Emperor Naruhito sowed rice seeds on April 9th in a traditional ceremony aimed at promoting agriculture, held at a seedbed near the Biological Laboratory within the Imperial Palace grounds.

Japanese cosmetics brands are drawing renewed attention as global beauty standards, as a Tokyo-based experiential tour beginning on April 8th invites leading influencers from Europe and beyond to explore Japan’s distinctive skincare philosophy and cultural approach to beauty.

Japan’s House of Representatives Commission on the Constitution convened on April 9th for its first round of deliberations since the ruling party’s landslide victory in the February lower house election, with lawmakers beginning discussions on potential constitutional revisions.

Mizuho Bank announced on April 9th that it will raise its long-term prime rate, a benchmark for corporate lending, by 0.2 percentage points to 3% annually, reflecting the recent upward trend in interest rates, with the change set to take effect on April 10th.

As temperatures rise, concerns about body odor return, drawing attention to a lesser-known scientific field that examines the invisible gases emitted from human skin, with Tokai University professor Yoshika Sekine leading research that could even help detect disease and stress levels.

The winner of the 2026 Japan Booksellers Award, in which bookstore staff across the country vote for the book they most want to sell, was announced on April 9th, with Ryo Asai, 36, receiving the top prize for the novel "In the Megachurch," published by Nikkei Publishing.

SoftBank has applied for a capital alliance with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, according to sources familiar with the matter, following the utility’s call for external partnerships as part of its management restructuring plan.

Japan tightened its "Business Manager" visa requirements in October 2025, prompting growing concern among foreign restaurant owners who fear the changes could force them out of business.

FamilyMart reported record earnings for the fiscal year ending February 2026 on April 8th, with operating profit rising 18% from a year earlier to 100.2 billion yen, driven by strong sales of rice balls promoted through advertising featuring Shohei Ohtani and successful food portion increase campaigns.

A citizens’ group advocating the preservation of Japan’s pacifist constitution held a large-scale rally in front of the National Diet on April 8th, drawing thousands of participants according to organizers, while similar events and street demonstrations were held across the country.

Three masked intruders broke into a luxury goods purchase shop in Hiroo, Tokyo, in the early hours of April 8th, stealing approximately 80 million yen worth of high-end bags and jewelry before fleeing the scene.

Tokyo Metro announced on April 8th that it has entered into a capital and business alliance with Fit, an operator of 24-hour unmanned gyms, investing 1.5 billion yen as part of efforts to diversify revenue beyond its core railway operations.

Japan by Food featuring Shizuka takes you deep into the heart of Kabukicho to witness the rebirth of an icon. (Japan by Food)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Kihara said during a press conference that one Japanese national detained in Iran in January 2026 has been released on bail.

Rising tensions in the Middle East are raising concerns over potential disruptions to medical supplies in Japan, particularly due to uncertainty surrounding naphtha used in products such as gloves and gowns, with hospitals warning that a halt in supply could significantly impact medical care while authorities move to reassure that stockpiles are sufficient for the time being.

Japan’s long-term interest rates climbed to their highest level in roughly 27 years on April 7th, as concerns over rising inflation triggered a broad sell-off in government bonds.

A man in his 60s was arrested in the act after allegedly threatening a route bus driver with a knife while the vehicle was in motion in Tokyo’s Nakano Ward on April 7th.

With the full-scale rollout of Google’s “AI Overviews,” a new “zero-click era” is emerging in which AI selects a handful of optimal products from tens of thousands of options and effectively makes purchasing decisions on behalf of users, raising a critical question for companies: how can their products be chosen as AI-recommended options.

Tokyo has no shortage of great restaurants… but this one really surprised us. Tucked away in Akasaka, Keica is a modern fine dining restaurant where the chef blends Japanese techniques like fermentation, aging, and charcoal grilling with subtle Italian influences. (TabiEats)

Tokyo’s Ogouchi Dam, a key water source for the capital, has fallen to its lowest level since the Heisei era, raising concerns over potential water shortages as rising temperatures intensify pressure on supply.

The cost of entering university, from entrance examinations through enrollment, reached a record high for students who enrolled in private universities in the Tokyo metropolitan area in April last year, a recent survey has revealed.

A survey of industry participants indicates that rice prices are expected to decline over the next three months, reflecting a continued bearish outlook across the sector.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on April 6th that Japan is making arrangements for separate high-level talks with Iran in response to the worsening situation in the Middle East, as a deadline for negotiations set by U.S. President Donald Trump approaches.

As Japan faces a growing infrastructure crisis driven by aging water systems installed during the period of rapid economic growth, a new AI-driven solution is emerging to predict deterioration and prevent failures before they occur.

As the Iran conflict shows signs of prolonged escalation, Japan’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil is driving a sharp surge in naphtha prices—an essential raw material for plastics—forcing manufacturers to implement unprecedented price hikes of over 30% while raising concerns that widespread cost increases and potential shortages across food packaging, medical supplies, and daily goods could intensify from May onward if supply disruptions persist.