Kirishima has been reinstated to the rank of ozeki, declaring his ambition to reach even greater heights, as the Japan Sumo Association unanimously approved his promotion during a rankings meeting and extraordinary board session held on March 25th at Edion Arena Osaka in Naniwa Ward, Osaka, ahead of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which opens on May 10th at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Railway operators across Japan’s Kanto region have launched a new service allowing passengers to travel using contactless credit card payments, enabling seamless transfers across multiple rail lines operated by 11 companies and covering more than 700 stations.

Seibu & Sogo announced that it will close its Seibu Shibuya store in September, bringing an end to the 58-year history of what was once a symbol of the district and marking the disappearance of traditional department stores from Shibuya.

Sony and Honda have decided to halt their jointly developed electric vehicle project, with their joint venture Sony Honda Mobility announcing on March 25th that it will cancel the development and launch of its new EV, the "AFEELA 1," as a reassessment of Honda’s EV strategy made it difficult to continue utilizing Honda’s technology and production support, ultimately leading to the conclusion that commercialization would be unfeasible.

Italian furniture exports to Japan have grown steadily for over a decade, but this growth has not been driven by aggressive retail expansion.

Reports of cherry blossoms blooming continued to arrive from across Japan on March 24th, with Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture declaring the nation’s earliest full bloom, marking the long-awaited start of the spring viewing season.

A feature from BS TV Tokyo’s program Nikkei Morning Plus FT, broadcast on March 24th, 2026, highlights how startups are accelerating growth through proprietary technologies and services, with a focus on CadDi, a company aiming to transform the manufacturing industry through data utilization.

As the impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz spreads, the government announced it will begin releasing national oil reserves from 11 bases across the country starting March 26th, in a move aimed at minimizing disruption to economic activity.

The Japanese government on March 24th approved a bill to revise the drone regulation law, expanding no-fly zones to roughly a 1-kilometer radius around key facilities and strengthening penalties in response to growing security risks.

A final screening and award ceremony for the talent discovery audition Bishoujo Zukan AWARD 2026, known for launching actors such as Maika Yamamoto and Hinako Sakurai, was held in Tokyo on March 21st, where Ayano Enomoto, a 14-year-old second-year junior high school student from Fukushima and a member of the local idol group my coffret, was selected as the grand prize winner.

Animal cafes offering close interaction with a wide range of animals beyond dogs and cats are rapidly increasing in Tokyo’s Harajuku district, particularly along Takeshita Street, where a surge in inbound tourism is driving demand and even creating venues where nearly all customers are foreign visitors.

Hitachi Ltd. will open a new studio designed to accelerate the real-world adoption of “physical AI,” a technology that analyzes real-world data to autonomously control machines and robots, as the company seeks to expand practical applications across industries.

Rising tensions in the Middle East, triggered by an attack on liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar, are not only driving up oil prices but also raising concerns over a potential helium shortage that could disrupt MRI diagnostics and strain hospital operations in Japan.

IKEA and small eateries across Japan are drawing crowds and doubling customer traffic by offering ultra-cheap 100 yen meals, using creative strategies to maintain low prices amid rising inflation.

One of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has been released and returned to Japan on March 22nd, while diplomatic efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining individual.

A long-held perception that overnight highway buses are inexpensive but exhausting is being challenged, as a regional bus operator in Japan moves to redefine long-distance travel with the country’s first fully flat sleeper seats.

The Imperial Palace’s Inui Street opened to the public for its annual spring viewing on March 21st, drawing around 18,000 visitors under clear skies as cherry blossoms began to bloom across Tokyo.

A surge in fuel prices is set to hit travel demand during Japan’s major holiday period, with airlines across Asia moving to raise fares and impose higher fuel surcharges, while in Japan, domestic carriers are maintaining current surcharge levels for now but are expected to implement significant fare increases from June onward, particularly during the peak summer travel season.

President Trump defended his decision not to give advance information about the timing of his attack on Iran to Japan — citing Tokyo’s 1941 surprise raid that killed 2,403 Americans at Pearl Harbor. (New York Post)

Japan and the United States advanced economic discussions during their latest summit, agreeing on a new round of large-scale investment exceeding 11 trillion yen, though questions remain over whether the deal will ultimately serve Japan’s national interests.

An Australian operator has unveiled plans to construct a large-scale data center immediately next to Tokyo Tower, highlighting the rapid expansion of such facilities into urban areas as demand for AI infrastructure grows.

Japan’s largest labor union group UA Zensen announced that part-time workers secured a record-high average wage increase of 6.92% in this year’s spring labor negotiations as of today, marking the highest level ever recorded for this stage of the talks.

A nostalgic era of Japan’s once-ubiquitous feature phones is coming to a close, with 3G mobile communication services set to end at the end of March, prompting a final wave of device upgrades and intensifying competition among telecom carriers to secure remaining users.

Japan, the United Kingdom, France and four other countries issued a joint statement condemning what they described as Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil transportation.

Cherry blossoms bloomed in Tokyo on March 19th, arriving five days earlier than the seasonal average and marking the start of the spring season in the capital.