The amount of property left behind by deceased individuals with no legal heirs and subsequently transferred to the state reached a record 129.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, highlighting a steady rise in unclaimed estates as Japan’s population ages.

Gold prices are drawing growing attention as expectations rise that the market could once again set new highs, with major financial institutions projecting in their 2026 outlooks that the metal will surpass its previous record of 4,381 dollars per troy ounce and potentially break through the 5,000-dollar mark.

A surge in prices is hitting local festivals across Japan, with the centuries-old Chichibu Night Festival, one of the nation’s three major float festivals, reducing its traditional fireworks program by 200 shots after pyrotechnic costs soared, as the Highashi administration rolls out inflation countermeasures that aim to support households but have prompted concerns that they may end up accelerating inflation instead, raising questions about how these policies will ultimately affect everyday life.

Japan and Saudi Arabia moved to strengthen cooperation in the entertainment sector as officials and industry representatives gathered in Tokyo on December 2nd for a bilateral forum that highlighted new avenues for cultural exchange, including competitive gaming among high school students.

As Japan enters what many now call the “100-year life era,” the question of how to finance a much longer old age has become unavoidable, with rising living costs and modest pensions leaving many seniors struggling to make ends meet and searching for ways to supplement their income.

The average budget for Christmas gifts in 2025 is set to rise from 2024 as so-called age-less toys gain popularity, according to a survey released on December 2nd by the Japan Toy Association on toys people hope to give to their children or grandchildren.

Superman is suddenly appearing far more often at Japan’s biggest cosplay events—from Ikebukuro Halloween to Comiket—and not in a casual or ironic way.

Police have arrested a man in his 30s after he allegedly entered a banquet hall at Hotel MiraCosta inside Tokyo DisneySea on December 1st while carrying what appeared to be a knife before fleeing the scene, with authorities locating him the following day in Kawasaki City.

The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin have agreed on a framework to ensure the effectiveness of legislation aimed at reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives, deciding that if no conclusion is reached within one year, roughly 10 percent of seats across both single-member districts and proportional representation blocs will be cut.

A man carrying what appeared to be a knife entered a party venue at Hotel Miracosta inside Tokyo DisneySea on December 1st shortly after 8 p.m., briefly displaying the object before fleeing the scene, according to police.

A fire broke out recently in Kyoto’s Pontocho district, yet despite the area’s narrow alleyways and tightly packed wooden buildings, the damage was limited to the complete loss of a single establishment with no injuries reported.

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 24th birthday on December 1st after a year marked by a series of first-time imperial events, public duties and her inaugural overseas official visit, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

A pair of brothers inspired by the manga ‘Space Brothers’ are advancing technologies for agriculture in space while also accelerating soil regeneration on Earth, achieving improvements in as little as one month through their company Toeing, led by CEO Nishida Kohei and CTO Nishida Ryoya, which is drawing attention for research that could support future space habitation and contribute to decarbonization efforts on the ground.

This is Mochiyori PAN Samba, a small bakery in Oshiage near the Tokyo Skytree that creates its own Japanese deli style baked bread. What makes it special is that it is helped run by three 80 year old grandmas who are at the heart of the shop. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

Komeito leader Saito told senior members of the party’s regional organizations that, following the party’s departure from its coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party, he intends to establish a new party vision centered on centrist reform by the time of the party convention next autumn, saying in the meeting that he is determined to raise the banner of centrist reform high within Japanese politics and open up a new horizon by serving as a unifying axis across the ruling and opposition blocs.

The Imperial Palace’s Inui Street opened to the public on November 29th, drawing large crowds from across the country who came to enjoy a leisurely walk beneath rows of trees glowing in shades of red and yellow.

BYD will introduce an aggressively priced plug-in hybrid vehicle in Japan as part of its bid to expand market share, with the company set to begin domestic sales of its Sealion 6 model on December 1st at a starting price of 3.98 million yen, according to reporting by TV Tokyo.

A 41-year-old woman who says her love “defies logic” spoke about her married life with an “AI husband,” explaining how she communicates with him entirely through a screen as she shops on a recent outing with the partner she married last month

Japan’s nuclear policy, forced into a turning point by the catastrophic accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, has undergone a sweeping shift as the country moves from a nationwide shutdown of reactors to a steady resumption of operations.

Tokyo High Court issued a ruling on November [insert month here if needed based on publication timing] that the government’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is constitutional, a decision that prompted deep disappointment among the plaintiffs who had argued that the current legal framework violates the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of marriage.

Tokyo police carried out a search on a home-share facility and its operating company on Wednesday after investigators determined that the firm continued running its minpaku business on days explicitly banned under local ordinance and then submitted false reports to the authorities.

Toyota’s global production in October reached 926,987 vehicles, rising 3.8% from a year earlier, marking the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year growth and setting a new single-month record for the first time in 1 year and 11 months.

Investors in the real-estate fund Minna de Ooya-san, which raised more than 200 billion yen while promising annual returns of around 7%, are facing deepening uncertainty as Narita International Airport Company moves to end its lease of development land near the airport at the end of this month, adding further strain to a project already mired in delays and halted distributions.

Tokyo announced on November 26th that it will overhaul its lodging tax system by replacing the current fixed-rate structure with a uniform tax equivalent to 3% of accommodation fees, a move intended to respond to sharply rising hotel prices.

Honda announced on November 25th that production has resumed at its automobile plant in Mexico after operations were halted from late October due to a semiconductor shortage.