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July 04, 2026
 

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PHARMACEUTICALS

Following approval by the health ministry, Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare's Norlevo went on sale at drugstores on Feb. 2, becoming the first emergency contraception available over the counter in Japan.
JAPAN / Society
May 2, 2026
High costs and lack of privacy slow uptake of OTC emergency contraceptives
Having to receive explanations about the pill from pharmacists and take it in front of them poses significant hurdles for buyers seeking anonymity.
Out-of-pocket expenses for medicine with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter drugs are set to be raised from March 2027.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 28, 2026
Lower House approves bills to raise out-of-pocket costs for OTC-like drugs
Under the new system 25% of the prices of OTC-like drugs will be added to out-of-pocket costs from March 2027, aside from those for cancer and other intractable diseases.
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.
The Institute for AIM Medicine filed for approval a treatment for chronic kidney disease in cats with the agriculture ministry.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 27, 2026
Japan startup seeks approval of cat kidney disease treatment
A trial showed the drug significantly extended the life of afflicted cats.
Mary Anne Blanton holds a photograph of her mother, Tammy Blanton, who died of opioid use, in Peoria, Arizona, on April 15.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 27, 2026
After waiting years for justice, Purdue opioid victims are defeated — by paperwork
Purdue’s long, grinding bankruptcy wound up creating daunting hurdles for many trying to qualify for the company’s compensation.
Tests for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease are displayed at the Memory Center in Geneva in June 2023.
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 16, 2026
Alzheimer’s drugs targeting amyloid don’t help, review finds
Despite successfully removing amyloid from the brain, the drugs don’t improve cognitive function or slow its decline.
Lecanemab and donanemab aim to slow the progression of the neurodegenerative disease by removing a protein called amyloid-beta from the brain, whose buildup is believed to contribute to the death of brain cells.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 8, 2026
Less than 20% of patients in Japan interested in new Alzheimer’s drugs received one
Many were ineligible or decided against taking the medications due to potential side effects and the high cost, a study has found.
A DHL container is loaded from a truck onto trains at a terminal in Hamburg, Germany, in December 2022.
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Apr 5, 2026
Pharmaceutical logistics in demand as war rattles supply chains
As fears of medicine shortages grow amid the war in the Middle East, pharmaceutical logistics help ensure steady shipments to hospitals, pharmacies, and other customers worldwide.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to makes an announcement about lowering the cost of drug prices, at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Dec. 19, 2025.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2026
Drugmakers delay some European launches with a wary eye on Trump’s pricing policies
The White House has been pushing to lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., which has traditionally paid significantly more than other wealthy countries.
Concerta, an ADHD drug marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical, is in short supply in Japan as demand has climbed recently.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Mar 30, 2026
ADHD medication in short supply in Japan as demand soars
Some clinics have stopped prescribing stimulant Concerta to new patients or limiting doses for longtime patients due to limited stock.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says there will be no immediate disruption to supply of petroleum products for medical devices.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2026
Takaichi seeks to ease concerns over medical-product supplies
The prime minister acknowledged that crude-oil shortages in other Asian nations led to worries about the long-term supply of products manufactured elsewhere and shipped to Japan.
Tomomi Goto speaks during an interview in Tokyo on March 17. Goto heads a group of plaintiffs in Tokyo who contracted HIV through the administration of untreated blood products.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 29, 2026
Settlement of HIV-tainted blood scandal marks 30 years
Tomomi Goto, 53, who currently leads a group of plaintiffs in Tokyo, warns that prejudice and discrimination against people with infectious diseases remain unresolved.
Tanabe Pharma, a 348-year-old provider of medicines, was bought by Bain last year for about ¥510 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bain-owned Tanabe Pharma targets global deals to fuel growth
A new team of around eight people in the U.S., in addition to an existing team in Japan, is sourcing therapies globally, particularly in rare diseases.
Eisai's Alzheimer's drug Lecanemab, also known as Leqembi
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 25, 2026
Research team confirms safety of Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab
The research team examined data on the health status of 2,672 patients 28 weeks after the start of the treatment.
People in Japan get among the fewest hours of sleep in the world, with the OECD data showing that the average amount is 7 hours and 22 minutes — far shorter than the global average of 8 hours and 28 minutes.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 17, 2026
Japan’s health ministry to allow clinics to add sleep disorders as their specialties
The move aims to make it easier for people to find doctors who can treat insomnia and other sleep-related health issues.
An Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft remains parked at the airport after the flight was canceled at Incheon International Airport in South Korea on March 5.
WORLD
Mar 16, 2026
Middle East war disrupts pharma air routes and risks cancer drugs supply
The conflict has knocked out key air transit hubs and closed shipping routes.
Astellas Pharma Chief Executive Officer Naoki Okamura
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
Trump’s drug cost push helps Astellas win higher price in Japan
Japan, where medicine prices are among the lowest in the most developed nations, has become a critical reference point in U.S. plans to match drug prices with other countries.
Lesoeru 72, which is priced at ¥6,930 per tablet, must be taken within 72 hours of intercourse.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 10, 2026
Second morning-after pill now available over the counter in Japan
Lesoeru 72, which went on sale on Monday, joins NorLevo as the country’s only two emergency contraceptive medications that do not need a doctor’s prescription.
A researcher works in the vaccine laboratory of Panacea Biotec, a pharmaceutical company in New Delhi.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Mar 6, 2026
India moves closer to dengue vaccine as final trials underway
Dengue, which causes severe flu-like symptoms and debilitating body aches, has exploded globally, fueled by rising temperatures and densely populated cities.
Japan’s panel of experts has cleared Daiichi Sankyo’s vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella for ministerial approval. If approved, it will become the country’s only available MMR vaccine, primarily intended for children.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 3, 2026
Japan expert panel OKs Daiichi Sankyo’s MMR vaccine
If approved by the minister, the vaccine, primarily for children, will be the sole MMR vaccine available in Japan.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
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.
Japanese-language education is at a turning point
The country is gradually transforming Japanese-language education from a volunteer-driven system into a professional, government-supported network to better serve its growing foreign population. 
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil
Wind turbines generate energy from strong easterly winds on the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture. Despite the oil crisis caused by conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns instability in the region could continue to impact supply and the price of imports, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not seem to be drawing on the war as a pretext to hasten progress toward Japan's renewable goals.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
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."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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