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July 12, 2026
 

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Jessica Speed
Over the past several years, there has been a spate of viral videos featuring unhygienic pranks at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, with such acts referred to in Japan as “sushi terrorism.”
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2026
Sushi chain in Japan may consult police over video of man pouring liquid on sushi
The video, posted on TikTok on Wednesday, seems to show the uploader pouring liquid from a dish soap bottle onto sushi that had been delivered to him via a conveyor belt.
A Meteorological Agency official shows a satellite image of Tropical Storm Jangmi in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 1, 2026
Tropical Storm Jangmi set to lash wide area of Japan
The Meteorological Agency has warned of violent winds, high waves, storm surges, landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers in affected areas.
Personal training, once mainly used by athletes, has become increasingly popular among people in Japan seeking to lose weight, improve fitness or maintain their health.
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2026
Consumer safety watchdog seeks standards for personal trainers as accidents rise
Japan’s Consumer Safety Investigation Commission wants the industry to step up, saying use of personal training among general consumers has outpaced safety practices.
Despite government efforts to lower the price of rice by tapping into the nation’s emergency stockpile, the cost of Japan’s staple grain remains at an all-time high.
JAPAN / Society
May 27, 2026
Rice consumption in fiscal 2025 the lowest in seven years
The drop coincided with last summer’s “Reiwa rice riots” when the staple disappeared from supermarket shelves and prices surged nationwide.
How Japanese-language instruction is provided currently varies widely according to region.
JAPAN / Society
May 26, 2026
Record number of students in Japan need help learning Japanese
As of May 2025, a total of 84,759 students at public elementary, junior high, high and special needs schools required support, a government survey shows.
Firefighters and police officers rush to the Ginza Six shopping mall in Tokyo, where at least 20 people fell ill after experiencing a strong odor on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 25, 2026
Mysterious odor at luxury mall in Ginza leaves at least 25 feeling unwell
Police and the Tokyo Fire Department are investigating the cause of the odor.
The Immigration Services Agency plans to strengthen enforcement by enhancing joint and independent crackdowns, encouraging information reporting and expanding cyber patrols.
JAPAN
May 22, 2026
Japan says it will crack down harder on illegal overstaying
The stronger crackdown measures come as the number of foreign nationals staying illegally fell to 68,488 as of Jan. 1, down from about 74,863 a year earlier.
Japan’s foreign resident population rose 9.5% to a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, topping 4 million for the first time, according to data from the Immigration Services Agency.
JAPAN / Society
May 19, 2026
Almost half of foreign residents have experienced discrimination: government survey
The Immigration Services Agency found 47% of foreign residents have experienced some form of discrimination in their everyday lives in Japan, most commonly from strangers.
Masami Ouchi (left), a professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Kimihiko Nakajima, an associate professor at Kanazawa University, at the education ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 15, 2026
Japanese researchers gain glimpse into the universe’s first stars
The team observed an ultra-faint galaxy dating to roughly 800 million years after the Big Bang.
Axiom Space's Chief Technology Officer Koichi Wakata (left) and company president and CEO Jonathan Cirtain address reporters at a news conference on Thursday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2026
Axiom Space to launch Japan subsidiary
The Texas-based company is aiming to deepen ties with Japan ahead of its planned commercial replacement for the International Space Station.
IPS cells cultured by Sumitomo Pharma
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 13, 2026
Health panel approves coverage for iPS cell-derived Parkinson’s disease treatment
The approval of Sumitomo Pharma’s Amchepry makes it the world’s first commercialized medical product derived from iPS cells.
Masako Suzuki (right) and Sosuke Seki, members of the plaintiff's legal team, speak to reporters Tuesday at the Tokyo District Court's press club.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 12, 2026
Tokyo court rejects refugee’s bid for naturalization over limited Japanese skills
The case highlighted the unclear criteria foreign residents face when wanting to become a naturalized citizen in Japan, with the plaintiff’s lawyers calling it a “black box.”
Meiji's Hello Panda chocolate cookies are displayed for sale at a store in Manhattan in April.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 12, 2026
Hello Panda: A globally loved snack Japan said goodbye to in 1989
While Meiji struggled in Japan to sell its crunchy, chocolate-filled biscuit snacks first introduced in 1987, Hello Panda had a completely different trajectory overseas.
A line of natto products shown on the website of Mizkan
BUSINESS / Companies
May 4, 2026
Mizkan suspends sales for four natto products amid supply strain
The war in the Middle East has driven up procurement costs, the company said, putting pressure on packed natto production.
A map on the website of the Japan Meteorological Agency shows advisories and warnings for strong winds across wide areas of Japan through Monday night.
JAPAN
May 4, 2026
Strong winds disrupt transport during Golden Week
The Meteorological Agency is urging residents, particularly along the Tohoku region’s Pacific side, to remain on alert for violent winds from Monday evening through the late night.
Smoke rises at Parafield Airport, after a small plane crashed into an airport hangar, in Adelaide, Australia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 1, 2026
Two dead, including one Japanese, after light plane crash in South Australia
The aircraft crashed into a hangar at Parafield Airport during a training flight, killing the Japanese learner pilot and the Australian instructor on board.
A 2024 survey on high school students found that roughly 1 in 70 reported having misused over-the-counter drugs in the past year.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 27, 2026
Japan to tighten rules on OTC drug sales to curb misuse among youth
Cases of acute poisoning and addiction to medication have surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, often involving easily accessible drugs sold at drugstores.
Naoko Mizunuma was arrested by Fukuoka police on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering her 4-year-old daughter at a mother-child support facility.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 24, 2026
Mother arrested on suspicion of killing daughter in Fukuoka
Police are investigating whether the woman, 30, was involved in another daughter’s death.
A wildfire near residences in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, on Thursday
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires in northern Japan
Authorities have said there is still no clear timeline for containment of the wildfires, which have prompted evacuation orders for 2,500 people in Iwate.
A woman adjusts her posture due to pain in her back and neck. In Japan, multidisciplinary pain centers have been established to provide coordinated care, but many patients continue to suffer from severe symptoms without a clear underlying cause.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2026
Japanese study links ADHD symptoms to severity of chronic pain
The research team found that patients with symptoms of the disorder were more likely to report extreme pain than those without.
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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