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July 12, 2026
 

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Children take part in a mock election held at KidZania Tokyo, an edutainment theme park in Tokyo's Koto Ward, on Feb. 6.
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2026
Over 60% of local governments in Japan listen to children’s opinions
Many of the prefectural and municipal governments sought children’s opinions to better reflect them in policies.
A promotional event for sake held by the National Tax Agency in 2024
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 10, 2026
Japan moves to help sake breweries hit by surge in rice prices
The price of sake rice harvested in 2025 is about 1.5 to 2.3 times higher than the previous year.
Ken Hirata, a former vice governor of Nagasaki Prefecture, has won the gubernatorial election in the southwestern prefecture, defeating incumbent Gov. Kengo Oishi.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 9, 2026
Former vice governor defeats incumbent in Nagasaki election
Hirata won 287,134 votes, slightly more than the 280,346 votes garnered by Oishi.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of Japan Innovation Party, speaks at a news conference with Osaka city Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama after initial results showed the two were set to be reelected to their positions in snap local elections Sunday.
JAPAN / Media
Feb 8, 2026
Reelected governor, Osaka’s Yoshimura eyes referendum on merging city’s wards
Most members of the Osaka City Council are against holding another referendum after voters twice rejected the plan previously.
Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa was hospitalized on Tuesday and underwent surgery the following day for a chronic subdural hematoma. He is expected to remain in the hospital for about two weeks, the prefectural government said.
JAPAN
Feb 5, 2026
Kanagawa Gov. Kuroiwa hospitalized for subdural hematoma
Kuroiwa, 71, is expected to remain hospitalized for about two weeks.
The historical townscape in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, has been approved for tourism subsidies.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2026
Japan to boost aid for town development using historical resources
The tourism ministry intends to provide subsidies to a wide range of municipal governments working on projects including renovating old buildings and preserving traditional events.
Workers' cooperatives in Japan are primarily engaged in fields such as nursing care, retail management and support services for children.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 28, 2026
Local governments tap worker cooperatives for services in depopulated areas
The cooperatives are supported by local government subsidies for startup and operating costs, with central government also working to ease access to financial assistance.
A number of Japanese local governments are beefing up measures to handle problematic behavior by residents, such as persistent calls.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2026
Local government offices ramp up fight against harassment from residents
According to a 2024 survey, 35% of responding local government employees had experienced harassment by residents and external parties over the previous three years.
An employee works at Mizuho Metal’s factory in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. The firm has offered higher pay than competitors to attract workers.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Jan 26, 2026
Fukushima employment subsidy falls short in encouraging resettlement
While a government program has played a role in facilitating people moving to the area, it does not require them to live where their workplace is.
Takato Ishida (center), a former official at the Foreign Ministry, won his first term as governor in Sunday’s Fukui gubernatorial election.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 26, 2026
35-year-old independent elected as Fukui governor
Takato Ishida, a former official at the Foreign Ministry, has become the youngest incumbent prefectural governor in the country.
Taketoyo Toguchi (center) won the mayoral election for the city of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, securing his third term.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 26, 2026
Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi wins third term
The news will deal a major blow to those opposing the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base.
The government is asking municipalities to check the nationalities of residents of public housing to address challenges such as etiquette awareness and disaster response.
JAPAN
Jan 23, 2026
Japan begins survey over nationality of public housing residents
Identifying the dominant nationalities of foreign residents will help officials address challenges such as etiquette awareness and disaster response, ministry officials said.
Hirofumi Yoshimura makes a campaign speech in the city of Osaka on Thursday to seek reelection as Osaka governor.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2026
Campaigning begins for Osaka gubernatorial election on Feb. 8
The previous governor, Hirofumi Yoshimura, resigned in an attempt to revive the so-called Osaka metropolis plan.
Local governments have been asked to secure hotels as shelters during large-scale disasters.
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2026
Prefectures asked to secure hotels as shelters in the event of disasters
Guidelines call on local officials, mainly at prefectural governments, to work to secure accommodation and match it with evacuees.
A litter prevention warden draws circles around feces using yellow chalk at Kaiseizan Park in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Dec. 5.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jan 19, 2026
A Fukushima city launches Operation Yellow Chalk to battle dog fouling
The Koriyama Municipal Government hopes to prompt dog owners to voluntarily pick up dog feces and raise awareness of manners.
Incumbent Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi speaks in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, on Sunday, as the city's mayoral race kicks off.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 19, 2026
Incumbent and two challengers run for mayor of Okinawa’s Nago
The election will effectively be a one-on-one battle between incumbent Taketoyo Toguchi, who is seeking a third term, and former city assembly member Kumiko Onaga.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) submits his resignation to the prefectural assembly speaker on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2026
Yoshimura gambles on double election to push plan to merge Osaka city’s wards
The Osaka governor’s resignation has drawn criticism from within the Japan Innovation Party, which he also leads.
Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka during a TICAD conference in Yokohama in August
JAPAN / Society
Jan 16, 2026
Senior official accuses Yokohama mayor of power harassment
The wide-ranging accusations, which the mayor denies, include the alleged use of abusive language toward senior city officials.
Tokyo's 23 wards might soon charge their residents for waste collection amid concerns that landfills are reaching full capacity.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2026
Tokyo considers charging residents of 23 wards for garbage collection
As concerns rise over landfills reaching capacity, authorities are aiming to encourage residents to reduce the amount of waste they put out.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) in Tokyo in December
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
Osaka governor mulls stepping down to pave way for secondary capital designation
Both the governor and mayor of Osaka are considering resigning from their posts to pave the way for the city to become a backup capital.
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.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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