Workers inspecting screws are a familiar sight in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, where small factories line the streets, but manufacturers say rising costs are squeezing operations despite signs of strength elsewhere in the economy.

Japan’s long-term interest rate, which affects fixed-rate housing loans and other borrowing costs, climbed to its highest level in about 30 years as concerns grew over the fiscal outlook under the Takaichi administration.

The education ministry said July 3 that it plans to certify Kyoto University as an International University for Research Excellence, a government-backed designation aimed at fostering research institutions capable of competing at the highest global level.

Prime Minister Takaichi is returning to Japan after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen their strategic cooperation and Japanese and Indian companies signing 129 memorandums and related agreements linked to a 2 trillion yen investment package for India.

Reiwa Shinsengumi said its leader, Taro Yamamoto, was fined 90,000 yen and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days after being caught speeding on an expressway in Oita City.

Recent symptoms such as fatigue and irritability may be signs of menopause, a condition often seen as a women’s health issue but one that also affects many men, especially those in their 40s and 50s who face growing responsibilities, declining recognition and physical changes that are difficult to discuss.

Tokyo stocks staged a sharp intraday reversal on July 3, with the Nikkei 225 rebounding from an early drop of more than 1,100 points to close more than 1,000 points higher as investors bought back semiconductor and AI-related shares while rotating into lagging value stocks.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s political agenda faced pressure on several fronts on July 3, as the government kept open the possibility of currency intervention to support the yen, opposition parties continued to challenge the ruling bloc’s management of the Diet, and Japan moved to extend its security diplomacy through India and NATO-related talks.

Anthropic said on June 30 that the U.S. Commerce Department has lifted export controls on its latest AI model, Claude Fable 5, allowing the American AI developer to resume offering the system in stages from July 1.

A man in his 70s was injured early on June 30 after being attacked by a bear near an elementary school in Tochigi Prefecture, as bear-related incidents continue to rise across Japan ahead of the full onset of summer heat in July.

Japan’s men’s underground idol scene is drawing scrutiny after a legal revision targeting host clubs left what industry insiders describe as a gray zone where some performers use intimate fan services and costly perks to generate large sums of money.

Japan’s average roadside land price rose 2.9% from a year earlier, marking the steepest increase on record, as inbound tourism and redevelopment pushed up land valuations across the country.

Japan has one of Asia’s strictest approaches to gambling regulation, with most forms of betting either prohibited or tightly controlled.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on June 30 that it has selected a corporate group including SoftBank as a recipient of support for domestic artificial intelligence development, with funding expected to reach as much as 1 trillion yen.

Sony Interactive Entertainment said it will stop producing physical disc versions of new PlayStation games released from January 2028, shifting sales of new titles entirely to downloadable editions.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to India on July 2 placed foreign policy, economic security and strategic investment at the center of Japan’s political agenda, even as opposition parties kept pressure on the government over Diet proceedings and unresolved domestic policy disputes.

A female music teacher at a municipal elementary school in Tokyo’s Kita Ward has told officials she was drying private clothing in a music preparation room where a fire broke out last month, injuring 11 pupils and others.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 2 as a global reversal in semiconductor and AI-related shares dragged the Nikkei 225 below 70,000, while the broader TOPIX held firm as investors rotated into banks, software, airlines, trading houses and other lagging value shares.

More than 2,500 food items will become more expensive in July, with bread, instant noodles and other processed foods among the main categories affected as Middle East tensions and the weaker yen continue to push up costs.

Researchers around the world are turning their attention to mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, as new discoveries suggest they may hold important clues to slowing aging, preventing disease and extending healthy life.

A night junior high school in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, where all 30 students have roots overseas, is taking on a new role as a bridge between foreign residents and local communities in Japan.

Akihiro Miwa, the singer and actor whose career spanned chanson, theater, film, television and voice acting, died of old age on June 20 at the age of 91, her management office said.

Chinese and Russian bombers and other military aircraft flew around Japan on June 27, prompting Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to describe the joint activity as a show of force directed at Japan.

A Nepalese manager of a busy Indian restaurant in Kodaira, Tokyo, says he fears for the future of his business after Japan tightened the requirements for foreign entrepreneurs seeking to stay in the country under the business manager visa.

Japan’s political agenda on June 29 centered on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s attempt to connect economic growth, national security and technological resilience, as the government moved toward a long-term economic blueprint while also responding to China’s expanded export controls and preparing a revision of Japan’s Arctic policy.