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June 30, 2026
 

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TAXES

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a meeting on economic policy at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 27, 2026
Japan government to avoid deficit-covering bonds for food tax cut
The move to avoid the issuance of deficit-covering bonds follows a policy that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has consistently emphasized.
A draft by a tax panel calls for reducing the consumption tax rate to 1% for food for two years from April 2027.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 25, 2026
Interim draft on two-year food tax cut presented
The proposal calls for reducing the tax rate to 1% for food for two years from April 2027.
Although paper customs forms are still available in many cases, it is no longer standard practice to hand them out on all flights.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 22, 2026
Japan to fully digitalize airport customs system by 2030
The phasing-out of paper customs declaration forms is among measures eyed by the Finance Ministry to handle the inbound movement of people and goods more efficiently.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a Lower House budget committee session on Monday
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 22, 2026
Takaichi says consumption tax cut would last only two years
Asked if the cut would expire after two years even if the economy worsened, the prime minister said the measure is only “a bridge” until a refundable tax credit program is created.
The nonpartisan National Council discusses a consumption tax reduction in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 18, 2026
Takaichi acknowledges proposed cut of consumption tax on food to 1%
The plan has divided party members and raised concerns about its impact on financial markets.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party pledged during February’s general election campaign to speed up discussions on suspending the tax on food for two years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 16, 2026
LDP still considering cutting sales tax to zero for food
The ruling party pledged during February’s general election campaign to speed up discussions on suspending the tax on food for two years with a view to going ahead with it.
A consumption tax cut on groceries is intended to help households struggling to make ends meet.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 12, 2026
Consumption tax cut on groceries could do more harm than good
It could lead to less confidence in Japan’s fiscal state, a weaker yen, higher rates and slower economic growth.
Parent-child groups cook dishes using milk offered as a return gift for the hometown tax donation program during an event held in Tokyo in March.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Hometown donations program to refocus on local community ties
Following a revision to the furusato nōzei system, the internal affairs ministry wants to move away from the “good deals” offered through generous return gifts.
A decaying Dutch-era colonial house in Teuku Umar Street in Menteng, Jakarta on May 28
BUSINESS
Jun 9, 2026
Rotting $16 million mansion exposes Indonesia’s tangled legal system
The Jakarta property is just one of many that lie derelict amid protracted wrangles over ownership which are complicated by poor records keeping and overlapping legal systems.
Since adjusting cash register systems for a 1% tax rate would take less time than for zero percent, implementing 1% next April is gaining support within the government and ruling parties.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 7, 2026
Final decision on tax cut left to PM Takaichi: LDP exec
Since adjusting cash register systems for a 1% tax rate would take less time than for zero percent, implementing 1% next April is gaining support.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a party leaders' debate at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on May 20. A pledge to cut the consumption tax on food products is quickly becoming a policy headache for the prime minister.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 4, 2026
Consumption tax cut is quickly turning into a headache for Takaichi
Translating the pledge from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration into policy has proven more complicated than many lawmakers anticipated.
President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday, May 27.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2026
Trump administration drops $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund after Republican backlash
The fund emerged after Trump’s unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit ​against the IRS over the alleged mishandling of his tax records.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo last month.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Takaichi administration considering 1% tax on food from next April
A tax cut to 1% would require less time to update cash register systems and could be implemented sooner than her campaign pledge of zero percent.
Itsunori Onodera, the Liberal Democratic Party's tax chief, on Wednesday presented a draft outline for providing additional benefits for households with children during a meeting of lawmakers.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2026
Lawmakers eye extra benefits for child-rearing households
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking into increasing take-home pay for low- and middle-income workers by adjusting the amount of benefits according to income.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists as he makes his way to board Marine One before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on May 8.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Trump’s $1.776 billion ‘weaponization’ fund sparks outrage, but court challenges will be tough
Congressional Democrats have derided what is known as the Anti-Weaponization Fund as a slush fund to steer taxpayer dollars to Trump’s political allies.
The Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has secured a settlement with the IRS, dropping a lawsuit filed in January, despite concerns that he effectively controlled both sides of the litigation.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
Trump’s IRS settlement includes dropping tax cases and audits
The accord represents a major triumph by U.S. President Donald Trump over the Internal Revenue Service, but has also been called “a breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system.”
Members of the National Council on Social Security's panel of experts meet in the parliamentary building on Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 18, 2026
Scope of eligibility seen as key focus in Japan’s refundable tax credit talks
The central government is eyeing introducing a refundable tax credit program following a stopgap measure of reducing the consumption tax rate on food to zero for two years.
An AI industrial humanoid robot is demonstrated at Foxconn’s annual tech day in Taipei in November.
COMMENTARY / World
May 15, 2026
Will artificial intelligence solve wealthy nations’ debt woes?
If anything, the technology is likely to cause profound — and costly — problems on the way to the halcyon future.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2026
BOJ’s policy rate likely to reach 2% by end-2027, OECD says
The report marks the OECD’s first survey on Japan since January 2024, when the BOJ’s policy rate was still in negative territory.
Mathias Cormann (left), secretary-general of the OECD, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meet at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2026
OECD chief sees Japan’s zero consumption tax plan as costly
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration plans to reduce the consumption tax on food items to zero for two years to cope with inflation.
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.
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.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
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.

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