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July 06, 2026
 

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TOKYO

Hitomi is seen working at the At-Home Cafe in the Akihabara district of Tokyo.
LIFE / Travel
May 28, 2026
‘Geek’ hangout to tourist draw: Japan’s maid cafes
Once niche “otaku” spaces, Japan’s maid cafes now attract tourists, couples and families seeking playful escapist entertainment.
Hands, a beloved DIY and lifestyle store, has announced that it will close its Shibuya location in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
DIY and lifestyle store Hands exits Shibuya after 48 years
Beloved for its selection of stationery and crafts, as well as woodworking and gardening supplies, retailer Hands announced it will close its Shibuya location after 48 years.
A popular voice actor has sued TikTok’s operator over videos allegedly using an AI-generated imitation of his voice without permission.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 26, 2026
Actor files lawsuit against TikTok operator over AI-generated voice use
The lawsuit, filed with the Tokyo District Court by Kenjiro Tsuda last November, is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan.
The Tokyo District Court on Monday found two former executives of artificial intelligence developer Alt guilty of window dressing in violation of the financial instruments and exchange law.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 26, 2026
Former execs of AI developer Alt found guilty of window dressing
Katsuya Asai, 46, and Takayuki Ariizumi, 53, were given suspended prison sentences, and the Tokyo-based company was fined ¥300 million.
Docomo’s land sales come as the NTT subsidiary struggles to boost profits in its core consumer communications business that includes mobile phones.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
NTT Docomo sells Tokyo land plots for ¥59 billion, joining boom
Foreign and domestic investors have been flocking to Japan’s real estate market to buy properties that have risen in price but are still seen as having scope to gain.
Firefighters and police officers rush to the Ginza Six shopping mall in Tokyo, where at least 20 people fell ill after experiencing a strong odor on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 25, 2026
Mysterious odor at luxury mall in Ginza leaves at least 25 feeling unwell
Police and the Tokyo Fire Department are investigating the cause of the odor.
A vehicle modified to look like an unmarked police car before being driven by a man suspected of drunken driving is seized by Tokyo police on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2026
Saitama man arrested over alleged drunken driving of fake police car
Ren Nakamura, 23, is suspected of driving the vehicle, which had been modified to look like an unmarked police car, and crashing it into a utility pole.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is off-limits to the general public.
JAPAN / Society
May 21, 2026
Survey begins to determine remote island’s suitability for nuclear disposal site
Japan’s waste management organization will carry out a literature review on the geology of Minamitorishima, located nearly 2,000 kilometers from Tokyo.
An arrested former Japan Post worker allegedly received cash and other benefits from a contractor in exchange for facilitating a contract to collect letters from mailboxes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2026
Ex-Japan Post worker arrested over alleged bribery case
Nobuyuki Yoneda allegedly received cash and other benefits from a contractor in exchange for facilitating a consignment contract to collect letters and other items from mailboxes.
The Metropolitan Police Department discovered the lower half of a human body on Tuesday, approximately 100 meters off a hiking trail in Nippara, in the town of Okutama, located on the outskirts of western Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Possible fatal bear attack reported in mountains of western Tokyo
If confirmed, the incident in the mountains of Okutama would mark Tokyo’s first recorded fatal bear attack since at least 2006.
Bank deposits will probably be concentrated further in the greater Tokyo area amid declining local populations and the increased use of online banks.
BUSINESS
May 20, 2026
50% of Japan’s bank deposits held in greater Tokyo area
The combined deposits in the capital and Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures stood at ¥523.1 trillion as of March 31 this year.
Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 18, 2026
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Renho, who previously served as executive deputy leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, was defeated in a head-to-head leadership race for the party's Tokyo chapter.
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2026
Renho suffers upset loss in CDP Tokyo chapter leadership race
The 58-year-old member of the House of Councillors was defeated by Yuji Kawana, 66, a member of the Musashino city assembly in western Tokyo.
Shota Inoue, who was arrested for allegedly luring a junior high school girl into prostitution, enters Ayase Police Station in Tokyo's Adachi Ward on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Tokyo man arrested for luring girl into prostitution
The Tokyo resident has admitted to the charges and says he knew the girl was 15 years old at the time.
Visitors can explore a life-size version of Carl Fredricksen’s house in the “Mundo Pixar Experience” exhibition’s “Up” area.
CULTURE / Film
May 15, 2026
‘Mundo Pixar Experience’ feels like a homecoming in Tokyo
Packed crowds and long queues aside, the sprawling exhibition succeeds by transforming animated nostalgia into a tactile experience.
The house in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward where a family of four was murdered in December 2000, a high-profile case that remains unsolved a quarter of a century later.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 14, 2026
Two arrested for allegedly entering site of high-profile Setagaya family murder
Police believe the pair broke into the house with the intention of stealing valuables, in the period from around mid-September 2023 to around mid-December 2025.
Japanese sake brewer Dassai is working to enhance its brand recognition and expand into foreign markets, aiming to achieve annual sales of ¥100 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2026
Sake brewer Dassai features art in pop-up at Mitsukoshi store
The temporary shop at the flagship department store in Tokyo showcases artworks expressing the essence of sake brewing as felt by artists who visited Dassai’s brewery.
A couple and their eldest son are accused of causing injury through unlawful confinement after allegedly restraining their daughter with homemade metal devices and confining her for several days in late January inside a locked closet at their home in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2026
Tokyo couple and son arrested on suspicion of locking up daughter in closet for days
The girl, a middle schooler, was found suffering from hypothermia and bedsores on her back when she was rescued in January, and required about a week of treatment.
Giuseppe Errichiello's RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca was named Asia's top pizzeria in the most recent rankings from the 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific guide.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 8, 2026
Tokyo’s top pizzaioli have raised the city to the upper crust
RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca and The Pizza Bar on 38th have dominated Asia’s best-of pizza rankings.
Despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sustained high approval ratings after more than six months in office, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party she leads continues to suffer losses in local elections.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 5, 2026
The LDP is losing local elections. Should Takaichi be worried?
Even as the prime minister enjoys high approval ratings, her party has been suffering a string of local electoral defeats.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Thailand gets serious about chasing high-spending tourists
Chinese tourists at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Rathawaramahawihan in Bangkok
Murakami says his novels are ‘different’ from AI literature
Haruki Murakami's first book in three years hit shelves in Japan on Friday.
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.
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.
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.
X Games returns to Chiba with new team format
Skateboarder Sora Shirai practices at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Friday afternoon. X Games Chiba begins on Saturday.
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex’s culture cred
Veteran improvisers Kazuo Imai and Atsuhiro Ito brought some unruly energy to NU Festival, a three-day multimedia event held at the Takanawa Gateway City complex.  

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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