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July 12, 2026
 

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki announces his bid to run for the September gubernatorial election during a news conference in Naha on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 27, 2026
Okinawa Gov. Tamaki faces wavering support in bid for third term
Changes in the political landscape as a result of the general election have raised uncertainties over the incumbent governor’s backers and their position on a U.S. military base.
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki speaks during a news conference in Naha on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 25, 2026
Denny Tamaki will seek third term as Okinawa governor
Genta Koja, 42, a former deputy mayor of Naha, plans to run as a de facto candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
By the end of March 2027, Japan aims to have around 10,000 people working to revitalize nonurban areas after relocating from urban areas under a government-subsidized program.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Record 8,196 in Japan serve as ‘community reactivators’
The government aims to increase the number of community reactivators to 10,000 by the end of March 2027.
Local governments along proposed shinkansen routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance long-planned lines that have seen no construction progress for over half a century, but major hurdles remain, including funding, demand and profitability concerns.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 24, 2026
Local governments press for shinkansen railway lines
Authorities are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction..
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa (right) and Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, at the industry ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Government will proceed with nuclear waste site survey for Minamitorishima
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa conveyed the government’s decision to the mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, which has jurisdiction over Minamitorishima island, on Tuesday.
About 748 kilometers of sewer pipes in Japan, roughly 16% of those inspected, have been found to require countermeasures due to risks such as cave-ins, prompting the infrastructure ministry to call for immediate repairs.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2026
Hundreds of kilometers of Japan’s sewers classified as needing action
The infrastructure ministry will ask 383 municipalities and organizations managing the sewer pipes to take immediate measures.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is closed to the general public.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2026
Survey of Minamitorishima greenlit to check suitability for radioactive waste disposal
The central government is searching for a permanent disposal site for radioactive waste from Japan’s nuclear power plants.
A test run of a tourist bus on an expressway under Level 2 autonomous driving was carried out on Nov. 26 in Aichi Prefecture.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2026
Aichi Prefecture eyes Japan’s first Level 4 autonomous expressway bus service
Aichi Prefecture aims to put buses with Level 4 autonomous driving, in which a vehicle can operate without a driver under specific conditions, into practical use in fiscal 2027.
Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is known for its traditional townscape, including shrines and stone-paved streets, but turning this heritage into a stronger draw for tourists had long been a challenge.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 10, 2026
Financial support program for community-focused startups draws growing interest
The continuation rate for supported projects is high, and the program has received positive reviews from communities for providing tangible benefits.
Tokyo Vice Gov. Akiko Matsumoto speaks during an interview at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office in January.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 8, 2026
Recalling past struggles, these women hope for more gender equality in Japan
Two senior public servants looked back at the challenges they faced as female workers, 40 years after Japan enforced gender equality measures at work.
Kyoto Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 6, 2026
Kyoto Gov. Nishiwaki wins third term
Takatoshi Nishiwaki, an independent, was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, among others.
Ogasawara Mayor Masaaki Shibuya will meet residents on April 13 to outline his response to a government request on surveying a potential nuclear waste site on Minamitorishima.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2026
Ogasawara chief to clarify stance on nuclear waste site survey
Some participating residents expressed concerns about the possibility of the facility damaging the environment and causing rumors harmful to the entire Ogasawara Islands.
Japan Innovation Party policy chief Alex Saito (left) and Ichiro Miyashita, a Lower House member of the Liberal Democratic Party, speak to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 1, 2026
LDP and JIP agree to drop special ward requirement for secondary capital
The move opens up the role to prefectures other than just Osaka.
Ise-Shima National Park in Mie Prefecture
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2026
Japan moves to attract more foreign visitors to national parks
The Environment Ministry will work on improving accessibility and multilingual support to hit its target.
Maki Takubo, former mayor of Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture, was indicted without arrest on Monday by public prosecutors on suspicion of violations including contravening the local autonomy law through alleged academic fraud.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 31, 2026
Former mayor of Ito indicted after allegedly falsifying academic record
Maki Takubo was elected Ito mayor for the first time in 2025 and claimed to have graduated from Toyo University, but later revealed that she had been expelled.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito (center) has denied any involvement in the leaking of the private information of a whistleblower who died in July 2024.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 28, 2026
Hyogo governor not indicted over information leak case
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito has denied any involvement in the leaking of the private information of a whistleblower who died in July 2024.
Visitors in the Dotonbori area in Osaka
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2026
Japan adopts new target for regions to address overtourism
The target is intended to strengthen measures by utilizing revenue from the nation’s departure tax, which is set to increase.
Asahikawa Mayor Hirosuke Imazu holds a news conference following the settlement on Thursday in Asahikawa, Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 27, 2026
Hokkaido city reaches settlement over death of bullied girl
The family of the victim had sought about ¥115 million in damages, claiming the city failed to respond appropriately.
Water utilities will be required to conduct PFAS tests every three months in principle under new tap water quality standards that will take effect next month.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2026
Japan to mandate inspections for PFAS in water from April
The Environment Ministry aims to assess PFAS concentrations in water supplies nationwide.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is developing a "Generative AI Platform," which will allow government employees to create AI applications to assist with their work.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2026
Tokyo government builds infrastructure to expand use of generative AI
Authorities in the capital aim to boost efficiency in public services and address growing concerns over labor shortages through AI.
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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