A council of 39 companies, including startups developing medical devices that use artificial intelligence, called for greater support to expand Japan's AI medical device industry, including subsidies for hospitals and financial assistance for overseas exports.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura held talks on July 7 as Diet deliberations remained stalled over opposition resistance to two bills Ishin is seeking to pass, including legislation to cut the number of lawmakers and a bill to establish a secondary capital.

Tokyo stocks fell for a third straight session on July 8 as selling in semiconductor and AI-related shares continued, while rising Japanese government bond yields, Middle East tensions and concern over the Bank of Japan’s policy independence added pressure to the broader market.

A new top-tier seating category above Green Car will be introduced on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, offering private rooms and semi-private seats with customizable lighting, air conditioning and reclining features.

An event designed to help nurses think about future career paths while building practical skills opened in Tokyo on July 8, offering hands-on training sessions alongside sales of colorful uniforms and stethoscopes.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s economic strategy came under renewed scrutiny on July 8 as the government considered softening language in its long-term policy blueprint that had raised concerns over political pressure on the Bank of Japan, while the administration continued to face Diet tensions over its legislative agenda before the current session ends next week.

Billy Corgan welcomes legendary musician, composer, and X Japan co-founder Yoshiki for a conversation about creativity, rebellion, and building something that refuses to follow the rules.

Japan’s long-term interest rate briefly rose to 2.83% on July 6, its highest level in nearly 30 years, as investors grew more cautious over inflation, the pace of Bank of Japan rate hikes and the government’s fiscal stance.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 7 as a selloff in South Korean chip shares triggered fresh concern over the sustainability of the AI boom, dragging the Nikkei 225 lower while banks and other value shares resisted the decline.

A nine-year dispute over the Linear Chuo Shinkansen effectively came to an end on July 7 as Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki told the prefectural assembly that he would allow Central Japan Railway to begin construction on the Shizuoka section of the project.

A good connection matters in Japan because so much of the trip depends on your phone working smoothly. You may need it for station directions, translation, booking confirmations, digital tickets, or finding the right exit in a large city.

Internet communication through smartphones and computers has become indispensable to daily life, and the facilities known as data centers that support ordinary actions such as watching videos online and sending messages are now expanding rapidly as demand for artificial intelligence grows.

Japan lowered passport application fees from July 1, drawing large crowds to application counters such as the one in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, although applicants are being warned that issuance could take as long as about one month.

Tokyo will introduce a 3% accommodation tax on hotel and other lodging stays from April 2027, formally replacing its current flat-rate system and extending the levy to private lodging services.

Wasabi, a food ingredient native to Japan, has long been valued not only for enhancing the flavor of other foods but also for its reported antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it an essential part of the Japanese table.

Tokyo stocks ended mixed on July 6 as profit-taking in AI and semiconductor-related shares kept the Nikkei 225 nearly flat, while broader buying in banks, value stocks and domestic demand names lifted the TOPIX to a fresh record high.

Opposition parties boycotted Diet deliberations after accusing the ruling bloc of forcing debate on bills to cut the number of lawmakers and create a secondary capital system, leaving committee sessions to proceed without them and exposing widening rifts not only between the ruling and opposition camps but also within the government and ruling coalition.

A senior figure believed to be one of the top executives of the Prince Group, described as one of Asia’s largest criminal organizations, has been rearrested in Tokyo on suspicion of violating Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act by unlawfully handing over his residence card to others, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

The yen has weakened to the 162 range against the dollar for the first time in about 40 years, but the latest market environment differs sharply from the period four decades ago, when Japan was still climbing toward the height of its economic power.

Japan is seeking to turn economic security into diplomatic leverage as the United States deepens its America First approach, with policymakers focusing on semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, shipbuilding and advanced technology as areas where Japan can make itself indispensable to Washington.

Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund said its investment operations for fiscal 2025 generated a surplus of more than 41 trillion yen, lifted by gains in domestic and overseas stock markets.

Peru's election authorities formally announced on July 3 that Keiko Fujimori, the Japanese-descended eldest daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, had won the country's presidential runoff election.

The growing abuse of over-the-counter drugs among young people in Japan reflects not only easy access to medicines but also loneliness, social media influence and a shortage of places where troubled youths can be safely seen and heard, according to a discussion among an addiction specialist, a former overdose user and a recovery worker with experience of drug and alcohol dependence.

Mos Food Services, operator of the Japan-born hamburger chain Mos Burger, is riding a strong recovery, with sales surpassing 100 billion yen for the first time in the year ended March 2026 and both revenue and profit reaching record highs.

Haruki Murakami’s first new book in about three years went on sale on July 3, drawing large crowds of fans to bookstores in Tokyo from late at night, even as neighborhood bookstores across Japan continue to struggle with a shrinking market.