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July 12, 2026
 

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MEDICINE

A DHL container is loaded from a truck onto trains at a terminal in Hamburg, Germany, in December 2022.
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Apr 5, 2026
Pharmaceutical logistics in demand as war rattles supply chains
As fears of medicine shortages grow amid the war in the Middle East, pharmaceutical logistics help ensure steady shipments to hospitals, pharmacies, and other customers worldwide.
Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine President Koji Nishida speaks during a news conference in Kobe on March 18.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 4, 2026
Patient deaths prompt concern over regenerative care not covered by insurance
A series of fatal accidents and regulatory violations involving noncovered regenerative care has prompted health authorities in Japan to review related systems.
A dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 2, 2026
Pfizer and BioNTech halt U.S. COVID-19 vaccine study after recruitment struggles
The move comes as COVID vaccine ‌makers grapple ‌with pushback from the U.S. administration and weak U.S. demand for the shots.
U.K. life expectancy has rebounded to pre-pandemic highs, but worsening health, inequality and a strained medical system are reducing the number of quality years.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2026
The British are living longer lives — and sicker
Britain’s healthy life expectancy has taken a nosedive; it’s now at its lowest level since the government started measuring it in 2011-2013.
The maternal uncle of Bissan, who was evacuated as a premature baby during the two-year Israeli offensive for treatment in Egypt, plays with her after she returned to Gaza as her Palestinian mother Sundus al-Kurd reaches her arms out, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Apr 2, 2026
Babies evacuated from Gaza two years ago returned to their overjoyed parents
Eleven children, now toddlers, were reunited with their families in Gaza as part of ​a U.N.-organized mission that brought tears of joy and celebration.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to makes an announcement about lowering the cost of drug prices, at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 19, 2025.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2026
Drugmakers delay some European launches with a wary eye on Trump’s pricing policies
The White House has been pushing to lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., which has traditionally paid significantly more than other wealthy countries.
Norihide Fukushima, a cardiovascular surgeon and director of the Japan Critical Care Jet Network, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2026
‘Doctor jet’ transportation service for critically ill children seeks support amid funding shortfall
The Japan Critical Care Jet Network, based in Osaka Prefecture, is seeking to raise ¥200 million ($1.25 million) to maintain its service for severely ill pediatric patients.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks during an online gathering of officials of Group of Seven leading industrialized nations on Monday. Akazawa has been named Japan’s critical-materials czar by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2026
Akazawa appointed critical-materials czar in response to conflict in the Middle East
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the industry minister is tasked with reviewing the supply situation and developing policy responses.
An Australian man’s monthslong quest to fight his rescue mutt Rosie’s cancer using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT has grabbed the attention of OpenAI boss Sam Altman.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 30, 2026
One man, his dog, and ChatGPT: Australia’s AI vaccine saga
Australian Paul Conyngham used artificial intelligence to design a personalized experimental treatment for his sick dog and find top scientists to administer it.
Concerta, an ADHD drug marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical, is in short supply in Japan as demand has climbed recently.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Mar 30, 2026
ADHD medication in short supply in Japan as demand soars
Some clinics have stopped prescribing stimulant Concerta to new patients or limiting doses for longtime patients due to limited stock.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says there will be no immediate disruption to supply of petroleum products for medical devices.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2026
Takaichi seeks to ease concerns over medical-product supplies
The prime minister acknowledged that crude-oil shortages in other Asian nations led to worries about the long-term supply of products manufactured elsewhere and shipped to Japan.
From Wednesday, vaccines to prevent respiratory syncytial virus will be administered to women in their 28th to 36th weeks of pregnancy in Japan to protect their unborn children from the virus.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 30, 2026
Japan to begin RSV vaccinations during pregnancy to protect infants
The vaccine will be administered to women in their 28th to 36th weeks of pregnancy to immunize their babies, with costs primarily covered by public funds.
When reducing labor pain with epidural anesthetic and other drugs, the method of continuously administering drugs was commonly adopted in the past.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 26, 2026
Babies’ health not affected by epidurals, study says
The results offer the choice of “painless delivery with peace of mind,” the doctor leading the study said.
Tanabe Pharma, a 348-year-old provider of medicines, was bought by Bain last year for about ¥510 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bain-owned Tanabe Pharma targets global deals to fuel growth
A new team of around eight people in the U.S., in addition to an existing team in Japan, is sourcing therapies globally, particularly in rare diseases.
Eisai's Alzheimer's drug Lecanemab, also known as Leqembi
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 25, 2026
Research team confirms safety of Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab
The research team examined data on the health status of 2,672 patients 28 weeks after the start of the treatment.
The U.S. health care sector has been expanding as baby boomers retire, Social Security rolls rise and medical advances extend lifespans.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2026
Health care can’t be the only job in town — but it is
Health care is a labor-intensive industry that’s become more central to the economy as baby boomers retire.
Until now, heart transplant patients in Japan who have ventricular assist devices and are given Status 1 priority were ranked by waiting time regardless of urgency.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2026
Patients with urgent, high-risk conditions to get heart transplant priority
The policy shift aims to reduce deaths of patients waiting for transplants, particularly those at high risk of dying from complications.
Aichi Hospital in Dhaka, established with support from the people of Aichi Prefecture
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Mar 23, 2026
At Dhaka’s Aichi Hospital, a promise to care for the needy lives on
The hospital was set up in 1996 by a doctor who studied at Nagoya University and with support from the people of Aichi Prefecture.
Medical academic societies are proposing new guidelines for life-sustaining treatment, focusing more on a patient's will and prior intentions.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 18, 2026
New guidelines for life-sustaining treatment proposed in Japan
The recommendations do not define the end of life but focus on procedures for deciding whether to continue treatment after discussions with patients and families.
The health ministry in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. Japan has seen a total of 100 confirmed measles cases so far this year.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 18, 2026
Japan raises alarm over recent measles outbreaks in Tokyo and other cities
Tokyo announced Tuesday that a total of nine people, all males in their 20s working for the same eating and drinking venue, had been infected.
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.

Podcast

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

Longform

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

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