scheduled. If you find yourself in the City of Lights, be sure to stop by and sample a piece of Kanagawa craftsmanship!
 

• Test Sale: February 1 - 28 (Excluding Sundays and Mondays)
• Experience and Tasting Event: February 13 (Fri), 14 (Sat)
• Location: Takumi Flavours (101bis Quai Jacques Chirac, 75015 Paris, France)

 
 

 

The government will work to revitalize regional communities experiencing population decline by increasing what's known as the "connected population," or nonresidents who maintain steady interaction with regional areas, internal affairs minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a recent interview.

"There is a shortage of workers in various fields, making it difficult to maintain medical, transportation and educational services as well as to manage infrastructure," said Hayashi, who assumed his current post last month.

"We will work to expand the connected population both in quality and quantity."

The minister said that many people are interested in becoming involved in regional communities, such as through volunteering in agriculture. He expressed a desire to develop a registration system that would serve as a "passport" for nonresidents to participate in regional support activities.

Hayashi also emphasized the need to effectively promote broad cooperation among local governments and the use of digital technology to make local administrative services sustainable.

On whether Japan should review its system of dividing responsibilities among local, prefectural and central governments, he said, "I first want to call for discussions to address the issues faced by prefectures and municipalities."

The minister said that slander, misinformation and disinformation on social media are a "serious issue" that can significantly affect people's lives and socioeconomic activities.

He said he will comprehensively promote systemic measures, efforts to improve social media literacy across generations and technological development, in order to create a sound environment for social media use.
 
 

 

 

Japan conferred the Order of Culture on eight people including Sadaharu Oh, 85, head of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks professional baseball team, on Monday as the country marked Culture Day.

In a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Emperor Naruhito handed the medal to each of the eight, also including Kyoto University distinguished professor Susumu Kitagawa, 74, who won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and kabuki actor Kataoka Nizaemon XV, 81, whose real name is Takao Kataoka.

 

The remaining five are cardiovascular surgeon Yasunaru Kawashima, 95, folklorist Kazuhiko Komatsu, 78, fashion designer Junko Koshino, 86, whose real name is Junko Suzuki, art critic Nobuo Tsuji, 93, and synthetic organic chemistry expert Hisashi Yamamoto, 82.

The Emperor praised the eight for their achievements made through long-term efforts and their dedication to the advancement of culture.

 

At a press conference after the ceremony, Oh said he is "truly honored" to receive the order following baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, who died in June.
 
 

Struggling Japanese carmaker Nissan said it expected to suffer an operating loss of 275 billion in its fiscal year that ends in March as it faces further economic headwinds.

It also said it expected an operating loss of 30 billion yen for the first six months of the fiscal year, which runs through September.

Nissan reported a net loss of 671 billion yen for the financial year to March 2025, and launched an effort cut 20,000 jobs, some 15 percent of its workforce.

The first-half operating loss of 30 billion yen is better than the automaker had been forecasting. Nissan attributed it to one-time benefits including lower costs to emission regulations. It said it had also deferred some project costs to the second half of the year.

"While our first-half results reflect temporary benefits and payback from cost-saving initiatives, we anticipate ongoing challenging competitive environment in the second half, supply chain risks and the seasonality of business," said Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin.

The expected worsening of its performance in the second half of its fiscal year reflected "anticipated challenges in the second half due to supply chain risks, foreign exchange volatility, tariffs, and other external factors," the automaker said in a statement.

It said it now expected sales of 11.7 trillion yen in 2025-2026, down from its initial estimate in May of 12.5 trillion yen.

Nissan has faced numerous speed bumps in recent years -- including the 2018 arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who later fled Japan concealed in an audio equipment box.

A merger with Japanese rival Honda had been seen as a potential lifeline but talks collapsed in February when the latter proposed making Nissan a subsidiary.

Of Japan's major automakers, Nissan was seen by analysts as likely to be the most severely hit by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported vehicles.
 
 

Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific Rim nations wrapped up their annual summit with a statement underscoring regional economic cooperation, just days after the presidents of the United States and China agreed to dial down their trade war.
  
After two days of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, APEC leaders issued a joint statement pledging greater cooperation to overcome shared challenges in a global economy hit hard by trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping — who met on the sidelines of the APEC summit — dialed back earlier steps and agreed to de-escalate trade tensions.

Trump, known for his dismissal of multilateralism, quickly left South Korea after the agreement with Xi, allowing the Chinese president to steal the limelight at the summit.


APEC leaders call for greater cooperation

The joint statement declared that the APEC leaders "acknowledge the global trading system continues to face significant challenge.”

“We reaffirm our shared recognition that robust trade and investment are vital to the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region,” it says.

Jeonghun Min, a professor at South Korea’s National Diplomatic Academy, said the statement avoided direct language supporting “free and open trade,” but still managed to endorse economic cooperation and multilateralism, which embody “the very purpose of free trade

"It wasn’t possible to leave that out entirely,” said Min.
The joint declaration also said that APEC members remain committed to the Putrajaya Vision 2040, a new 20-year growth vision adopted in 2020 that calls for a trade environment that’s “free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable.”


Xi takes center stage

On Friday, Xi told the summit that China would support global free trade and supply chain stability — an apparent effort to position his country as an alternative to Trump’s protectionist policies. In written remarks sent to a CEO summit held in conjunction with APEC, Xi said that “investing in China is investing in the future.”

Xi also met with his Japanese, Canadian and Thai counterparts bilaterally on Friday and was to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday for one-on-one talks that Seoul officials said would touch on efforts to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

That agenda has apparently angered North Korea, a non-APEC member. North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho on Saturday slammed South Korea for talking about “its daydream” of realizing North Korea’s denuclearization.

He said North Korea will show how such a push is "a pipedream" that can never be realized. Park's statement was seen as applying pressure ahead of the Xi-Lee meeting.

Lee, an advocate of reconciliation with North Korea, said Saturday he would take “more active preemptive steps” to lower military tensions with the North, stressing that peace on the Korean Peninsula is essential to prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

Trump earlier repeatedly expressed his desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to South Korea, but North Korea did not respond. Trump and Kim met three times in 2018-19, but their nuclear diplomacy eventually collapsed.

North Korea has since vowed not to place its advancing nuclear program on a negotiating table, but experts say the North would aim for winning extensive sanctions relief in return for a partial surrender of its advancing nuclear program.


APEC meeting also talks AI and demographic issues

While the summit focused on ways to boost trade and investment on Friday, Saturday's meeting had cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, demographic challenges and cultural industries on its agenda.

APEC leaders also issued two separate statements on Saturday. One called for a coordinated approach to the changes brought on by AI, which they described as a potential economic catalyst that also poses challenges in rapidly evolving digital environments.

The other urged for cooperation to address declining birth rates, aging populations and accelerated urbanization.

Established in 1989, APEC champions free and open trade and investment to promote regional economic integration. But the region now faces challenges such as the U.S.-China rivalry, supply chain disruptions, aging populations and the impact of AI on jobs.

The U.S. strategy recently shifted to economic competition with China rather than cooperation, with Trump’s tariff hikes and “America first” agenda shaking markets and threatening decades of globalization and multinationalism.
 
 

Saturday marks one month since the start of the US government shutdown. Lawmakers remain deadlocked over a spending bill, and the impasse has stalled a range of federal services. It could soon stop vital food assistance.

The shutdown is the second-longest in US history, behind the one during President Donald Trump's first term in 2018. That shutdown lasted 35 days.

National parks and museums are closed, and the Trump administration has been using the shutdown to reduce the federal workforce. It has sent layoff notices to more than 4,000 government employees. The US Congressional Budget Office says around 650,000 have been placed on unpaid leave.

Organizers of food banks rallied at the Department of Agriculture on Thursday, demanding food assistance be continued.

Department officials have warned that "the well has run dry," and no benefits will be issued from November 1. They say that during last fiscal year, more than 40 million Americans relied on the program each month. That accounts for about one-eighth of the population.

Anna Culbertson, a food drive organizer, said she and her colleagues cannot keep up without government support.

She said, "Even though we're doing a lot here today to raise food and funds for local community food banks, there's no way that the community can fill in the gaps."

Twenty-five states, including Massachusetts and California, as well as the District of Columbia, have sued the department. They argue that suspending the benefits is "unlawful."
 
 

Japan's staple rice production is forecast to total 7.11 million tons in 2026, down 370,000 tons from 2025, the agriculture ministry said Friday.

The estimate, used by farmers as a reference for rice planting, was submitted to the day's meeting of a subgroup of a ministry panel on agriculture policies.

The forecast was based on factors including an increase in the number of foreign visitors to the country.

Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki, who assumed the post under the administration of new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, launched Oct. 21, has vowed to reverse the previous government's policy to increase rice production.

Suzuki has emphasized the importance of "demand-based production" to prevent rice price falls reflecting an excess in supply over demand.
 
 

The Japanese government plans to recruit hunters to cull bears, as anxiety grows in the country over a sharp rise in bear attacks.

The environment ministry said on Thursday that it would set aside funds to hire licenced hunters and other personnel to tackle bears that have been wandering into residential areas and attacking people.

The move is among measures proposed on Thursday, after the country held a high-level meeting to address the country's growing bear problem.

Twelve people have died in bear attacks this year - the highest the country has recorded since it started tracking cases in the 2000s.

They include a man who had been delivering newspapers in Hokkaido and a 67-year-old man found dead in his garden in Iwate.

The government, which have described bears as a serious threat to public safety, is also considering allowing police officers to shoot bears with their rifles. Officials have until mid-November to finalise the slate of counter-measures to the rising bear attacks.

Bears have been spotted breaking into supermarkets and high schools, and attacking residents going about their daily lives.

There are two types of bears in Japan: the Japanese black bear and the larger, typically more aggressive, brown bear found on the island of Hokkaido.

More than 100 people have been injured by bears this year, including at least one foreigner who was attacked near a bus-stop at a popular tourist site.

The problem is especially pronounced in Akita prefecture, home to large mountain ranges in northern Japan, which have the highest number of casualties.

Authorities announced this week that Japan's self-defence forces would be deployed help the Akita government capture and repel bears.

 

"The lives and livelihoods of people are under threat," defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Tuesday, Kyodo reported.

Under current laws the troops are prohibited from shooting bears - but they can help bear hunters with trapping and transporting dead bears.

Akita governor Kenta Suzuki said that the people tackling the bear problem on the ground have become "exhausted".

Japan's hunters are ageing, and their numbers are declining - in line with the dwindling popularity of hunting the mammal, once sought-after for their fur and bile.

This has left populations more vulnerable to attacks as bears increasingly wander into human habitats. Experts say the scarcity of beech nuts because of climate change could be driving hungry animals into people's residences.

Declining populations in residential areas have also been cited as a factor.
In September, Japan relaxed its gun rules to make it easier for people to shoot bears in residential areas.
 
 

Income declared by companies in Japan that closed their books in fiscal 2024, which ended in March, grew 4.1 pct from the previous year to 102,338.1 billion yen, hitting a record high for the fourth year in a row, the National Tax Agency said Thursday.

Construction companies’ income showed a large increase, while manufacturers and transportation firms saw their income decline.

Total declared tax rose 7.6 pct to a record 18,713.9 billion yen.
Of the overall 3.22 million declarations, 36.5 pct came from profitable companies, up 0.5 percentage point from the previous year.

Tax withheld mainly from salaries and dividend income in the year that ended last June dropped 4.6 pct from the previous year to 20,344.5 billion yen.
 
 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told U.S. President Donald Trump during their first summit on Tuesday that Japan intends to keep importing Russian liquefied natural gas for the time being, a Japanese government source said Wednesday.

The United States had been urging Japan to end Russian energy imports to reinforce sanctions on Moscow over its full-scale war against Ukraine that began in 2022.

At the meeting with Trump in Tokyo, Takaichi, who took office on Oct 21, stressed the necessity of buying Russian-produced LNG, citing the risk of domestic power shortages if imports were stopped , the source said.

In 2024, Russian LNG accounted for 8.6 percent of Japan's total imports of the energy source, which is mainly used for thermal power generation and city gas.

The gas comes from the Sakhalin 2 energy project in the Russian Far East, in which two Japanese firms continue to hold stakes even after British oil major Shell PLC withdrew following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Tokyo has faced criticism that payments for Russian LNG help fund Moscow's war effort, while the European Union is set to fully suspend such purchases by the end of 2026.

Takaichi, a staunch conservative, is known for sharing hawkish views on diplomacy and security with Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.

Abe, who pursued dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met him 27 times during his tenure through 2020 in a bid to resolve a territorial dispute but made no progress.

Takaichi has inherited the same unresolved issue over the Russian-held, Japanese-claimed islands off Hokkaido -- known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia -- which continues to prevent the signing of a postwar peace treaty.
 
 

Japan’s space agency successfully launched Sunday its most powerful flagship H3 rocket, carrying a newly developed unmanned cargo spacecraft for its first mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the HTV-X1 spacecraft successfully lifted off atop the No. 7 H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center in the country’s south and confirmed it entered targeted orbit 14 minutes after liftoff.

The spacecraft was separated and placed into a planned orbit, JAXA said. If everything goes smoothly, it is expected to arrive at the ISS in a few days to deliver supplies. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, currently at the ISS, is set to catch the craft with a robot arm in the early hours of Thursday.

The HTV-X is the successor to JAXA’s unmanned H-II Transfer Vehicle, known as Kounotori, or stork in Japanese, which flew nine missions to the ISS between 2009 and 2020.

The new freighter can carry a bigger payload and supply power during flight, enabling the transport of lab samples that require storage at low temperatures.

The HTV-X is designed to be connected to the ISS for up to six months to deliver supplies and retrieve waste from the ISS, then conduct technical missions while making an orbital flight after leaving the station, this time for three months.

Sunday’s launch also marks a successful debut for H3 rocket’s most powerful version, with four rocket boosters and a bigger fairing, a top compartment for payloads, officials said.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa called Sunday’s launch “a major step forward” that demonstrated Japan’s capability of delivering supplies to space, which serves as “the basis of autonomous space activity.”

Iwao Igarashi, head of the Space Business Department at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, responsible for developing H3 with JAXA and operating rocket launches, said Japan’s track record of on-time launch and accuracy in delivering payloads and the newly modified rocket prove they can accommodate a range of customer needs. He said his company plans to expand its launch facility.

H3 rocket replaces Japan’s long-beloved mainstay H-2A rocket, which made its final flight in June, as a new flagship model designed to be more cost-competitive in the global space market. The H3 has so far made six consecutive successful flights after a failed debut attempt in 2023, when the rocket had to be destroyed with its payload.

Japan sees a stable, commercially competitive space transport capability as key to its space program and national security.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi left Tokyo for South Korea on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit and hold bilateral talks with East Asian neighbors, with the focus on her hawkish approach to regional issues.

During her three-day trip to the city of Gyeongju in the southeast of South Korea, Takaichi, who became Japan's first female prime minister on Oct. 21, will join the two-day summit starting Friday to discuss trade and investment.

A staunch conservative, Takaichi said she will meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung later Thursday, expressing her intention to "have a meaningful meeting." She also said talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping are being arranged.

"I intend to robustly build cooperative and trusting relationships with other leaders for peace, stability and prosperity in the region," Takaichi told reporters at the prime minister's office before departing.

Takaichi will hold a press conference on Saturday to wrap up her trip before leaving for Japan.

Takaichi is known for her past visits to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, which honors the war dead along with Japan's wartime leaders convicted as war criminals by a post-World War II international tribunal.

It has long been a source of diplomatic friction with China and South Korea.
At the planned meeting with Lee, Takaichi aims to emphasize her intention to advance "future-oriented" bilateral ties and hold frequent summits, sources familiar with the matter said.

Takaichi and Lee are also expected to affirm the importance of bilateral cooperation as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States in addressing North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development programs, they said.

With Xi, Takaichi is likely to reaffirm Friday Japan and China's shared commitment to promoting a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" and building "constructive and stable" ties, according to the sources.

Takaichi is expected to raise concerns about China's military activities in the East China Sea, including those near the uninhabited Senkaku Islands that are controlled by Japan and claimed by China, the sources said.

Japan's government is also arranging bilateral meetings between Takaichi and the leaders of other participating countries.

Takaichi made her diplomatic debut in person last weekend when she traveled to Malaysia to take part in Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related summit meetings.
 

 

Practicality took center stage at the Tokyo auto show, where many Japanese automakers showcased their latest electric vehicles set for release in the coming years as they race to catch up with overseas rivals and make environmentally friendly options more accessible to domestic consumers.

A record-high 500-plus companies and organizations are participating in this year's Japan Mobility Show, which opened to the media on Wednesday for a two-day preview, encouraging visitors to envision the future of transportation. The event will be open to the public through Nov 9.

Toyota Motor Corp unveiled an orange coupe concept version of its ultra-luxury Century at the event, positioning the model as a standalone brand alongside Lexus and its GR sports cars.

"I believe the Century brand was born out of Japanese pride," Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said. "The phoenix, the Century emblem, only appears in times of peace. I believe the brand is built on our hope for world peace and the challenge of forging the next 100 years."

The world's largest automaker by volume also showcased the next generation Corolla Concept, set to be available in multiple versions from EVs to hybrids, while the Lexus brand unveiled its new six-wheel vehicle.

"Everyone has a love for the earth and wants to ride a cool car. Be it a battery EV, hybrid, or engine, we want to create cars that people will want to ride," said Toyota President and CEO Koji Sato.

Toyota recently announced it will jointly develop cathode materials for all-solid-state batteries with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., aiming to launch electric vehicles powered by the next-generation batteries between 2027 and 2028.

 

It also reported on Monday a record high in global sales for the first half of the year, driven by robust demand for hybrids in North America and China, despite fierce competition in China, where the electric SUV bZ3X was introduced.

Honda Motor Co. showcased its Super-One Prototype, a mini EV set to launch first in Japan in 2026 before expanding to Britain and other Asian markets.

The vehicle comes with a "Boost Mode," which enables the driver to accelerate rapidly and smoothly, alongside a built-in sound system that simulates an engine's sound.

"We are working on developing EV and hybrid vehicles to realize a carbon neutral world by 2050," said Honda President Toshihiro Mibe.

The automaker also displayed a "sustainable rocket" used in a test launch in Hokkaido in June. Measuring 6.3 meters long and weighing 900 kilograms when empty, the reusable rocket uses renewable fuel.

"Honda is now challenging itself in space... The test was concluded successfully and according to plan from launch to landing, with stance and speed perfectly controlled," Mibe said. "It was thanks to the technology we have garnered from our development of autonomous driving and our aircraft."

 

At Nissan Motor Co's booth, visitors can see the new Elgrand minivan, a staple in Japan for nearly 30 years, which will feature the company's third-generation e-Power technology and go on sale in fiscal 2026.

"It offers the highest levels of hospitality, warmth, serenity, and refinement, embodying the spirit of omotenashi," said Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa, referring to the Japanese concept of wholehearted hospitality.

Nissan also showcased the new Leaf B7 released in Japan on Oct 17. The third-generation model of its flagship EV can travel 702 kilometers on a single charge.

The struggling automaker, which logged a 115.76 billion yen net loss in the April-June quarter, has been undergoing a restructuring overhaul to restore profitability.

"Everyone at Nissan is committed to embracing change and taking bold, innovative approaches, united by a determination to redefine what's possible, reshape our legacy and transform mobility," Espinosa said. "Together, we are forging a path to a more sustainable and inclusive world."

Chinese EV giant BYD Co will exhibit a prototype of its electric vehicle featuring its newest blade batteries, a type of lithium-iron-phosphate battery known for being safer and longer lasting, while South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co is taking part in the mobility show for the first time.

Japanese automakers are pushing toward EVs even though EVs made up just around 1.6 percent of new car sales in Japan in 2024, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association, with around 40 percent of those being imported vehicles.

Although the global adoption of EVs has slowed down overall, some domestic automakers have targeted customers looking to replace their current vehicles, especially minicars, which account for around 40 percent of all domestic car purchases in Japan.

Alongside major companies unveiling world premiere vehicles, the Tokyo auto show will feature the "Tokyo Future Tour 2035," an area divided into five zones where visitors can experience what the world may look like 10 years from now, across land, sky and sea, including flying cars.
 
 

Newspaper Subscription Rate Down to 50%

The monthly newspaper subscription rate among Japanese households continues to fall, according to a survey conducted by Japan Press Research Institute. As of 2025, it stands at 50.1%, having dropped 3.7 percentage points year on year. The current figure is almost 40 points lower than in fiscal 2008, the first year the survey was carried out, when the rate was 88.6%.

The survey was conducted door to door from July to August 2025. To avoid bias toward users of specific media, a random sample of 5,000 people across the country aged 18 and above was selected using the Basic Resident Register, and 2,665 responses were received.

A total of 40.7% of respondents said they intended to continue to subscribe to print newspapers, marking a considerable decline from 58.5% recorded in the fiscal 2018 survey.

Meanwhile, 29.3% said that free access to newspapers, such as at libraries or online, was sufficient, and 15.9% said that they would not read a newspaper, even if it was free.
When it came to accessing news daily, 46.5% of respondents said they checked online every day, followed by 46.1% for commercial television, 35.8% for public broadcaster NHK, 33.4% for newspapers, and 9.2% for radio.

However, when asked to rate how much they trust information from various types of media on a scale of 100 points, respondents gave NHK the highest grade with 66.8 points, marginally ahead of newspapers with 66.2. While online news was the most commonly accessed source, its trust rating was at 47.4, down 1.1 points year on year as part of a long-term decline. Concerning the use of the internet and social media in election campaigning, 56.8% thought that it had a positive or somewhat positive effect on Japanese politics, while 39.6% who thought that it had a negative or somewhat negative effect.

However, only 28.0% agreed with the statement, “You can understand social realities better through social media than through the mass media,” compared with 57.6% who disagreed with it.


Data Sources

• Media survey (Japanese) from Japan Press Research Institute.

 
 

Long associated with American ruggedness, pickup trucks such as Ford's top-selling F-150 have now become a symbol of international trade talks, showing how far countries such as Japan will go to win over U.S. President Donald Trump.

When Trump met Japan's new prime minister and first female premier, Sanae Takaichi, in Tokyo on Tuesday, an F-150 was parked prominently outside the Akasaka Palace venue.

Burly U.S. pickup trucks are a rare sight in the Japanese capital, where the streets are narrow and turns can be painfully tight.

But the placement of the F-150,  which is not typically available for sale in Japan, sent a clear message about Tokyo's willingness to buy more cars from its ally, an issue that has been a sore point for Trump for decades.

Last week Reuters reported that Takaichi's government was working on a package to buy F-150 trucks, an idea originally floated by Trump, as well as soybeans and gas.

"Well, that's great. She has good taste," Trump told reporters on Air Force One, when asked about the report. "That’s a hot truck."

In August, Trump said Japan was ready to purchase the "very beautiful" F-150.

It was not clear how many F-150s Japan planned to buy.
Japanese government sources have told Reuters the trucks would probably end up being used as snow plows, given their size.

Japan and Europe, Trump has often complained, refuse to accept U.S. cars even as Japanese and European automakers sell millions of their vehicles each year in the United States.

But the reluctance to buy American has little to do with trade barriers. Both in Tokyo and London, many drivers see Detroit cars as simply too big and too costly to run.

The F-150 won't be the first American car brought in to Japan to help ease trade friction. Three decades ago, Toyota responded to U.S. pressure by selling a mid-sized General Motors car under its own brand in Japan.

The Toyota Cavalier was introduced with much fanfare, sold poorly and quietly faded after a few years, said John Shook, a former Toyota manager and an auto industry veteran in both Japan and the United States.

Any attempt to sell the F-150 would likely go the same way, he said.
"Don't expect to see the F-150s roaming the streets of Tokyo or hauling crops from the countryside. They are too big, too expensive, too gas-guzzling and simply a bad fit all around. Not to mention the steering wheel is on the wrong side."

A third of the 3.7 million new cars sold in Japan last year were mini or kei cars, tiny vehicles that are not produced by American automakers.

Foreign cars accounted for 6% of new car sales overall, with European brands among some of the top sellers, industry data showed, while Ford itself pulled out of Japan almost a decade ago.

Separately Trump said Toyota would open auto plants in the United States to the tune of $10 billion.

A Toyota spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on Trump's remarks.
 
 

Japan's leisure-related market expanded 5.6 pct from the previous year to 75,203 billion yen in 2024, the Japan Productivity Center, a private think tank, said Tuesday.

The latest figure surpassed the pre-pandemic level of 72,307 billion yen recorded in 2019 thanks to the economy's reopening and higher admission fees at some tourist facilities.

Games and other entertainment services rose 5.3 pct to 50,531 billion yen, while the sightseeing and outdoor amusement sector climbed 9.9 pct to 12,416 billion yen. The sports sector grew 1.6 pct, while hobbies and creation services increased 3.8 pct.

"Since the pandemic, leisure activities have been going digital," an official at the Japan Productivity Center said, citing the spread of video-streaming services and online games.

"Experience-based activities, such as going to concerts and sports events, add value to leisure," the official said.
 
 

Japan is to showcase its film industry and push for more international co-productions as the country of honour at Cannes’ Marche du Film in 2026.

After being announced during the opening ceremony of Tokyo International Film Festival on Monday, Japanese executives and Marche executive director Guillaume Esmiol revealed further details during a press conference in Tokyo today (October 28).

During the Marche, which takes place from May 12-20, 2026, a dedicated conference will explore the strengths of Japanese cinema through a series of seminars while screenings of the latest films from the country will be shown.

The Marche’s Producer’s Network will organise meetings with leading international producers in a bid to forge connections with Japan and further networking between Japanese and French producers will take place on Co-Production Day.

Animation Day will see anime-related discussions, including a collaboration with Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and a work-in-progress event will explore financing and co-production opportunities.

Japan will also co-host the opening night party, which draws more than 1,200 people from the international film industry, and will include an increased delegation of Japanese participants.

The programme is being overseen by the Executive Committee for Japan, Country of Honour 2026; the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

Tsuchiya Takashi, director of JETRO’s digital marketing department, said the activities would sit under the banner Beyond Boundaries: Tradition, Innovation and the Future of Japanese Cinema.

“We want to contrast the past and present of Japanese cinema,” he said. “Anime will be at the centre but there are a wide range of diverse expressions. We want to remind cinephiles that Japanese cinema is always a presence worth paying attention to.”

Esmiol said discussions began three years ago and that Japan was a natural choice as country of honour, especially after featuring a record level of 10 films from the country in this year’s Official Selection.

“Japan holds a unique place in international cinema, and its creative legacy continues to inspire generations of filmmakers,” he said. “It also holds a unique place at the Marché du Film, as one of the most represented and dynamic countries, with highly active sales companies and producers.

“On a more personal note: as someone with Japanese roots, it’s a beautiful opportunity to pay tribute to my cultural heritage.” Esimol pointed out his Japanese mother, who was sat in the front row of the assembled press at the conference.

Japan has been exploring an increasing number of international co-productions in recent years and Junichi Sakomoto, chair of the country of honour executive committee, said more could be on the way.

“In the past, it’s true there haven’t been a lot of international co-productions [involving Japan] but we are building momentum,” he said. “Global international co-production is going to be a key stream going into the future and this is a significant chance to promote more deals.”

Yasushi Shiina, who is TIFFCOM CEO, vice president of Unijapan and vice chair of the country of honour committee, added that it would also provide a chance to demystify Japan’s production committee style of filmmaking.

“When talking about co-producing with Japan, there is this production committee approach that isn’t easy to understand,” he said. “The first step in growing co-production will be educational efforts around this.”

Japan’s film industry is robust, producing around 1,200 films annually and drawing more than 150 million cinemagoers each year. Its box office generates around $1.3bn (¥200bn) in annual revenue. Japanese anime has also become a global cultural phenomenon, while live-action films continue to find success and inspire adaptations.

Satoru Hayasaka, deputy director for culture and creative industries at METI, said the initiative aligns with Japan’s goal to generate $131.5bn (¥20tn) in overseas content revenue by 2033.

“Cannes will bring together one of the world’s top three film festivals with one of the top three markets,” he said. “In 10 years, when we look back, I want it to mark a turning point for the expansion of our film industry.”

Japan follows Brazil (2025), Switzerland (2024), Spain (2023) and India (2022) as the fifth country of honour, an initiative launched to recognise nations for their outstanding contributions to the global film industry and to foster international exchange and collaboration.
 
 

President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip on Tuesday by warmly greeting the new Japanese prime minister, and taking her with him as he spoke to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier.

Although Trump is visiting one of America's most steadfast allies in Asia, there's no shortage of uncertainty while he's there. Sanae Takaichi, who became the country's first female prime minister only days ago, must solidify her relationship with Trump while defending her country's economic interests. Trump is trying to nail down $550 billion in Japanese investment as part of a trade agreement.


Trump and Takaichi swap warm words

As Trump and Takaichi met on Tuesday, they shook hands and he paid her a compliment: "That's a very strong handshake."

In return, Takaichi talked about watching the third game of the U.S. World Series before the event. She added that Japan would give Washington 250 cherry trees next year to honor America's 250th anniversary, as well as fireworks from Akita Prefecture for July 4 celebrations.
 
She used her early remarks to mention former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, her archconservative mentor who forged a strong bond with Trump during his first term through their shared interest of golf.
 
"As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Abe often told me about your dynamic diplomacy," she said.
 
Trump called her role as Japan's first woman prime minister as a "big deal," putting an emphasis on the U.S. commitment to Japan. While the president in the past has publicly scolded his foreign counterparts, he had nothing but praise for Takaichi.
 
"Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there," Trump said. "We are an ally at the strongest level."
 
Takaichi is primed for a charm offensive, including a potential purchase of Ford F-150 trucks. Reporters arriving for the event were hustled past a gold-hued Ford F-150 as well as what appeared to be white American-made Toyota vehicles parked outside the Akasaka Palace, which is Tokyo's guest house for visiting foreign leaders.

Trump has often complained that Japan doesn't buy American vehicles, which are often too wide to be practical on narrow Japanese streets.

The Japanese delegation also made the strategic choice to serve American beef and rice during a working lunch that was mixed with Japanese ingredients, at which the two leaders also discussed efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Takaichi also gave Trump a putter used by Abe, the former prime minister, and a golf bag signed by the professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama, according to a post on X by White House aide Margo Martin. They signed black "Japan is Back" baseball caps that resembled Trump's own red "Make America Great Again" caps.


Agreements vow a 'golden age' for alliance and cooperation on critical minerals

Both leaders signed the implementation of an agreement for the "golden age" of their nations' alliance. When the document was held up after signing, it ran to less than one page and reaffirmed the earlier framework by which the U.S. would tax goods imported from Japan at 15% and the creation of a $550 billion fund for Japan to invest in the U.S.

Trump and Takaichi then signed a second agreement, this one laying out a U.S.-Japan framework for securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. That agreement suggested that some of the investment dollars would go to the development of rare earths needed for advanced technologies.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Takaichi would be nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The two leaders also met with people whose family members were abducted by North Korea.



Trump talks to troops on US aircraft carrier

Although Trump has focused his foreign policy toward Asia around tariffs and trade, he also spoke aboard the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at an American naval base near Tokyo. The president brought Takaichi with him and she also spoke.

The president talked about individual units on the aircraft carrier, his political opponents, national security and the U.S. economy, saying that Takaichi had told him that Toyota would be investing $10 billion in auto plants in America.

Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, when he met with the emperor in a ceremonial visit. He was previously in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he participated in the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The gathering was an opportunity for Trump to celebrate an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, which skirmished along their disputed border earlier this year. Trump had pressured them to stop fighting by threatening to withhold trade agreements.

There were also signs that tensions between the U.S. and China were cooling off ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which is expected to take place in South Korea later this week.

Top negotiators from each country said a trade deal was coming together, which could prevent a potentially damaging confrontation between the world's two largest economies.

Details were scarce, and it was unclear how much any agreement would resolve long-standing issues, or if it would return the relationship to the status quo before recent confrontations.

China has restructured the export of rare earth elements that are critical for high-tech manufacturing, and Trump responded by threatening tariffs that even he admits would be unsustainable.

Trump is scheduled to leave Wednesday for South Korea, which is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
 

 

Chairwoman of the Sakuranesia Indonesia Foundation Sakura Ijuin emphasized the importance of combining global values with local strengths — a concept she called “glocal cooperation” — to strengthen Indonesia–Japan ties in environment, culture, and education.

She made the remarks while speaking at the 12th Munakata International Environmental Conference in Fukuoka Prefecture on Sunday (Oct. 26), which drew more than 200 participants from around the world.

“One of the answers we were seeking turned out to lie within the fireworks tradition,” Ijuin said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She highlighted the symbolic significance of Japan’s fireworks heritage as a bridge for cross-cultural collaboration, including with Indonesia.

She cited the collaboration between Japan’s Wakino Art Factory, a traditional fireworks producer from Kitakyushu, and Indonesia’s Nolimits Fireworks, which led to the first launch of Japan-made fireworks in Indonesia since World War II during the Jember Fashion Carnival (JFC).

“That night, tens of thousands of people looked up at the same sky. Fireworks became a bridge of light connecting people to people, nation to nation,” she said.

Ijuin also introduced three new international initiatives by the Sakuranesia Foundation: an interfaith dialogue titled “Miidera × Islamic Wisdom,” an environmental education program using football, and a cultural exchange project that will showcase Japan’s Dashi (festival float frames) at the JFC.

“From local to global — this mutual support embodies the essence of ‘Glocal’ in the new era,” Ijuin stated.

The conference, which opened on Saturday (Oct. 25), also featured a video message from Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori, who outlined the prefecture’s initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

With the theme “Think Global, Act Local,” the forum provided a platform for nations to exchange ideas on addressing climate change and building environmentally resilient communities.
 

 
Food prices continue to rise, driven primarily by high raw material costs, as well as increasing logistics and labor costs, leading to predictions of repeated further price hikes going forward.

Food prices, initially pushed up due to changing international conditions, are continuing to rise because of growing domestic operational costs.



Red ink dilemma

“It’s a rush of price hikes. Everything is going up in price. There’s nothing I can do but lament it,” said a 79-year-old housewife as she finished her shopping at a Sanyo supermarket in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, on Thursday. She let out a sigh while holding her receipt.

Since September, the store has been continuously raising the prices of bottled beverages, chocolate snacks and other items.

The supermarket has implemented measures to prevent customer attrition, such as bringing in low-priced brand products. Many items, however, are continuing to get more expensive.

“If we don’t raise prices, we will end up in the red,” admitted Yoshikuni Abe, a director of the company that operates the store.

According to the nationwide consumer price index for September released by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on Friday, the core index, excluding volatile food prices, rose 2.9% from the same month a year earlier.

Food, excluding perishable items, saw a particularly high increase of 7.6%.
Rice prices rose 49.2%, falling 2.5% from their peak in June but remaining roughly double the 2020 level. Significant price increases were also seen for eggs, up 15.2%; coffee beans, up 64.1%; and chocolate, up 50.9%.



Shifting reasons

According to Teikoku Databank Ltd., the number of food and beverage items undergoing price revisions in 2025 is projected to reach 20,381 items, 60% increase from last year.

However, the causes of the price increases are changing.

A food manufacturer said that international factors were the main reasons for the price increase until the first half of 2024. These factors included the surge in crude oil and wheat prices triggered by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the rapid depreciation of the yen.

Since the beginning of this year, however, the majority of companies have cited domestic factors such as rising logistics costs and labor expenses, in addition to higher raw material costs, as their reasons for raising prices.

Households are strengthening their penny-pinching mindset. According to the August household survey, households with two or more members spent an average of ¥102,443 on food per month.

Looking at nominal values for food expenditures, based on unadjusted amounts, the figure rose 5.9% year-on-year. However, when adjusted for price fluctuations, the figure, on a real basis, decreased by 1.2%.

This indicates that consumers are responding to the price hikes by reducing the amounts of food they purchase or switching to cheaper products.

Yoshiki Shinke of the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc. suggested that price increases will likely continue, saying, “With food manufacturers successively raising prices, adjusting prices now will not draw much attention and won’t significantly impact market share.”
 
 

 

US President Donald Trump arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday.

He was traveling from the ASEAN summit in Malaysia. This is his fourth visit to Japan as US president. The last was in 2019 to attend the Group of 20 summit in Osaka.

Trump met with Emperor Naruhito on Monday night. He will also meet with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on Tuesday.

Takaichi posted a message on X welcoming him. She wrote, "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow and having a fruitful discussion on how we can further strengthen our great Alliance."

She also posted photos of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree illuminated in the colors of the US national flag.

Trump and Takaichi are expected to talk about defense strategies and Japan's planned 550-billion-dollar investment in the US. The investment is the result of back and forth trade negotiations.
 
 

The world's first stablecoin pegged to the yen launched in Japan on Monday, a small but significant move in a country where many consumers still prefer to use traditional payment means like cash and credit cards.

JPYC, a Japanese startup, began issuing the stablecoins - also called JPYC - which are fully convertible to the yen and backed by domestic savings and Japanese government bonds (JGBs).

The company aims to issue 10 trillion yen ($66 billion) worth of JPYC over three years and have the digital assets used widely overseas. It does not initially plan to charge transaction fees to encourage its usage, and instead aims to earn money from interest on holdings of JGBs.

"We hope to spur innovation by giving startups access to low transaction and settlement fees," CEO Noritaka Okabe told a press briefing.

"Increasing global interoperability would benefit us too, so we're open to capital tie-ups," he added.

Blockchain-based stablecoins are typically pegged to a fiat currency and offer faster and cheaper transactions.

With strong backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar have surged and now account for over 99% of global stablecoin supply, according to the Bank for International Settlements.

Interest in stablecoins is also gaining momentum globally, and Japan's three megabanks will jointly issue stablecoins, the Nikkei daily reported this month.

Tomoyuki Shimoda, a former Bank of Japan executive who is currently an academic at Japan's Rikkyo University, said yen stablecoins are not going to have the same momentum as those backed by the U.S. dollar - the world's reserve currency used across the globe.

"There's a lot of uncertainty on whether yen stablecoins will become widespread in Japan," he said. "If megabanks join the market, the pace could accelerate. But it could still take at least two to three years."

Policymakers have expressed concern that stablecoins could facilitate the movement of funds outside regulated banking systems and potentially undermine the role of commercial banks in global payment flows.

"Stablecoins might emerge as a key player in the global payment system, partially replacing the role of bank deposits," BOJ Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino said in a speech last week, urging global regulators to adapt.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea has pledged to allow companies to introduce won-based stablecoins and China, too, is considering allowing usage of yuan-backed stablecoins.
 

Tokyo will begin producing locally farmed caviar on Kozushima Island amid the decline in the number of spiny lobsters.

The Tokyo metropolitan government aims to cultivate sterlet sturgeon, which produces roe used to make caviar, creating a new income source for local fishermen. The caviar is expected to be on sale in jars and other forms by fiscal 2030.

Kozushima, in the Izu Islands, is located 160 kilometers southwest of Haneda Airport, and 50 kilometers south of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The island, with a population of 1,719 as of Oct. 1, is known for its set net fishing of spiny lobster and pole-and-line fishing for red seabream. However, the catch of spiny lobster has declined by 98% over the past 40 years.

“In the past, most boats focused on fishing for spiny lobster, but now there are only one or two left,” said Yoshiki Maeda, 63, chairman of the Kozushima fisheries cooperative.

The catch, which exceeded 23 tons in 1986, plummeted to 7.6 tons in 2013 and then to just 0.4 tons in 2023. Maeda said that in recent years the catch has been “at best about 10 kilograms per day.”

A 300-square-meter tank facility sits near the port in the eastern part of the island. When there is a good catch, some spiny lobsters can be stored here to prevent price collapses from simultaneous shipments. However, it has hardly been used in recent years and remains unfilled with seawater even during the fishing season from November to March.

According to the metropolitan government, the long-term decline in catches is thought to have been factors such as a result of rising sea temperatures due to global warming. The number of shellfish, such as abalone, and seaweed has also decreased. The number of fishermen has also fallen, from 182 in 2013 to 137 in 2023, a 25% drop over a decade.

As a result, Tokyo and the village of Kozushima have turned their focus to aquaculture, which is less susceptible to rising sea temperatures. After researching various fish species with a high value, they settled on freshwater sturgeon. They thought that the abundance of spring water was ideal for the freshwater fish, along with the lobster tanks.

Last month, Tokyo and the village signed an agreement to cooperate on aquaculture. The metropolitan government would cover the costs of research and for the renovation of the tank facility, which would need to be modified for sturgeon cultivation, while village will advance commercialization of the caviar for fish meat products.

“We can reuse the tanks to farm sturgeon,” said Maeda. “This is a welcome initiative.”

Juvenile and adult fish will be put into the tanks from next fiscal year, and a production system will be established by as early as fiscal 2030.

“After achieving success on Kozushima, we want to expand land-based aquaculture to areas like the Tama region and advance the branding of ‘Tokyo Caviar,’” a metropolitan official said.

 

Possible effects of global warming

The fishing industry in other areas of Japan has also seemingly been affected by global warming, with some municipalities collaborating with companies to cope with the issue.

The Aomori prefectural city of Hachinohe is known for its catches of mackerel and Japanese flying squid. However, volumes have fallen to less than one-tenth of their peak levels.

This June, the city began land-based aquaculture of the popular high-end barfin flounder in collaboration with local fishing companies and financial institutions. Calling it a first-time endeavor, a city official said, “We want this to be a model project for reviving Hachinohe’s fisheries.”

Mie Prefecture plans to start experimental mackerel aquaculture, both at sea and on land from fiscal 2023, to compensate for poor wild mackerel catches.

The town of Shiranuka in eastern Hokkaido has turned to catches of yellowtail, which has seen a surge in recent years, to make up for the lack of salmon, the local specialty.

The town built a new tank facility to preserve the freshness of yellowtail along with a processing plant, and is working on branding it as gokkan-buri, or yellowtail caught in extremely cold water.

Agricultural products have also been affected. Aomori Prefecture, Japan’s top apple producer, has seen poor coloring on the fruits, leading farmers to turn to growing peaches, which are relatively heat-tolerant. The area of peach cultivation has seen an increase of 1.4 times over the past decade.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry established its Climate Change Adaptation Plan in August 2015. It is advancing countermeasures across various sectors, including developing crops that are tolerant to high temperatures and transplanting high-water-temperature-tolerant culture breeds into seaweed beds, where fish can spawn and grow.
 
 

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the Indo-Pacific region from early this week, including Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

In relation to this, Japan's Defense Ministry said Monday that Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will hold talks with Hegseth on Wednesday.

The Japanese minister intends to convey Japan's plan to bring forward the achievement of the goal to increase the country's defense spending and the revision of the government's three national security-related documents.

In a statement released on Sunday, the U.S. Defense Department said, "Key themes will include...the importance of allies stepping up their defense spending and contributions to our collective defense."

In Japan, the defense secretary will highlight "the importance of rapidly strengthening our alliance against growing regional threats," the statement said.

Hegseth is scheduled to accompany U.S. President Donald Trump on his visit to Japan.