doctors and schools across Japan are drawing attention to a condition known as “New Year syndrome,” a form of physical and mental malaise that can emerge when daily routines are disrupted by an extended year-end break.

In Japan, real wages in November, adjusted for price fluctuations, fell 2.8% from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline.

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings.

Economic circles in Japan are growing increasingly uneasy after the Chinese government announced a blanket ban on exports to Japan of dual-use goods that could be diverted for military purposes, raising concerns that rare earths could be included in the scope of the restrictions.

Tsukuyomi is a virtual space of hopes and dreams. The curtain rises on a stage on which young girls share fleeting encounters. (Netflix Anime)

Oriental Land, which operates Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, announced on January 6 that the combined cumulative number of visitors to the two parks has reached 900 million.

The Tokyo Fire Department held its annual New Year firefighting ceremony, known as the dezome-shiki, a traditional event aimed at promoting fire prevention and disaster preparedness, during which firefighters demonstrated ladder-climbing techniques that date back to the Edo period and reflect the city’s historic fire brigade culture.

New vehicle sales by six Japanese automakers in the United States rose 2.4% from the previous year to 6,023,492 units in 2025, the companies announced on January 5th, as demand remained firm despite higher tariffs introduced under the Trump administration, with three manufacturers surpassing their year-earlier results.

Both yokozuna, Toyoshoryu and Onosato, performed a dedication ring-entering ceremony on January 6th at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo ahead of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, which begins on January 11th at Ryogoku Kokugikan, drawing a crowd of around 2,000 spectators under clear skies.

Japan’s long-term interest rates climbed to their highest level in roughly 27 years, with the yield on newly issued 10-year government bonds briefly reaching 2.125% on January 5th, marking the highest level since February 1999.

Liveliness returned to Japan’s top tuna landing port as the first tuna auction of the year was held in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, where prayers were offered for a safe and abundant fishing season.

The year 2026 is seen as a turning point when a decline in the number of university-bound students will begin to affect university management across Japan.

Around 130 worshippers were unable to return home on the night of January 2nd after icy road conditions caused by heavy snowfall led to road closures around Mitsumine Shrine in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture.

Quantum computing is beginning to attract attention as the next major investment theme following the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, with growing interest reflected not only in technology circles but also among individual investors attending seminars and market briefings.

An elderly woman died in Tokyo after choking on mochi during the first three days of the New Year, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.

A new chapter is emerging in the race for AI semiconductors, as a Japanese startup founded by former PlayStation chip engineers sets its sights on challenging industry giant Nvidia with a radically different approach to processor design.

Japan, known as one of the world’s longest-living nations, is seeing its elderly population continue to grow, with people aged 65 and older now accounting for a record 29.3 percent of the population, an increase of around 20,000 from the previous year.

According to population estimates released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on January 1, the number of 18-year-olds reaching adulthood this year stands at 1.09 million, the second-lowest figure since records began in 1968.

Japan byFood and Shizuka are celebrating the New Year with a special guest in Tokyo! A typical Japanese New Year is far from crowds and countdowns – there is only warmth shared in food and family tradition. Let’s come inside our special guest’s house and see how it is really celebrated! (Japan by Food)

The Imperial Family welcomed the New Year on January 1, with the Emperor releasing a message through the Imperial Household Agency expressing his hopes that the year ahead will be one in which people in Japan and around the world can move forward with hope.

More people are struggling with what to do about family graves, as the number of people choosing to close ancestral burial plots continues to rise across Japan.

On the morning of January 1, people across Japan gathered to witness the first sunrise of the new year, offering prayers and reflections as the country welcomed 2026. From the iconic “Diamond Fuji,” where the rising sun aligns perfectly with the peak of Mount Fuji, to panoramic views from Tokyo Skytree, scenes of quiet celebration unfolded nationwide.

Three men broke into a card shop in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward on the night of December 31, stealing Pokemon cards and other items worth about 30 million yen before fleeing the scene, according to police.

Nearly three decades after the end of World War II, one man finally returned to Japan. He was Hiroo Onoda, known as the last Japanese soldier, who had remained hidden in the jungles of the Philippines for 29 years after the war ended.

The draw for Japan’s year-end Jumbo Lottery, offering a combined top prize of 1 billion yen including front and back prizes, was held on December 31 at Tokyo Opera City in Shinjuku, with around 1,000 spectators watching anxiously as the numbers were revealed.