Amid deepening labor shortages, AI and robots are undergoing rapid and remarkable advances, raising a pressing question for businesses and workers alike: are they a threat that will take jobs, or partners that expand human potential?

A man suspected of a hit-and-run drove a high-end sports car into a police patrol car, leaving five people injured.

Today, we consider the revival of a fascinating masterpiece at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, led by the Otowaya and Yorozuya guilds! (Kabuki In-Depth)

With three days remaining until voting and ballot counting in the Lower House election, Saitama’s 2nd district centered on Kawaguchi City has drawn national attention as a frontline in Japan’s foreign resident policy debate, where multiple candidates are calling for stricter controls.

A prolonged spell of dry weather has led to water shortages and even a “red river” in parts of Japan, with farmers and public facilities sounding alarms as reservoirs shrink and temperatures climb in the Kanto region.

The Engel coefficient reached its highest level in 44 years in Japan, highlighting growing pressure on household budgets as food costs climb.

Kirin Holdings announced it will sell its U.S.-based group company that produces the bourbon whiskey Four Roses to a major American wine company for up to about 120 billion yen, as the Japanese brewer reviews its business structure and accelerates expansion into health science and related sectors amid a growing shift among younger consumers away from alcohol.

Toyota Motor announced on February 6 that President Koji Sato will become vice chairman and executive officer Kenta Kon will be promoted to succeed him, with the changes taking effect on April 1, marking the first leadership change in three years since April 2023 while Chairman Akio Toyoda will remain in his post.

The death toll from heavy snowfall across Japan reached 38 as of February 5th, with rising temperatures that day increasing the risk of falling snow in hard-hit regions, while forecasters warned on February 6th that the strongest cold air mass of the season is now moving in, bringing the threat of rapidly increasing snowfall and possible snow even in Tokyo over the weekend.

The Tokyo High Court on February 5th dismissed an appeal by the state in a lawsuit over the remains and hair of Matsumoto Chizuo, a former death row inmate and leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, and ordered the government to hand them over to his second daughter.

Seven-Eleven has launched a new service in collaboration with female members of Generation Z, raising the question of what a convenience store can offer beyond food and drinks.

A popular pizza shop from Japan is expanding to New York in what local media are calling the beginning of a “Tokyo-style pizza era,” with strong attention already building ahead of its official opening this spring.

High-resolution 3D images created from aerial photographs taken after the Great East Japan Earthquake have revealed how large-scale fires spread in the aftermath of the tsunami, showing that in Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture, debris left behind by the waves covered wide areas of the town and rendered roads ineffective as natural firebreaks, allowing flames to expand unchecked.

IBM Japan, founded in 1937 as the Japanese arm of the global technology company IBM, has evolved from a maker of calculating machines and personal computers into a technology firm focused on solving social challenges, developing innovations ranging from AI systems that replicate skilled human judgment in fields such as food processing and mobility support for people with visual impairments to quantum computing technologies aimed at accelerating innovation and addressing long-term societal needs.

The three major Japanese banking groups posted consolidated net profits exceeding 1 trillion yen each for the April–December 2025 period, supported by improved interest margins following interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan and steady corporate demand for funds.

Hokkaido’s signature winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival, opened on February 4th across three venues in Sapporo, including Odori Park in the city’s central district, featuring more than 200 large-scale snow and ice sculptures that will be on display through February 11th as the festival marks its 76th edition.

A prolonged slide in the yen is no longer being felt only through higher import prices, but is increasingly reshaping decisions by workers, investors, and foreign laborers, raising questions about Japan’s economic direction as the country heads toward a House of Representatives election.

From a single photograph, AI can now generate a movie-like video in as little as four hours, raising urgent questions about what precautions society should take and how such content can be detected.

A vehicle believed to have been used in an attempted robbery at Haneda Airport has been found on a riverbed in Kanagawa Prefecture, with investigators suspecting that the perpetrators attempted to destroy evidence by spraying the car with a pink fire extinguisher.

A Thai girl who was 12 at the time arrived in Japan in June last year and was introduced by her mother to a massage parlor in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, where she was illegally made to work and provide sexual services, with Thai police officials indicating that six people, both Japanese and Thai, are suspected of being involved.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food exports totaled 1.7005 trillion yen in 2025, up 12.8 percent from a year earlier, marking a record high for the 13th consecutive year

A dry weather advisory has been in effect in central Tokyo for 14 consecutive days, and as of February 2nd, no significant rainfall had fallen for a full month since January 2nd.

A sweets event celebrating anko, or sweet red bean paste, is drawing large crowds in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, reflecting a growing perception that traditional Japanese confections offer a more “guilt-free” indulgence than chocolate as visitors line up to enjoy an array of bean-based desserts.

Thirteen men and women who were detained by local authorities at a special fraud base in Cambodia and transferred to Japan last month have been re-arrested on suspicion of attempted fraud, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

As the spread of cocaine and other illegal drugs becomes increasingly serious among young people, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has released a new warning video urging caution.