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Incumbent Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka won a second term on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 4, 2025

Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka wins second term

Takeharu Yamanaka, an independent who had the backing of three parties, pledged to enhance child-rearing support for households and strengthen disaster reduction measures.
A monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropping on Monday morning.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 4, 2025

Stocks in Japan slump after U.S. data spark growth worries

The broader Topix Index and the blue-chip 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average pared some of their earlier losses but closed down 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively.
The home of Chizuo Matsumoto's second son in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, in July. The place was recognized by the Public Security Intelligence Agency as a facility of Aleph, Aum Shinrikyo's successor organization.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 4, 2025

Matsumoto's second son officially recognized as Aleph leader

The name of the 31-year-old son was included in an agency request for administrative action against Aleph.
Yoshie Kurihara, of No More Hibakusha Project — Inheriting Memories of the A- and H-Bomb Sufferers, goes through materials related to atomic bombings, in the city of Saitama on June 20.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2025

80 years on, NPO working to digitize materials on A-bombings

The organization, No More Hibakusha Project — Inheriting Memories of the A- and H-Bomb Sufferers, has launched a crowdfunding project.
Japan's exports of food and farm produce between January and June were the highest on record for 19 items, including green tea.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2025

Japan food exports expand 15.5% in January to June

Exports to the U.S. hit a record first-half high of ¥141.0 billion, up 22.0% and driven by robust demand for scallops, green tea and yellowtail.
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks at a party plenary meeting in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 4, 2025

Nippon Ishin no Kai could join ruling coalition, if the conditions are right

The party might be open to joining if there is a new prime minister and Osaka is designated as Japan's backup capital, its leaders say.
Mihama Mayor Hideki Toshima expressed his support on Monday for Kansai Electric Power Co.'s planned survey for building a new reactor at its Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 5, 2025

Mihama mayor willing to accept survey for new nuclear reactor

At a meeting with senior officials of Kansai Electric, Toshima said that the town would accept the survey with the understanding of local communities.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to the press at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 5, 2025

Ishiba open to delivering message to mark 80th anniversary of WWII's end

His predecessors had issued official statements approved by the Cabinet during the 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries.
A fire breaks out from a launch barge (bottom) during a fireworks event in Yokohama on Monday evening.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2025

Fire at Yokohama fireworks event injures one crew member

Five people on one of the barges that caught fire were rescued after jumping into the water, with one of them taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Shintaro Matsue (right), head of the International Furikake Association, holds an enlarged package of <i>furikake</i> in Jakarta on July 9.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2025

'Furikake' app to help manage children's health in Indonesian

After downloading an app featured on furikake product packaging, children input data like their height and weight, then do academic drills, with the reward being manga.
Japan's three megabank groups have estimated that the tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump could cut their fiscal 2025 profits by around ¥80 billion ($544 billion) to ¥110 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2025

Japan's five largest banking groups post 2.7% profit gains for April-June

The increase is partly due to growth in profits from the banking groups' lending operations reflecting the Bank of Japan's interest rate hikes.
Jamco, a Japan-based maker of airplane seats, toilets, and galleys that was recently acquired by Bain Capital, is betting its U.S.-based manufacturing hub will give it an advantage under President Donald Trump’s tariff regime.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2025

Bain’s Japanese plane seat-maker sees U.S. hub as shelter from Trump tariffs

Supply chain issues that have seen extended wait times for cabin fittings also present an opportunity to fill, Jamco Executive Chair Kate Schaefer says.
Bridgestone will sell Mexico Carbon Manufacturing to U.S.-based Cabot for about $70 million as part of its carbon black business restructuring.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2025

Bridgestone to sell carbon black business in Mexico to U.S. firm Cabot

In July, the Japanese tire-maker announced the sale of its carbon black operations in Thailand to Japan's Tokai Carbon.
Sumitomo Pharma applied to Japanese regulators for manufacturing and marketing authorization aimed at treating patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 5, 2025

Drugmaker in Japan seeks approval for stem cell treatment for Parkinson's

A trial led by Kyoto University researchers indicated treatment using induced Pluripotent Stem cells was safe and successful in improving symptoms of the disease.
Nippon Ishin no Kai leaders Seiji Maehara (left), Hirofumi Yoshimura (center) and Ryohei Iwatani in the city of Osaka at night of the July 20 Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 5, 2025

Maehara steps down as Nippon Ishin co-leader along with three others

The four resigned to take responsibility for Nippon Ishin’s poor showing in the July 20 Upper House election, creating uncertainties for the party.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions from Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda during a Lower House Budget Committee session on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 6, 2025

Ruling parties to discuss corporate donation issue with CDP and DPP

Now that the ruling parties are short of a majority in both chambers, the coalition is set to meet halfway with the opposition in an effort to kick-start the stalled debate.
The Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima on July 24. Each year, some 10 million paper cranes are donated for display at the monument in memory of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died of leukemia following the U.S. atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 6, 2025

Passing on Hiroshima's message of peace, one paper crane at a time

Through recycling, the millions of paper cranes offered at a memorial each year in the city where an atomic bomb was dropped 80 years ago live on.
Net income at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Japan more than doubled in the year ended March 31, reflecting a jump in merger advisory and underwriting business.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2025

JPMorgan leads foreign banks for Japan earnings amid dealmaking spree

Japanese companies have stepped up acquisitions as well as sales of noncore units in recent years, providing more opportunities for investment banks.
A woman prays at the Peace Memorial Park ahead of the memorial service to mark the 80th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack, in the city of Hiroshima early on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2025

Documents show U.S. initially estimated Hiroshima bombing victims at 100,000

One of the documents said that the heart of the city of Hiroshima was so completely devastated that "not even debris of buildings was left."
A rice farm in Niigata Prefecture. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday that the government will reconsider its long-standing policy of limiting rice production — a measure that has been in place since around 1969 in response to chronic oversupply.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2025

Ishiba to reverse rice curb policy as government admits to miscalculating demand

“We had assumed that production volume was adequate, despite the lack of sufficient analysis,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said.
The average wage hike rate among major Japanese firms this year hit 5% for the second straight year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2025

Major Japan firms set record with pay hikes above 5% for second year

This year's average raise of 5.39% was the second biggest since comparable data became available in 1976.
The National Personnel Authority recommended Thursday a 3.62% increase in average monthly base pay for public employees in the current fiscal year.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2025

Japan’s public workers set to get largest pay hike in 34 years

The rise in wages will come as a welcome development for policymakers at the Bank of Japan, who are seeking broad-based and lasting growth to support stable inflation.
An electric air taxi from Joby Aviation flies near the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in Manhattan, New York City, in November 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2025

Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027

All Nippon Airways says it is partnering with California-based Joby Aviation to deploy more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft.
A Bank of Japan board member suggested the possibility of a rate hike by year-end, depending on the impact of U.S. tariffs, according to a summary of opinions from the central bank’s policy meeting last week.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2025

BOJ may exit wait-and-see mode by year-end, policy meeting summary says

Depending on the impact from U.S. tariffs, another rate hike then might be possible, an unnamed board member hinted.
Hideji Kenjo, who was stationed at a police box in Gunma Prefecture at the time, recounts the 1985 crash of a Japan Airlines jumbo jet, on July 28 at the prefectural police headquarters.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2025

Police officer recounts handling 1985 JAL jumbo jet crash

Hideji Kenjo was stationed at a police box in Gunma Prefecture at the time of the accident on Aug. 12, 1985, which claimed 520 lives.
The rise in household consumption spending in Japan in June was driven by a 30.1% jump in spending to buy automobiles and motorcycles, and higher electricity bills.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2025

Japan's household spending rises 1.3% in June

The average spending by households with two or more members was ¥295,419 ($2,000).
Top officials from the Farm Ministry bow deeply to apologize for mistakenly saying that Japan has enough rice based on faulty data at a meeting on Aug. 8 at LDP headquarters.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2025

Farm ministry apologizes over erroneous rice supply and demand forecasts

The errors came to light when Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba admitted that the government’s miscalculations had led to prices surging in the past year.
The fourth consecutive year of increase came after many firms raised their monthly wages this spring and as a result of solid earnings mainly among manufacturers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2025

Summer bonuses at major Japan firms hit record

The fourth consecutive year of increase came after many firms raised their monthly wages this spring and as a result of solid earnings mainly among manufacturers.
Fumitake Fujita, who was elected as Nippon Ishin no Kai's co-leader, speaks at a party meeting Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2025

Nippon Ishin picks Fumitake Fujita for co-leader position

A former secretary-general, Fujita replaces Seiji Maehara, who resigned to take responsibility for the party’s underwhelming performance in July’s Upper House election.
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki delivers a speech at a conference held by Mayors for Peace, a worldwide organization of city leaders, on Friday in the city of Nagasaki.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2025

Mayors for Peace start general conference in Nagasaki

The conference will discuss actions to be taken by 2029 and adopt a resolution on the abolition of nuclear weapons on the closing day.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo