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JAPAN / Explainer
Oct 3, 2023

Unpacking the latest Johnny & Associates news conference

The flood of information released during the agency's latest news conference may have been difficult to grasp. Here's what you need to know.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 4, 2023

Yen rebounds from ¥150 to dollar as Japan mum on intervention

The yen quickly strengthened to ¥147.30 against the dollar, with its swift recovery sparking chatter that a quiet intervention had occurred.
Passengers line up to board a bullet train at Tokyo Station in August.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2023

Shinkansen rail pass prices soar 70% for tourists

Even with the big increase, demand is likely to stay strong thanks to a cheaper yen and steady flow of inbound visitors.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 4, 2023

JSA on right track with new rules to increase pro sumo participation

Revisions to the tsukedashi system will see more spots reserved for top amateur performers in the third and fourth divisions.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 4, 2023

Number of absent schoolchildren in Japan hits record high

The number of elementary and junior high school children who refused to go to school for at least 30 days in fiscal 2022 jumped 22.1%.
The Justice Ministry is considering revising the law that requires wills to be handwritten so that people can write them on computers and smartphones.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 4, 2023

Japan considers law revision to allow computer-written wills

The Justice Ministry hopes that not requiring wills to be handwritten will both ease the burden of creating the documents and promote their use.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2023

Children's agency chief Ayuko Kato vows to tackle falling birthrate

One of the aims of the agency is to help implement the Children's Future Strategy, a plan that was announced as a way to reverse the declining birthrate.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the SoftBank World event in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 4, 2023

SoftBank’s Son tells Japan: Adopt AI or get left behind again

Japan, which largely missed the initial wave of growth from the internet, can’t afford to lose another three decades, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son said.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 4, 2023

Probe launched over 'serious' Kumamoto soccer team bullying

A member of the renowned school team was allegedly forced to kneel on the ground in apology while naked as he was filmed by senior members of the team.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2023

Business leaders call for boost to supply-chain investment

The governments of Japan and the U.S. were urged to step up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Fujitsu and Riken say they have developed Japan's second quantum computer.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2023

Fujitsu and Riken develop Japan's second quantum computer

The 64 qubit quantum computer from Fujitsu and state-backed Riken will be integrated with a 40 qubit quantum computer simulator.
The PayPay app now seeks to keep its pace of double-digit growth with help from other SoftBank portfolio companies.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2023

SoftBank’s PayPay app showcases Masayoshi Son’s clout in Japan

Seen to be next in SoftBank’s initial public offering pipeline, the startup now holds two-thirds’ share in QR-code payments in Japan.
Police officers work to control a crowd gathering to celebrate Halloween in the Shibuya district of Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2022.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 5, 2023

Shibuya mayor vows to keep things civil as Halloween nears

The mayor made headlines last month when he told would-be partiers to stay away from the Tokyo ward this year for the occasion, citing safety concerns.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2023

Kishida’s attendance at union event offers hint at electoral strategy

The prime minister attended the event in his latest effort to court union members and expand his party's electoral base.
Japan's real wages in August declined for a 17th straight month, as persistent price hikes continued to outpace salaries.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2023

Japan's slower-than-forecast wage growth supports BOJ caution

Nominal cash earnings for workers rose 1.1% from the previous year, matching the revised figure from the previous month.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2023

U.S. spy drones may be relocated from Kagoshima to Okinawa

The move is part of efforts to strengthen surveillance around the Nansei island chain.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2023

Cram school teacher arrests ignite child safety debate

Two cram school teachers in Tokyo were arrested for allegedly taking photos of a female student's underwear and sharing them on a group chat.
Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, and Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, discuss the importance of preserving the history of interned Japanese Americans.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 6, 2023

U.S. ambassador honors artworks by interned Japanese Americans

“This is not a great moment for America, and we have to own it,” Rahm Emanuel said at a reception in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 6, 2023

Sapporo to push back Winter Olympics bid to 2034 or later

Sapporo mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto will meet with the Japanese Olympic Committee next week to request the change.
An electric monitor displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and the Nikkei share average outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 6, 2023

Japan's re-defined intervention trigger may slow yen bears

The new interpretation of "excessive" yen volatility is aimed at keeping investors on guard rather than lowering the threshold for intervention.
A Jera thermal power plant
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2023

Japan climate group calls for ban on top power firm's emission claims

The group says the ads may mislead consumers as Jera fails to mention that the ammonia the utility plans to use would emit CO2 during production.
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph holds a news conference last month in Toulouse, France.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 6, 2023

Japan coach Joseph makes just one change for Argentina showdown

Coach Jamie Joseph has largely kept faith with the side that beat Samoa 28-22 last time out, with just Fifita Siosaia replacing Jone Naikabula.
Children jump rope in a park. Young people with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) can have difficulties in jumping rope, throwing a ball or doing other common physical activities.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 16, 2023

Better understanding of developmental coordination disorder needed

DCD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it hard for children to control their bodily movements to perform daily activities.
The "Toyoko" area in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district
JAPAN / Society
Oct 8, 2023

Japan considers shelters for young runaways

The Children and Families Agency hopes the shelters will help prevent youth involvement in downtown area crime.
Since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida launched his administration in 2021, he has vowed to boost spending by trillions of yen to tackle some deep-rooted issues. But how exactly the government will fund such efforts remains unclear.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 8, 2023

Private group calls for independent body to monitor long-term fiscal policy

The proposal suggests future projections can help citizens think more seriously about how fiscal matters could affect future generations.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 9, 2023

G7 to draw up AI code of conduct this autumn: Kishida

Part of the plan will deal with battling disinformation by establishing systems to verify who has created content using AI.
An online banking system used by 11 banks including MUFG Bank and Resona Bank has been disrupted by a glitch, impacting transfers, the Japanese Bankers Association has said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 10, 2023

Glitch at Japan's clearing system prevents transfers at 11 banks

It's not clear when it will be possible to restore the system, the Japanese Bankers Association has said.
A bill would have banned the act of letting children play in a park or travel to school on their own, as well as parents going out and leaving their high school-age children behind to take care of younger siblings.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 10, 2023

Saitama to withdraw proposed ban on leaving children unattended

The bill had been criticized by many parents in the prefecture and beyond as being too restrictive and impossible to follow.
The Environment Ministry previously planned to carry out the probe on the so-called forever chemicals, which have been detected in well water in many parts of Japan, in fiscal 2024.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 10, 2023

Probe into PFAS contamination to take place earlier than planned

The Environment Ministry previously planned to carry out the investigation on the so-called forever chemicals in fiscal 2024.
BUSINESS
Oct 11, 2023

Disruption of Japan's payments clearing network continues

The issue affecting 11 lenders, including MUFG Bank, has disrupted at least 1.4 million transactions.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years