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July 12, 2026
 

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Yukana Inoue
Starting April 1, cyclists in Japan will be subject to new traffic rules.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / EXPLAINER
Mar 25, 2026
What to know about Japan’s new traffic rules for cyclists
Starting April 1, the “blue ticket” system aims to reduce violations by issuing fines for minor offenses such as using a phone while cycling or ignoring stoplights.
The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association is calling for social media platforms to adopt stricter regulations toward those engaged in illegal postings.
JAPAN / Media
Mar 23, 2026
¥3.2 billion lost in advertising revenue due to illicit postings on YouTube
Given a sampling of only 300 social media accounts for its illegal streaming survey, the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association called its results “only the tip of the iceberg.”
J-pop boy band Arashi has launched its final tour, prompting businesses across Japan to make unusual adjustments to meet surging demand near concert venues.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2026
J-pop legends Arashi’s final tour drives intense demand for hotels and transport
Businesses are making unusual adjustments to accommodate the band’s overwhelming popularity and the impact of fans’ demand near venues across the country.
Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani pitches during the sixth inning against the Blue Jays during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 28.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 17, 2026
Uniqlo looks to cash in on Dodgermania with partnership deal
The deal with superstar Shohei Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers will see the firm become Dodger Stadium’s official field presenting partner.
Japan is moving to make child deliveries free of charge in an effort to tackle the declining birth rate.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 13, 2026
Japan moves to cover full cost of child delivery with public health insurance
The measure, aimed at tackling the nation’s declining birth rate, was approved in a Cabinet meeting on Friday, with implementation eyed by fiscal 2028.
Saitama Prefectural Children’s Medical Center head Akira Oka (center left) and other staff bow to reporters in the city of Saitama on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 12, 2026
Unexpected drug found as Saitama hospital probes death of teen after treatment
An anticancer drug found in a patient’s cerebrospinal fluid was not intended for use in the therapy he received.
People pray on a seawall in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, on Wednesday, the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 11, 2026
Japan marks 15th anniversary of Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to ensure that the invaluable lessons from the disaster are handed down to future generations.
The Manga One app operated by publisher Shogakukan. The publishing house announced Monday that executives at the company had apologized to a sexual assault victim after reappointing the perpetrator to write for the platform after he was known to have been involved in sexual misconduct.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / EXPLAINER
Mar 10, 2026
How did publishing giant Shogakukan end up in hot water?
The manga publisher has had to apologize for rehiring an author convicted of sexual assault, who then worked under a pseudonym.
Cedar and cypress pollen have been dispersing at a much faster pace in western Tokyo than in an average year.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2026
Pollen dispersing at higher rate than usual in western Tokyo
The hay fever season could die down earlier than in previous years as a result.
More than 60% of single men and women don't want to have children amid concerns over the economic burden of child-rearing, a survey showed.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 6, 2026
Over 60% of Japan’s unmarried young people do not want children, survey says
Rohto Pharmaceutical polled online 400 unmarried men and women between ages 18 and 29 as part of its annual survey on pregnancy and family planning.
Admission fees for the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and 11 other state-run museums are set to increase for visitors from outside Japan.
JAPAN
Mar 5, 2026
Japan’s national museums to implement dual-pricing system
The planned change, a first for state-run museums, will hike admission fees for nonresidents by March 2031.
The Japan branch of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2026
Tokyo High Court orders Unification Church to dissolve
The high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision last year that stripped the group of its status as a religious organization.
The percentage of foreign drivers who passed the written test for a Japanese driver’s license dropped to 42.8% between October and December last year, and the practical test, to 13.1%, police figures show.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 3, 2026
Foreign driver’s license conversion rates plunge after tighter rules brought in
The passing rate for the written test plummeted to 42.8% between October and December, while that for the practical test tumbled to 13.1%.
Somayyeh Mehri speaks in an interview on Monday in Tokyo. The psychological weight of watching events unfold from Japan is gut-wrenching for Mehri.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 3, 2026
‘My hope has fear inside it’: Iranians in Japan react to attacks back home
Following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, Iranians living in Japan say they are feeling a mixture of relief, hope and fear as they try to contact their loved ones back home.
The Cultural Affairs Agency will introduce a new system in April that compels users to pay copyright fees even in cases in which the creator or the copyright holder is not known.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2026
Culture agency to charge fees for use of works by unknown authors
From April, copyright holders of previously unattributed works who come forward after the agency grants usage permission for them can obtain compensation from it.
A government report shows that high school students spend an average of 6 hours and 44 minutes online per day.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Nearly half of Japanese high school students use AI, report shows
The child agency survey found that students are spending more time online, with some experiencing disruptions in their sleep schedules or studies.
Hirotsugu Sakahara (left), Hiromu Sakahara’s eldest son, shakes hands with Hideko Hakamata, an older sister of a former defendant who received a not-guilty verdict in a retrial, after they learned that Sakahara’s father case would be reopened, on Tuesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 25, 2026
Top court grants retrial for deceased inmate over 1984 murder in Shiga
The decision makes it the first case in recent history in which a retrial was granted for a deceased inmate.
The Sakaiminato Ferry Terminal in Tottori Prefecture featuring works by the late manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. A traditional Japanese short poetry contest held in the city to commemorate Mizuki came to an end this year due to possible AI use by participants.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2026
Possible AI use leads to end of senryu competition after 20 years
The organizers decided to end the contest as it has become difficult for the works to be judged fairly given the emergence of artificial intelligence.
In "character counseling," an anime character acts as a guide through sessions, which may make it easier for young people to open up.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Researchers test whether anime can be used for therapy
A research team is testing “character counseling” as part of a larger project to develop new methods for addressing the difficulties young people face.
Deputy Tokyo Gov. Manabu Miyasaka speaks during a SusHi Tech pre-event in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2026
SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 set to be largest yet
Tokyo’s annual startup convention will be held from April 27 to 29, with the first two days reserved for businesses and the final day open to the public.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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