Category: Japan

Japan

TOKYO’S BEAR PROBLEM JUST TOOK A DRAMATIC TURN — Hunting Ban Set to End After 20 Years

TOKYO — Tokyo is preparing to reverse a nearly two-decade-old ban on hunting Asian black bears, as authorities confront a sharp rise in sightings and growing concerns over encounters between bears and people. Under a new five-year bear management plan endorsed by an expert panel on Sept. 1, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to allow limited hunting beginning in April 2027, with a target of removing about 34 bears a year. The proposed policy marks a major shift from Tokyo’s conservation a

September 3, 2026

Japan

RENT HIKE SHOCK IN JAPAN: Foreign Residents Are Getting Higher Bills — But Do Tenants Really Have to Accept Them?

A recent report by The Japan Times highlights the dilemma facing foreign nationals as landlords increasingly seek higher rents amid changing economic conditions. One example is Leveth Jackson, a foreign resident in Chiba, who received a second consecutive rent increase when her two-year lease came up for renewal. Her rent had previously risen by ¥2,000, and her landlord is now seeking another ¥5,000 increase. If accepted, her family’s monthly rent would have climbed from ¥65,000 to ¥72,000 over

September 3, 2026

Japan

JAPAN PM TAKAICHI SETS CABINET SHAKE-UP: One Key Minister May Stay — But Who Else Could Be Out?

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing to reshuffle her Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership lineup later this month, in a move that could become a major test of her political authority as she seeks to strengthen her government ahead of the next phase of her administration. The reshuffle is expected to take place in mid-to-late September, according to Japanese media reports, although the final timing and personnel decisions have yet to be formally an

September 3, 2026

Business

Japan’s Services Sector Just Hit a 5-Month High—But Rising Prices Could Force the BOJ’s Hand

TOKYO — Japan’s services sector accelerated in August, recording its fastest expansion in five months as stronger domestic demand helped lift business activity and new orders. But beneath the upbeat numbers, rising prices are creating a new challenge for policymakers and could strengthen the case for another Bank of Japan interest-rate hike. The S&P Global final Japan Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbed to 52.5 in August, up sharply from 51.2 in July. A PMI reading above 50 indica

September 3, 2026

Business

Japan’s Food Tax Cut Is Creating a New Frozen-Food Boom

Japan’s planned reduction in the consumption tax on food is already prompting companies to rethink how Japanese households may spend their grocery budgets — and frozen food is emerging as one of the businesses looking to benefit. The Japanese government has approved a plan to reduce the consumption tax on food and beverages from 8% to 1% for two years beginning in April 2027. The policy is intended to ease the pressure of rising living costs, while the government prepares a longer-term income-l

September 3, 2026

Japan

Japan Weather Alert: Heavy Rain Threatens Tokyo and Eastern Japan From Thursday

Parts of eastern Japan, including the Tokyo region, are facing a growing risk of heavy rain from Thursday as a seasonal rain front moves southward and warm, moisture-rich air pushes in from the south. Japan’s Meteorological Agency is warning that atmospheric conditions across the Kanto Koshin region could become highly unstable, raising the risk of intense rainfall, flooding and landslides. Heavy rain could persist for several days The Kanto Koshin region, which includes Tokyo, northern and

September 3, 2026

Business

Mexico Reopens Japan Steel Dumping Fight After Imports Surge 35-Fold — The 2024 Decision Behind It Is Back in Focus

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has reopened a potentially consequential trade battle with Japan over steel, launching an anti-dumping investigation after authorities found preliminary evidence that imports of Japanese steel plate surged dramatically while entering the Mexican market at prices substantially below those charged by domestic producers. Mexico’s Economy Ministry formally opened the investigation in a resolution published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on September 2, following a compl

September 2, 2026

Japan

Northern Japan Hit by Torrential Rain as Aomori Faces Life-Threatening Landslide and Flood Risk

AOMORI, Japan — Torrential rain is hammering northern Japan, with authorities warning of potentially life-threatening landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers, particularly in Aomori Prefecture as a rain front and low-pressure system sweep across the region. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued Level 4 heavy-rain and landslide warnings in parts of Aomori, urging residents in affected areas to take action to protect themselves rather than wait for conditions to deteriorate. The s

September 2, 2026

China

JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA ARE REWRITING THE NUCLEAR PLAYBOOK — AND NORTHEAST ASIA MAY NEVER BE THE SAME

TOKYO/SEOUL — Japan and South Korea are quietly changing the way Northeast Asia thinks about nuclear energy. For decades, nuclear power in the region was largely discussed through the lenses of electricity costs, climate policy and nuclear safety. Today, a different calculation is emerging: energy security itself is becoming a strategic security issue. Japan is restarting nuclear reactors after the Fukushima disaster, while South Korea is maintaining plans for new reactors and pushing aggressi

September 2, 2026

Business

Japan Wants Hypersonic Missiles Under the Sea — But One Decision Could Push Its Defense Strategy Into Uncharted Territory

TOKYO — Japan is preparing to take one of its biggest military technology leaps in decades: putting hypersonic strike weapons beneath the waves. But behind the futuristic missiles, submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles lies a much bigger question — one that reaches far beyond Japan’s rivalry with China. How close could these new capabilities eventually bring Japan to possessing the building blocks of a sea-based nuclear deterrent? For now, the answer requires an important distinction.

September 2, 2026