Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members stationed at the Yao Garrison were dismissed from service after being found to have used cannabis, with the case coming to light after a colleague raised concerns and reported the matter to a superior.

Daihatsu unveiled a new light-type electric vehicle on Tuesday, marking the company’s first mass-produced EV, but rather than a passenger car, it has deliberately chosen a commercial vehicle used for transport and delivery, raising the question of whether “working vehicles” could hold the key to wider EV adoption.

Smartphones, computers, and game consoles that many people use every day could become more expensive in the near future, as the price of memory continues to surge.

A new Japan–US collaboration on next-generation semiconductors is set to get underway, as SAIMEMORY, a semiconductor memory startup established by SoftBank, has signed an agreement with US chipmaker Intel to jointly pursue the commercialization of next-generation memory, TV Tokyo has learned.

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of selling tusks from endangered elephants on an online auction site after falsely labeling them as “mammoth tusks” or “ivory-style” products.

Tokyo’s net in-migration, defined as the number of people moving in exceeding those moving out, declined for the first time in four years last year, even as population inflows into the capital have remained elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic.

ANA Holdings said it plans to expand its international flight operations by 30% by fiscal 2030 compared with current levels, with a particular focus on strengthening routes from Narita Airport after 2029, when runway extensions and new construction are scheduled to be completed.

The European Union has announced plans to introduce a new vehicle category, known as “M1E,” aimed at accelerating the spread of affordable electric vehicles, drawing inspiration from Japan’s kei car standards, with discussions set to begin soon with EU member states and the European Parliament to finalize the details.

A street piano is often described as a “street-corner stage” where anyone can become a star, and behind the casual performances lie stories of lives, memories and unexpected connections.

With eight days remaining until votes are cast in the House of Representatives election, concerns are mounting over future strains on Japan’s power supply, prompting renewed attention to how political parties position their energy policies, particularly on nuclear power.

The effective job-offers-to-applicants ratio fell for a second consecutive year in 2025, reflecting a broad-based slowdown in hiring amid rising costs and wage pressures.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, a new style of consumption is expected to spread rapidly following the earlier emphasis on cost performance and time performance, with growing attention now focused on what is known as “menpa.”

Even as they continue working, a growing number of people in non-regular employment are unable to escape poverty, widening inequality across Japan and raising questions over whether politics has truly confronted the problem head-on.

The arrest of the head of Japan’s largest sex industry scout group just five days after a public warrant was issued has cast fresh light on the shadowy business of so-called “sex industry scouts,” a system believed to have generated more than 44 billion yen and allegedly involved ties to organized crime.

When people hear the phrase “exchanging contact details,” many still think, “Phone numbers are old-fashioned—LINE is the norm,” but even that assumption may now be outdated, as a surprising new survey suggests a major shift among Generation Z.

Foreign workers are now indispensable across Japan, from convenience stores and agriculture to nursing care, and with the House of Representatives election approaching, political parties are sharpening their positions on how the country should manage its rapidly growing foreign population.

Three major banks, including Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, announced that they will raise fixed mortgage rates applied from next month. The preferential rate for the standard 10-year fixed mortgage will be increased to 2.75% at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank and Mizuho Bank, while Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will raise the rate to 2.85%.

Street prostitution in areas such as Tokyo’s Kabukicho district has increasingly become a social issue, prompting the Justice Ministry to consider revising the Anti-Prostitution Law to introduce penalties for those who purchase sex, according to officials familiar with the matter.

A prolonged stretch of unusually dry weather, described as a “once-in-30-years” event, has led to worsening water shortages across parts of eastern Japan, prompting local governments to urge residents to conserve water as reservoir levels fall to historic lows.

Canon announced a change in its top management, with President Fujio Mitarai set to relinquish the presidency for the third time. Mitarai, currently 90, will move into the role of chairman and chief executive officer while handing day-to-day management to Vice President Ogawa, who will assume the post of president and chief operating officer.

China’s tightening grip on rare earth exports is emerging as a fresh pressure point for Japan, with manufacturers warning that shipments have slowed to a trickle and analysts estimating that a yearlong disruption could erase years of the country’s already thin growth.

Gold prices have hit a historic milestone, topping 30,000 yen per gram for the first time, with the surge spilling over into silver and other precious metals and creating unexpected strains across a wide range of industries.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group is set to acquire the naming rights to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, often described as the spiritual home of Japanese rugby, in a deal worth around 100 billion yen in total.

Toyota Motor Corp. said on January 29th that its global vehicle sales in 2025 reached a record high, marking the sixth consecutive year the automaker has ranked first worldwide, supported by strong demand for hybrid vehicles in North America.

Mitsui Fudosan has announced that it will begin regular operations of electric passenger boats in April, marking what the company says will be the first scheduled service of its kind in Japan and positioning water transport as a new pillar of urban mobility tied to its real estate developments.