Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended a performance of the traditional Japanese court music art known as gagaku.

Japan’s hotel industry appears to be thriving as a surge in inbound tourism drives accommodation prices in popular destinations to record highs. Yet domestic travel demand has remained sluggish, while labor shortages and rising construction costs have made new hotel development increasingly expensive.

American crude oil secured as an alternative supply source has arrived in Japan for the first time, as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz makes procurement from the Middle East increasingly difficult.

Japan is often known for its culture, safety, and high trust society, but behind the scenes, it also has one of the strictest immigration systems in the world. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

Businesses worldwide are grappling with a growing concern: will artificial intelligence take away human jobs? Yet in the United States, recent developments suggest a more complex reality. Job openings for software developers have been rising since around November 2025, according to U.S. employment site Indeed.

Don Quijote has opened the first outlet of its new grocery-focused retail format, Robin Hood, entering an increasingly competitive supermarket market where major players are racing to attract cost-conscious consumers.

A 41-year-old pediatrician was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after allegedly entering the ceiling space above an on-call room at a hospital in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, police said.

Japan is not like other markets. Brands that try to copy-paste their Western influencer strategies here will struggle. Japanese consumers have unique platform preferences, cultural expectations, and engagement patterns that require a localized approach.

Japan has enacted a revised Passport Act that will sharply reduce passport application fees from July 1, as the government seeks to encourage more citizens to obtain passports.

The first tanker carrying U.S. crude oil procured by Japan as an alternative supply source after the attacks on Iran is set to arrive on April 26, as the government moves to stabilize energy supplies and prepares a second release of national petroleum reserves.

All Nippon Airways is considering introducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights as early as the next fiscal year, amid surging fuel costs driven by tensions in the Middle East.

Japan's House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to establish a National Intelligence Council aimed at strengthening the government's intelligence-gathering and analytical capabilities.

Honda said it expects to post its first net loss since going public in the fiscal year ending March 2026, underscoring the heavy cost of its abrupt retreat from electric vehicle expansion.

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on April 22 presented a draft outline of key issues to an expert panel examining protections for minors on social networking services, taking a cautious stance toward blanket age-based access restrictions that have been increasingly introduced overseas.

Japan is turning to foreign workers to address a deepening shortage of bus drivers that has led to route suspensions and reduced services nationwide, including in Tokyo. With the industry projected to face a shortfall of 36,000 drivers by 2030, operators are beginning to recruit and train overseas talent as a short-term solution to keep public transport running.

Fraud cases involving criminals impersonating police officers are increasing across Japan, with a new tactic emerging in which fake arrest warrants are mailed directly to victims' homes.

The Emperor and Empress hosted the annual Spring Garden Party on April 17 at Akasaka Imperial Garden in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, welcoming around 1,400 guests including gold medalists from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, distinguished figures from various fields and local government representatives.

Three members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force were killed in a tank shell explosion during a live-fire exercise at a training ground in Oita Prefecture, with the force now planning to examine radio communications at the time of the accident.

Road cave-ins are occurring one after another across Japan. According to a survey released on April 22 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, so-called dangerous sewer lines requiring urgent countermeasures now total 748 kilometers nationwide.

A female maintenance worker was killed after becoming trapped in amusement ride equipment at Tokyo Dome City, with investigators finding that no one was operating the control panel at the time of the accident.

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions.

The Japanese government on April 21 revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and related guidelines, in principle allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. The move marks a major turning point in Japan's postwar security policy.

Sanrio said on April 21 that it will launch its first in-house gaming brand, marking a full-scale entry into the video game business.

Japan byFood is challenging Shizuka to find the absolute best meals in Tokyo for under ¥1,000 (US$6)—in this economy, what kind of food can we get at that price? It’s time to see how far a single ¥1,000 note can go when you skip the fast food chain and eat the local-only cheap eats. (Japan by Food)

Japan's logistics sector is struggling with a severe driver shortage, driving efforts to develop autonomous trucks as a potential solution to a growing freight transport crisis.