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June 30, 2026
 

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CHIBA

Punch, a Japanese macaque known for clinging to a stuffed orangutan, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture in March
JAPAN / Society
Jun 25, 2026
‘Unacceptable’: Laser pointer aimed at Punch, the viral baby monkey
Pointing a laser at a monkey will cause it a great amount of stress, a zoo official said, adding that aiming one at its eyes could cause blindness.
Choushimaru President Ken Ishii speaks during an interview in the city of Chiba on June 5.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 22, 2026
Sushi chain Choushimaru to expand U.S. business
The firm plans to increase Sushi Nigiriba brand outlets in the U.S. under its joint venture with Japanese restaurant chain operator Royal Holdings and Japanese trader Sojitz.
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET
Jun 21, 2026
Japan’s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Residents living next to new developments are raising concerns over environmental and health issues linked to the “factories” of today.
Visitors gather in the rain to catch a glimpse of Punch the monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in April.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 18, 2026
Japan arrests Americans over stunt at baby monkey Punch’s zoo
Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter.
Punch, a Japanese macaque known for clinging to a stuffed orangutan, looks on at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture, in March.
JAPAN / Society
May 9, 2026
Punch, the lonely monkey, is growing up. He’s still a star.
Punch has handled the limelight better than most young stars. Since first hitting the headlines, he has slowly integrated into his troop and made friends.
An agrivoltaic crop, in which solar panels are raised about 3 meters off the ground so that agricultural machinery can freely operate on the crops underneath, in Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
May 3, 2026
As Iran war sends oil prices soaring, some see fresh potential for solar in Japan
While megasolar projects are facing headwinds at the government level, some see renewed potential for solar sharing and smaller-scale, off-grid systems.
Investigators said they are looking into the possibility of additional victims.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 13, 2026
Day care worker arrested for kidnap and sexual assault of 5-year-old girl
The former employee had been in charge of transportation for a day care center for children with disabilities.
Decorations celebrating Tokyo DisneySea’s 25th anniversary, on Wednesday in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2026
Tokyo DisneySea to celebrate its 25th anniversary as a ‘Sparkling Jubilee’
The event, dubbed the “Sparkline Jubilee,” will feature park-wide decorations in an ocean-blue theme color and run from April 15 until March of next year.
Save for a handful of themed suites, most rooms at The Royal Park Hotel Maihama Resort Tokyo-Bay offer straightforward decor.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 4, 2026
A smarter stay near Tokyo Disneyland — if you don’t need the extras
Opened on Feb. 13, the budget-friendly Royal Park Hotel Maihama Resort Tokyo-Bay opts for theme park-focused performance over luxury bells and whistles.
The opening of Narita International Airport’s third runway is expected to be delayed beyond March 2029 due to difficulties in land acquisition, sources have said.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2026
Opening of third runway at Narita Airport to be delayed due to land issues
Work on the 3,500-meter runway, currently under construction, has been pushed back due to difficulties acquiring the planned site.
Baby Japanese macaque Punch sits next to a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Feb. 19.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2026
Punch, the viral baby monkey, isn’t being bullied, Ichikawa City Zoo says
The 7-month-old Japanese macaque, often clinging to an orangutan plush, became an internet sensation after videos of him being chased by fellow monkeys were posted on social media.
Ronda Payne (center), the mother of Christopher Payne, an American man convicted of sexual assault in Japan, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2026
American man found guilty of sexual assault fights ruling over DNA evidence
A Tokyo High Court ruling in December said his conviction was based on insufficient evidence and sent his case back to the district court.
A Japanese man living in the United States has been arrested for allegedly splashing an oil-like substance at Katori Shrine in the city of Katori, Chiba Prefecture, in 2015.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2026
Man held for splashing oil-like substance at shrine near Tokyo in 2015
Masahide Kanayama, a 63-year-old man who lived in the U.S., was brought back to Japan under the U.S.-Japan extradition treaty.
A well is set up next to Lawson's disaster response store in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 25, 2026
Starlink, phone chargers and rice balls: Lawson opens outlet ready to aid disaster response
The convenience store chain aims to increase the number of such stores to 100 across the country by fiscal 2030 to prepare for possible large-scale disasters.
A baby Japanese macaque named Punch drags a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2026
Punch-drunk love: Lonely baby monkey in Japan goes viral
A tiny Japanese macaque at a local zoo in Chiba Prefecture has become an online sensation, with people around the world rooting for him after he was abandoned by his mother.
A baby Japanese macaque named Punch sits next to a stuffed orangutan at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2026
Monkey see, monkey soothe: Zookeepers get creative to save infant macaque
Punch, a baby Japanese macaque, was given the plush toy after being abandoned by his mother.
Three Brazilian nationals were arrested for allegedly stealing a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 SUV in the city of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, last December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 20, 2026
Three Brazilian nationals arrested after luxury Toyota car theft case
Authorities believe the trio has stolen a total of about 50 vehicles in Tokyo and seven other prefectures, targeting high-end vehicles.
The number of foreign passengers on international flights at Narita International Airport rose 3% from a year earlier to 2,108,313 in December, marking a record high for the month, the airport operator said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2026
Narita Airport sees record number of foreign passengers in December
The number of flights between the airport and China fell 18% to 2,122, however, following the Chinese government’s request for its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan.
The autonomous driving bus in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture
JAPAN / Society
Jan 14, 2026
Self-driving bus runs on public roads in greater Tokyo for first time
A University of Tokyo team is testing a Level 4 vehicle on a bus route for students, hoping to address Japan’s driver shortage.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi experiences a drill to jump from a tower about 11 meters high at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2026
Record 15 nations join GSDF’s new year jump drill
The GSDF’s 1st Airborne Brigade were joined for the first time by contingents from Belgium, Thailand and Turkey.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

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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