I have often thought that the true rhythm of a city like Tokyo is best understood not from the high-rise lobby of a luxury hotel, but from the quiet side streets where the local vending machines hum through the night and the scent of a neighborhood bakery begins to drift at dawn – a perspective that is becoming increasingly attractive as we all try to navigate through (and at times, away from) a more and more complicated digital world.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s subsidy program for “painless childbirth” has received far more applications than expected within its first six months, leading to significant delays in payments, it was revealed on May 14th.

Japan has approved the application of public health insurance to a regenerative medicine product using iPS cells to treat Parkinson’s disease, marking the world’s first practical use of iPS cell-based regenerative medicine.

The Cannes Film Festival opened this week with three Japanese films nominated for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d'Or, including 'Sheep in the Box' directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, 'Nagi Notes' directed by Koji Fukada, and 'Suddenly Feeling Unwell' directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

The “ink shock” caused by tensions in the Middle East is beginning to spread across Japan’s food packaging industry, prompting manufacturers to simplify designs and reduce ink usage as concerns grow over naphtha supplies and rising printing costs.

The yield on Japan’s benchmark newly issued 10-year government bond rose to 2.60% in the Tokyo bond market on May 13th, marking its highest level in approximately 29 years since June 1997.

Police have arrested a couple in their 40s and their son in his 20s for allegedly confining a teenage girl inside a locked closet at their Tokyo home under the guise of discipline.

A tanker carrying approximately 45,000 kiloliters of crude oil from Azerbaijan arrived in Japan on May 12th, marking the first time Azerbaijani crude has reached the country as the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues.

The National Red Cross Convention held on May 12 honored people involved in Red Cross activities across Japan. Empress Masako, serving as honorary president, attended the event alongside other female members of the Imperial Family, including Crown Princess Kiko, who serves as vice honorary president.

Japan has approved the domestic manufacture and sale of an MMR vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella with a single injection, paving the way for its use in children aged one and older.

The Japanese government has ordered an urgent response to growing concerns over a new artificial intelligence system developed by U.S.-based Anthropic that could potentially be exploited for cyberattacks targeting financial institutions and critical infrastructure.

A new parliamentary group within the Liberal Democratic Party known as the "National Strength Study Group" is set to be launched, bringing together a powerful lineup of senior ruling party figures including Vice President Taro Aso, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Policy Research Council Chairman Takayuki Kobayashi.

Bloomberg reported on May 11th that SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding investment in AI data centers in France.

Japan byFood and Shizuka are going behind the scenes to meet the international visionaries who are redefining the Tokyo food scene today. (Japan by Food)

Major snack manufacturer Calbee will switch the packaging of some of its products to black-and-white designs as instability in the Middle East disrupts the procurement of printing ink and other materials.

The House of Councillors' settlement committee convened on May 11th with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in attendance, as lawmakers continued debating the government's response to the worsening situation surrounding Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Japanese hospitality has a reputation for being almost mystically attentive, but the principles behind it are practical and teachable.

The Nikkei Stock Average reversed early gains and closed 295.77 points, or 0.4%, lower at 62,417.88 on May 11 after surging more than 1,600 points earlier in the day, as selling spread across AI-related and semiconductor shares despite record highs in the U.S. Nasdaq and Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, while concerns over Middle East tensions and U.S. interest rate policy weighed on investor sentiment.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on May 7th that Tokyo has been selected as a host city for the Olympic Qualifying Series, where athletes will compete for places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

As ferries cut across the open waters between Wakayama and Tokushima during the Golden Week holidays, passengers aboard the Nankai Ferry found themselves enjoying a slower pace of travel far removed from Japan’s notorious highway congestion.

Changes are emerging within PTAs that support children's school lives as growing numbers of dual-income households make it increasingly difficult for parents to participate in traditional school activities.

Security camera footage obtained by reporters captured a person placing a suitcase beside a fence in a quiet Tokyo residential neighborhood before walking away and never returning, highlighting a growing problem of abandoned luggage around Ikebukuro.

Japan’s so-called “national debt,” which includes government bonds, borrowings and other liabilities, reached 1,343.8426 trillion yen as of the end of March, marking a record high for the 10th consecutive year, the Finance Ministry announced.

Toyota Motor has become the first Japanese company to surpass 50 trillion yen in annual revenue, although the automaker expects profits to decline this fiscal year due to the impact of Middle East tensions and U.S. tariff policies.

A discount supermarket chain known for its ultra-low prices has raised the price of kaiware radish sprouts for the first time in 34 years, as worsening tensions in the Middle East continue to drive up oil-related costs and disrupt supplies of plastic products across Japan.