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July 06, 2025
 

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Karin Kaneko
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2025
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
Authorities said there was no risk of tsunami and there have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2025
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The move comes in response to a series of incidents involving battery packs emitting smoke or catching fire during flights.
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 2, 2025
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
In total, 911 earthquakes were recorded by Wednesday afternoon, with the cause behind the series of earthquakes still unclear.
The Japanese version of the U.K.’s Disclosure and Barring Service aims to ensure a safe learning environment for children by facilitating checks for records of sexual offenses for those working in jobs involving contact with children such as education or child care.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 1, 2025
Japan expands scope of background checks amid child safety concerns
The expanded guidelines will apply not only to schools and kindergartens, but also to community spaces such as children’s cafeterias and talent agencies.
A gate to check climbers at Mount Fuji's fifth station in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 13. Climbers who do not have the necessary climbing equipment may be barred from using the trails.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 30, 2025
Mount Fuji’s ¥4,000 entrance fee kicks in for all routes
Climbers paid ¥2,000 to scale the mountain via the popular Yoshida trail last year, while those who made the journey through other routes did not have to pay anything.
Investigators say the group chat members were using pseudonyms to hide their identities, suggesting they were largely unaware of each other’s true backgrounds.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2025
Teachers sharing indecent photos of girls in a group chat elicits outrage in Japan
The coordinated voyeurism of the teachers came as a strong shock, undermining people's confidence in those in the role.
The incubation period of “severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome” (SFTS) ranges from 6 days to 2 weeks, with symptoms including fever and diarrhea. It has a fatality rate of 27%.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2025
Tick-borne disease cases, with one death, confirmed in Kanto region
Of particular concern is SFTS, which is primarily transmitted through ticks infected with the virus and has a fatality rate of 27%.
A screenshot from the Meteorological Agency website shows tropical storm Sepat approaching Japan on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 24, 2025
Heavy rain forecast in Japan as tropical storm Sepat set to weaken
As of early Tuesday, the tropical storm was located roughly 170 kilometers north of Chichijima, moving north-northwest at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's earthquake website shows numerous seismic activities in the 24 hours through 11:18 a.m. on Monday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 23, 2025
Over 200 earthquakes have shaken Tokara islands since Saturday
As of 2 p.m. on Monday, more than 200 earthquakes registering shindo 1 or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale had been observed.
In Tokyo, at least 562 people have been taken to the hospital for suspected heatstroke so far this month.
ENVIRONMENT
Jun 20, 2025
What happened to the rainy season?
The mercury has climbed across much of Japan in recent days, but the seasonal rain front is expected to return early next week.
People walk under the scorching sun in Tokyo's Omotesando area on Tuesday as temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius in much of eastern Japan.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 17, 2025
Japan sweats under extreme heat despite ongoing rainy season
The weather agency warned of heat waves throughout the week as a high-pressure system stretches across eastern and northern Japan.
A screenshot of a submarine cable map on TeleGeography’s website shows a network of cables connecting with Japan.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 16, 2025
The underlying risks to Japan’s undersea cables
What exactly are undersea cables, and how real is the threat of disruption in Japan?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during ministerial meeting meeting on foreign residents in Japan on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2025
Foreign tourists with unpaid medical bills in Japan to be denied entry
There have been growing calls for legislative reform to address unpaid medical fees and health care premiums — deficits filled by taxpayers' money.
Keita Ueno (right), the owner of Kiki Driving School and an instructor who supports both foreign nationals and Japanese citizens returning from abroad in getting their foreign driver’s licenses converted, is worried about the current lax system for the process.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jun 6, 2025
Accidents raise concern over how Japan vets foreign drivers
A driving school owner points out that traffic signs could carry different meanings in other countries, and driving standards might vary significantly.
If Japan Post loses its general cargo vehicle license, it would be barred from reapplying for a new one for five years.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 5, 2025
Japan Post may lose cargo license over widespread driver check failures
A transport ministry audit in April revealed enough instances of missed checks in the Kanto region to surpass the threshold for license revocation.
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Suzuki said preparations for the changes that will focus more on rehabilitation are being actively made at each correctional facility.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2025
Japan’s prison reform focuses on rehabilitation
Prison labor is no longer mandatory, which allows more time for educational and rehabilitative programs aimed at reducing recidivism.
Then-<i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho performs the New Year's ring-entering rite in 2018. The Japan Sumo Association has accepted his resignation and he will officially leave the association on June 9.
SUMO
Jun 2, 2025
Former yokozuna Hakuho to leave sumo association
Hakuho's departure comes more than a year after his stable closed down over a physical abuse incident involving one of its wrestlers.
People hold up signs during a rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society
May 29, 2025
Halt of U.S. visa process puts Japanese students' futures in question
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has confirmed that the embassy and U.S. consulate offices in Japan have suspended scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants.
Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Itsunori Onodera (fourth from left) visits a driver's license center in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday to see how foreign driver's licenses are converted into Japanese ones.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 22, 2025
Japan considers toughening rules on driver's license conversions
The National Police Agency revealed the plan amid concerns that the system for converting a foreign license is too easy.
A female Osaka prosecutor in her 50s speaks about how she was sexually assaulted, at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2025
Female prosecutor says she experienced secondary victimization in rape case
The prosecutor said the prosecutors office where she worked turned a blind eye after she reported the case, and slanderous comments about her spread at work.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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