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July 12, 2026
 

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TAXES

Neyagawa Mayor Keisuke Hirose speaks to reporters in the city in Osaka Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2026
City in Osaka Prefecture to tax vacant houses from fiscal 2029
Annual revenue from the tax is estimated to reach ¥139 million, which will be used for measures against crimes and natural disasters.
Britain’s King Charles III inspects a guard of honor during a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on June 23.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2026
King Charles just got a lot more treasure
Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II began paying tax only after a public outcry at the government’s decision to pay for expensive repairs to Windsor Castle after a fire in 1992.
Record growth in tax revenues reflects higher wages and corporate earnings, as well as a rise in the value of consumption amid inflation.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2026
Japan tax revenues hit record ¥84 trillion in fiscal 2025
The growth reflected higher wages and corporate earnings, as well as a rise in the value of consumption amid inflation.
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Previously set at ¥1,000, the tax has risen to ¥3,000 for all travelers departing Japan, regardless of nationality.
The Hakuba Cross-Country Course in the village of Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, in February. For a third year in a row, roadside land prices in the village have increased at the highest rate across Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2026
Roadside land prices rise in popular Japanese tourist sites
Across the board, the prices of land facing major roads in Japan as of Jan. 1 went up by 2.9%, marking a fifth consecutive year of increases.
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.
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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