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June 30, 2026
 

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Jessica Speed
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.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has set up a special task force to intensify its crackdown on the Kohei-ikka, a Sumiyoshi-kai-affiliated designated crime group suspected of deepening its involvement with <i>tokuryū</i> networks, including special fraud linked to illegal job schemes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 23, 2026
Yakuza membership fell to record low in 2025
Authorities attribute the decline to an aging population within the criminal groups, tighter enforcement and a nationwide rollout of anti-gang ordinances.
Sendai Station is crowded with people Monday after the Tohoku shinkansen line suspended operation following a powerful earthquake off the Sanriku coast.
JAPAN / Explainer
Apr 21, 2026
How to prepare when Japan is under an earthquake advisory
Authorities in Japan are urging residents from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture to be ready in case a major earthquake strikes, following Monday’s magnitude 7.7 jolt.
Nearly 60,000 people age 65 or older were found dead alone in their homes last year, with many of them discovered more than a week after they died.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 17, 2026
Some 77,000 people found dead alone in their homes in 2025
People age 65 or older accounted for three-quarters of these cases of solitary deaths.
The Justice Ministry setting up a study panel regarding the misuse of generative artificial intelligence comes amid a sharp rise in such cases and concerns legislation in Japan has not kept up with the rapid advancement of AI.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2026
Government to launch study panel for generative-AI misuse
With a meeting scheduled for late April, the group will examine civil liability for the unauthorized use of people’s likenesses and voices.
The Nagoya District Court has sentenced Yuji Wada, a 42-year-old former elementary school teacher who started a group chat encouraging the sharing of indecent images of young girls, to two years and six months in prison.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 16, 2026
Ex-teacher who opened group chat for sharing indecent images gets jail
Yuji Wada, one of seven teachers who reportedly victimized more than 75 children, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by the Nagoya District Court.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay&#039;s Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team&#039;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&#039;s Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
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.
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.

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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