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July 12, 2026
 

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SOCIAL MEDIA

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts a roundtable meeting for leaders of National Health Service trusts, at No. 10 Downing St. in London on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jun 10, 2026
U.K.’s Starmer to announce social media ban for under-16s in days
Two broad options are being considered: a “blanket” ban on under-16s using social media, or age restrictions on key features of social networks and apps.
A court ruling will be handed down on June 22 for a woman suspected of killing a 17-year-old girl in Hokkaido in 2024.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 9, 2026
Prosecutors seek 27-year sentence for suspect in murder of Hokkaido girl
Public prosecutors have alleged that Riko Uchida and others “applied some physical force” to the high school girl, who was embroiled in a dispute over social media photos.
A video posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on his social media account shows him portraying himself as the protagonist of the Japanese anime series “Naruto.”
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Trump faces backlash over Naruto-style hero video
The president has repeatedly used Japanese anime and other cultural references for political purposes.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions at the Upper House Budget Committee on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 6, 2026
Takaichi faces heat over defamatory campaign video scandal
A report claims that her campaign posted defamatory videos of her rivals on social media during election time. The release of audio recordings has intensified the controversy.
The Nagoya District Court sentenced Shota Suito, a former elementary school teacher, to three years and six months in prison in Japan’s first case involving possession of AI-generated child sexual deepfakes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 5, 2026
Nagoya court recognizes AI-created explicit images as child pornography
The sentence marked the first case in Japan in which the law has been applied to the possession of AI-generated sexual deepfakes.
Saitama Prefectural Police have arrested a 43-year-old man for obstructing Hama-Sushi’s business operations after a “rage-bait” social media video he posted went viral.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 4, 2026
Man arrested over video of him allegedly pouring detergent-like liquid on sushi
Yuta Shinnishi, 43, has admitted to the allegation and was quoted as saying he “wanted to get more views” on social media.
Japan is looking into ways to protect children from the features of social media platforms that can cause addiction.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 3, 2026
Japan weighs stricter age verification for social media users
The government is not considering a blanket age restriction like Australia’s, however.
Cabinet Public Affairs Secretary Kozo Saiki launched his official X account on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Media
Jun 3, 2026
Japan’s cabinet public affairs secretary launches X account
The move is aimed at spreading more information about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.
Criminalizing flag vandalism is a key policy goal of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and was included in the coalition agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 2, 2026
LDP approves bill criminalizing vandalism of national flag
Criminalizing flag vandalism is a key policy goal of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
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.
Farooq Soban, a Pakistani resident of Ebetsu, Hokkaido, points to damage from a fire that destroyed a local mosque in the city, on April 29.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jun 1, 2026
Mosque fire shows need for better communication with foreign residents
The fire in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, exposed the need for deeper cooperation between Japanese and Pakistani residents on a broad range of issues.
The popularity of the Cockroach Janta Party, which represents "the lazy, the unemployed and the chronically correct," is driven by the concerns of millions of young people in India.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 29, 2026
India’s Gen Z ‘Cockroach’ party channels youth anger but faces offline hurdles
The party, which began with a riposte to a jibe about young people, represents the largest online expression of dissent against Indian Prime Minister ⁠Narendra Modi’s 12-year rule.
Aisawa Ichiro of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party speaks during a meeting of lawmakers Wednesday held to discuss the use of AI in election campaigns.
JAPAN
May 28, 2026
Realistic AI-created content to require labels during Japan’s election campaigns
The requirement will apply to videos and images that may be mistaken for those not generated by AI, while those that can be clearly identified as made using AI will be excluded.
A new agreement between the National Police Agency and nine major banks will allow prefectural police to inquire about specific bank accounts thought to be involved in fraud schemes and quickly freeze them.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 28, 2026
NPA inks agreement with major Japan banks to hasten special fraud response
The shift from physical mail to digital requests will allow authorities to freeze accounts receiving fraud proceeds more quickly.
A survey showed that 68.8% of responding companies have no in-house guidelines on social media conduct, despite the risk that a post by an employee could undermine a company's credibility.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2026
70% of companies in Japan have no rules on social media conduct
A survey found that most firms leave posts to individual judgment despite concern about information leaks and online conflicts.
Students from Ricards Lodge High School in Wimbledon look at their mobile phones during an interview about their thoughts on a social media ban for children under the age of 16, in London, on Feb. 23
WORLD / Science & Health
May 26, 2026
Social media as bad for children as smoking, British doctors say
Britain is considering restricting children’s access to social media, including a ‌possible ban for children under the age of 16.
Riko Uchida is standing trial over the death of a 17-year-old high school girl, who fell from a suspension bridge in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, in 2024.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 25, 2026
Woman accused of murder in Hokkaido girl’s fall from bridge pleads not guilty
Another accused of conspiring in the murder is currently serving a 23-year sentence.
A Japanese national flag outside the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo last July.
JAPAN / Politics
May 23, 2026
LDP OKs draft bill to punish national flag vandalism
The draft calls for penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of as much as ¥200,000 for acts of vandalism that cause “extreme discomfort or disgust.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is frustrating Japan’s traditional media establishment by limiting press access and communicating directly through social media, highlighting how technology is weakening the influence of legacy news institutions.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 22, 2026
Takaichi’s press snub sweeps away another tradition
Back home, the press is getting restless at its lack of access to the premier. Takaichi has spoken with the media on fewer occasions than any leader in the past 15 years.
Elon Musk at a federal courthouse for his lawsuit with OpenAI, in Oakland, California, on April 30. In a separate case in Australia, a court upheld a regulator's fine against Musk's social media company X after it failed to supply information to regulators in line with online child protection measures.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2026
Elon Musk’s X loses Australia child protection compliance lawsuit
The ‌eSafety regulator, a frequent target of online attacks by ​Musk, fined the company in October 2023, beginning the nearly three-year dispute.
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
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