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July 12, 2026
 

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Former Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa was reelected Monday in an election triggered by her resignation in November over a media report that she visited a hotel with a married male municipal official.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 13, 2026
Scandal-tainted former mayor of Maebashi reelected
Akira Ogawa, who resigned after she reportedly made repeated visits to a hotel with a married male subordinate, defeated four other candidates.
Then-Fukui Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto speaks during a news conference in November.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 7, 2026
Former Fukui governor’s actions could be seen as sexual assault, lawyers say
Former Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto even messaged four female prefectural workers to the point they feared checking their phones, according to a government report.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike speaks during an interview on Monday at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2026
Tokyo governor negative on addressing tax revenue gaps
The central government’s policy of addressing tax revenue gaps between the capital and other local governments would “obstruct the growth of Tokyo,” Gov. Yuriko Koike said.
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline in rural Japan, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2026
JR companies and local governments to continue talks on loss-making railway lines
While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.
An event to facilitate cooperation between local municipalities and colleges is held in Tokyo in November.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 2, 2026
Rural municipalities working with students from urban areas on regional revitalization
The project is aimed at securing human resources for community development and creating “related populations,” or people who are continuously involved in regional communities.
An image of an integrated resort to be constructed on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2025
Japan to begin selection process for new casino resort sites
Under the integrated resort implementation law, up to three locations can host integrated resort facilities, leaving two slots available.
Japan’s efforts to halt rural depopulation and revive its countryside require a broader focus on quality of life, productivity and realistic population goals.
EDITORIALS
Dec 26, 2025
Facts, not fantasy, must guide regional revitalization policy
By 2022, more than half of all municipalities in Japan were designated as “depopulated areas.”
An industrial complex in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. The Mie Prefectural Government is considering stopping the hiring of foreign nationals amid concerns over leaks involving agricultural production information and residents’ personal data.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 24, 2025
Mie Prefecture considers stopping hiring foreign nationals
Officials cited concerns about information leaks, particularly in light of China’s national intelligence law requiring its citizens to cooperate with intelligence agencies.
The government adopted a comprehensive regional revitalization strategy at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday with the aim of building a strong economy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2025
Japan adopts local revitalization strategy to help realize a strong economy
The strategy aims to raise labor productivity per person in rural areas to or above that in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures by 2029.
The village office of Tonaki, Okinawa Prefecture. The village recorded zero births in 2023.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Dec 22, 2025
Okinawa’s remote island villages battle acute depopulation
Eight of the prefecture’s 41 municipalities recorded fewer than 10 births in 2023.
Yuko Obuchi, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's panel on Okinawa promotion, speaks at the panel's meeting in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2025
Okinawa development funds to see first rise in 10 years
The planned increase comes as the LDP aims to win the next Okinawa gubernatorial election, expected next summer.
Japan hopes to harness large-scale data obtained via its next-generation electronic toll collection system for a variety of purposes, including easing traffic congestion.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2025
Japan to broaden use of ETC’s driving data for disaster response and tourism
The government aims to harness large-scale data from ETC 2.0 for a variety of public and economic purposes, including easing traffic congestion and improving disaster response.
A government survey released Tuesday showed that there were 49 cases of groundwater use by individuals or entities believed to be foreign across Japan as of October.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 16, 2025
Groundwater survey finds 49 cases of use by parties believed to be foreign
The survey, the first of its kind to be conducted by the Japanese government, was carried out following concerns about foreign parties acquiring water sources.
Kazuya Sugimoto (center), former member of the municipal assembly of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, celebrates his victory in the Ito mayoral election, along with his supporters on Sunday in the city.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 15, 2025
Ousted Ito mayor Takubo’s reelection bid ends in failure
The winner, former city council member Kazuya Sugimoto, campaigned on restoring normalcy to city administration.
Mount Fuji observed from Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture in October
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2025
Government eyes giving prefectures power to coordinate scenic landscape protection
To implement the move, the ministry plans to submit a bill revising the landscape law to next year’s ordinary session of parliament, the sources said.
The National Police Agency in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. The agency wants local governments to enact ordinances for measures to support victims of crime so that the same level of assistance becomes available nationwide.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2025
More municipalities have laws for measures to support crime victims
As of April, the number of municipalities that offer assistance in forms such as consultation counters and financial support totaled 1,083, up by 236 from a year earlier.
Akita Gov. Kenta Suzuki speaks at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 11, 2025
SDF played large role in bear control efforts, Akita governor says
While the troops were not involved in culling the bears, they helped transport traps and provided much-needed manpower to the aging prefecture.
Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki answers questions about the restart of the Tomari nuclear power plant's No. 3 reactor, on Wednesday in Sapporo.
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2025
Hokkaido governor announces approval for Tomari reactor restart
Hokkaido Electric aims to restart the reactor as soon as possible in 2027.
Fukui Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto speaks at a news conference at the prefectural government office on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 4, 2025
Fukui governor resigns over sexual harassment of government employees
Tatsuji Sugimoto, 63, stepped down after admitting to sending inappropriate messages that constitute sexual harassment to multiple Fukui government workers.
Under the current furusato nо̄zei hometown donation system, the amount of donations to local governments minus ¥2,000 is deducted from the donor's income and residential taxes.
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2025
Japan eyes cap on deductions for furusato nо̄zei donations
Since the system is seen as favorable for higher-income earners, lawmakers of the ruling bloc have called for a review to bring the system back in line with its original purpose.
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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