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July 01, 2026
 

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Himari Semans
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 18, 2026
Parties clash as they brace for a February snap election
The LDP framed dissolving the Lower House as a chance for voters to judge the new coalition and the administration’s policies.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda (center) and Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito (second from right) announce the name of their new party along with other party executives in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 16, 2026
Why the CDP and Komeito are forming a new party
The party is hoping that the new tie-up will attract moderate voters who are reluctant to vote for the conservatism of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her first policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 14, 2026
Takaichi to roll the dice on risky, but potentially rewarding, snap election
Calling a snap election during the next session of parliament could prove to be a double-edged sword for the prime minister.
"Immigration minister" Kimi Onoda and Reiko Hayashi, the director-general of the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, hold up a government expert panel's final report on recommendations for foreigner-related policies on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 14, 2026
Government panel proposes mandatory integration program for foreign residents
If adopted, foreign nationals would be required to take part in the proposed program to gain basic knowledge about Japanese society and administrative procedures.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a summit meeting with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Nara on Tuesday. Takaichi reportedly told a Liberal Democratic Party executive that she plans to call for an election next week.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
LDP executives go on standby amid reports of imminent snap election
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly conveyed to a party executive her plan to dissolve the Lower House at the start of the regular session of parliament.
Construction in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward in August
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 29, 2025
Japan should regulate land use rather than real estate purchases by foreign nationals, expert says
An expert on a panel set up by the Cabinet believes the government is better off regulating how land is used rather than who is allowed to own it.
Foreign technical interns working at a factory. Immigrants are rarely hired full-time or promoted to senior positions because they are still viewed as temporary fixes for short-term labor shortages.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 25, 2025
Stick over carrot approach doesn’t help foreign residents integrate, professor says
Regulatory proposals such as higher visa fees outnumber measures aimed at supporting integration, such as improving Japanese language education.
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Nov. 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 16, 2025
Japan aims to require nationality declaration to register property from fiscal 2026
While nationality information will be available in public registry, it will stored in the government’s real estate system for interagency sharing.
Visitors head to Shirakawago, a popular tourist spot, in Gifu Prefecture in November.
JAPAN / Explainer
Dec 4, 2025
The key points under discussion on policies affecting foreign nationals
Policymakers are looking at tighter restrictions on real estate purchases, higher visa-related fees and better Japanese language education, among other things.
Independent Lower House lawmakers (from left) Hiroki Abe, Takeshi Saiki and Tadashi Morishima speak to reporters in parliament on Friday after meeting with Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 28, 2025
LDP-led coalition regains Lower House majority with three independents’ backing
With the three lawmakers in the LDP’s in-house group, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be able to pass key budget bills without opposition support.
State Minister of the Cabinet Office Hayato Suzuki (left) delivers opening remarks to the government's expert panel on policies regarding foreign nationals on Thursday. Reiko Hayashi, the director-general of the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (right), chairs the panel.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 28, 2025
Japan eyeing much higher visa fees for foreign nationals
The government is considering raising the fee for permanent residency to as high as ¥300,000.
Lower House lawmaker Hitoshi Aoyagi from the Japan Innovation Party speaks during an interview in his parliamentary office on Nov. 20.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2025
Japan one step closer to relaxing single-surname rule for married couples
While still having married couples adopt the same surname, the ruling coalition is working on a bill that would allow the option of giving more weight to birth names.
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2025
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
The government is aiming to raise fees to match those charged by Western nations in fiscal 2026 amid an increase in the number of foreign residents.
David Ha, CEO of Sakana AI, is one of the founders of the startup, which was established in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 17, 2025
Sakana AI targets defense and banking markets after big funding round
The startup has achieved a ¥400 billion valuation and notes a “tailwind” from Japan’s new government.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 7, 2025
Takaichi makes the case for economic growth in parliament debate
Friendly and smooth-sailing exchange between Takaichi and her LDP colleagues in the morning was followed by a more critical line of questioning from CDP lawmakers.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) listens to questions from Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), regarding her policy speech at the Lower House in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 4, 2025
Takaichi defends choices for government posts in first debate with Noda
CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda lambasted the prime minister’s decision to appoint LDP lawmakers involved in the slush fund scandal to government posts.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her inaugural news conference as Japanese leader late Tuesday, called South Korea an “important neighbor" and a “vital partner.”
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 22, 2025
Takaichi seeks to dispel fears Seoul-Tokyo ties could falter under her government
The prime minister has called South Korea an “important neighbor” and a “vital partner” in addressing challenges confronting the international community.
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi (right) reaches out to shake hands with Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura after signing a coalition deal Monday evening in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 20, 2025
Path clears for Takaichi to become PM as LDP and JIP agree to form coalition
The tie-up is expected to see Japan Innovation Party lawmakers vote for LDP President Sanae Takaichi in Tuesday’s parliamentary vote for prime minister.
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi (third from right) and LDP executives hold talks with Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Fumitake Fujita (third from left) and Nippon Ishin executives at the Diet building on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 17, 2025
Nippon Ishin edges closer toward forming coalition with LDP
The Osaka-based party has decided to no longer take part in policy talks with its opposition peers on forming an alliance against the ruling party.
Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 15, 2025
Coalition talks could bring Takaichi closer to being PM
If the LDP and Nippon Ishin agree to link up, they will only be two votes short of a majority in the Lower House.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team'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.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
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’

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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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