Suntory Holdings is turning to a specialized corporate intelligence unit led by a former Mitsubishi Corporation researcher to assess the duration of Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and protect supply chains threatened by soaring energy and raw-material prices.

Japan's 2026 defense white paper has added a section on new forms of warfare involving artificial intelligence and drones, drawing lessons from Russia's invasion of Ukraine while describing China's military activities as the greatest strategic challenge Japan has ever faced.

Japan's Immigration Services Agency on August 4 released draft guidelines that would tighten the requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, including new income and pension standards designed to ensure applicants have economic conditions equal to or better than those of Japanese people.

The legal speed limit on many residential roads will be lowered from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 kph on September 1, as police urge drivers to recognize that pedestrians should take priority on narrow neighborhood streets.

A correctional officer at Kyoto Prison has been indicted on suspicion of agreeing to accept 200,000 yen from three inmates in return for providing them with unspecified favors, raising concerns about staff-inmate relations one year after Japan introduced its new imprisonment system focused on rehabilitation.

Tokyo police have arrested an office worker on suspicion of using generative artificial intelligence to turn photographs of junior high school girls and others into obscene images and posting them on social media.

A new pedestrian bridge has opened across the Nihonbashi River, connecting the Otemachi-Marunouchi business district with the neighboring Kanda area as part of a redevelopment project aimed at improving access and revitalizing central Tokyo.

Tokyo stocks edged higher on August 4, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,957.53, up 202.63 points, or 0.32%, as buybacks in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares helped offset caution over further yen-buying intervention and a weaker tone in some exporters.

Nissan Motor returned to profitability in the April-June quarter of 2026, posting net income of 3.761 billion yen as cost-cutting measures and a weaker yen helped the struggling automaker end eight consecutive quarters of losses.

Off-price apparel stores selling new clothing at discounts of up to 90% are attracting growing interest in Japan as prolonged inflation pushes consumers to seek cheaper alternatives, with Geo Holdings planning to increase its Luck Rack chain roughly tenfold to 500 locations by fiscal 2035.

Japanese elementary and junior high school students are spending more time on social media and watching videos while devoting less time to studying, according to a nationwide government survey released on August 4.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government faced a widening policy test on August 4 as officials tried to calm inflation concerns after rare U.S.-Japan yen intervention, while the latest defense white paper framed Japan’s military buildup as part of a broader strategy for economic growth and national resilience.

Six airlines, including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Air Do, will move the baggage check-in deadline for domestic flights at Haneda Airport to 30 minutes before departure from September 1.

A high school student in Nagano Prefecture who had been unable to speak in unfamiliar places or in front of strangers because of selective mutism found the confidence to use his voice through three years of training with his school's competitive soba-making club.

The conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel may be entering a more dangerous phase, with Tehran appearing increasingly willing to initiate attacks rather than merely respond to US strikes, while disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz threaten oil and liquefied natural gas supplies worldwide.

Japan and the United States conducted coordinated yen-buying intervention in the foreign exchange market to curb the currency's excessive decline, with Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama expected to announce the move on August 3, according to people familiar with the matter.

Tokyo stocks fell on August 3, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,445.53, down 1.4%, as electronics and auto shares were sold after coordinated U.S.-Japan yen-buying intervention drove the currency sharply higher, cutting into the weak-yen support that had underpinned exporters.

Three female lions at Tama Zoological Park have died in succession after suffering dehydration and multiple organ failure, with heatstroke suspected as the cause.

Tokyo's public bathhouses raised their adult admission fee by 50 yen to 600 yen on August 1 as operators struggle with rising fuel and other costs, prompting concerns that some customers may reduce their visits.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi entered August facing a sharper test of her economic leadership after Japan and the United States carried out a rare coordinated currency intervention to support the yen, turning the government’s cost-of-living agenda, fiscal policy and relationship with the Bank of Japan into one of the most politically sensitive issues of her administration.

Investment by major US technology companies in artificial intelligence and data centers continues to support strong earnings expectations for semiconductor suppliers, but shrinking free cash flow and Oracle's exceptionally rapid expansion are raising questions about whether the spending boom can be sustained.

International flight bookings for Japan's Obon holiday period have lost momentum for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with airlines pointing to global uncertainty and the weak yen as factors discouraging overseas travel.

The proportion of working men in Japan taking parental leave rose to a record 50.9% in the last fiscal year, exceeding 50% for the first time, according to a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey.

Osaka's Tenjin Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals and a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years, drew about 1.29 million visitors this year, close to a record high, even as organizers struggled with extreme heat, growing numbers of foreign tourists, waste and mounting safety concerns.

A former gang member believed to have held a senior position in Tokyo's illegal drug trade has been arrested on suspicion of selling about 10 grams of methamphetamine to a customer for 150,000 yen.