Foreign nationals have been appointed as drivers on local bus routes for the first time nationwide, using Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker program, in a move aimed at easing chronic labor shortages in the sector.

Shoji Ozaki, a professional golfer affectionately known as “Jumbo” and the most successful winner in Japanese golf history, died on December 23 of sigmoid colon cancer. He was 78.

A dramatic open-air bath suspended in the air with sweeping views, alongside all-you-can-eat dining featuring nearly 100 dishes—where is the best-value destination for year-end and New Year travel?

The Japan Newspaper Publishers Association has submitted an opinion paper calling for new legal frameworks in response to a public consultation on intellectual property conducted by the Cabinet Office, seeking stronger protections for news content amid the rapid spread of generative AI.

Chinese media report that roughly 40% of airline flights linking Japan and China will be suspended in January next year, as the impact of Beijing’s call to refrain from travel to Japan continues to weigh on demand.

Japan’s average temperature in 2025 is expected to rank as the third highest since records began, underscoring another year of persistent heat across the country. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the nationwide average temperature for the year is projected to be 1.25 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, placing it behind only last year and the year before, which marked the highest and second-highest readings on record, respectively.

Uniqlo, one of Japan’s leading fast-fashion brands, announced on the 22nd that it will raise the starting salary for new graduates to 370,000 yen, a move that has drawn widespread attention.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced it will move to cut the application fee for 10-year passports by 7,000 yen, bringing the cost down to around 9,000 yen, as it prepares for a revision of the Passport Act.

A road uplift that occurred in a Tokyo neighborhood is believed to have been caused by construction work on the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, with JR Central saying the tunnel excavation was likely responsible for the surface damage.

Japan byFood and Shizuka set out to discover Anthony Bourdain’s favorite food spots in Tokyo! How have these spots aged, and do they still carry the same spirit that made them special? (Japan by Food)

The government is moving to raise the maximum loan amount under the long-term fixed-rate home mortgage program known as Flat 35 to 120 million yen, as it seeks to respond to the continued rise in housing prices.

Photos of former Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto, have been found inside a facility operated by Aleph, the group regarded as the successor to the Aum Shinrikyo cult, it has been learned.

SoftBank and other companies are considering establishing a new firm dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence, with the aim of building a domestically produced AI platform through a public-private partnership.

Prime Minister Takachi on December 22nd visited a “Press Photo Exhibition” in Tokyo reviewing key events of 2025, smiling for reporters as she recreated a pose from a photograph taken aboard the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington alongside President Trump.

The Bank of Japan has decided to raise its policy interest rate to around 0.75 percent, a level not seen in 30 years, prompting questions about how the move will affect the weak yen, rising prices, and household finances across different generations.

Rapidus President Koike has unveiled what the company says is the world’s first next-generation semiconductor substrate measuring 600 millimeters on each side, marking a significant step forward for Japan’s emerging chipmaker.

Hanshin Contents Link, based in Osaka, unveiled to the media on December 19th a new inbound-focused sumo show restaurant called Nichirakuza, which is set to open in Tokyo’s Ginza in January next year, offering foreign visitors the chance to watch live sumo performances while enjoying traditional kaiseki cuisine.

The Bank of Japan decided on December 19th to raise its policy interest rate to 0.75%, a move expected to have a significant impact on daily life through higher mortgage and deposit rates.

A prolonged weak yen and rising prices are pushing up the cost of everything, from daily necessities to seasonal treats, prompting Japan’s central bank—often described as the nation’s “guardian of prices”—to step in. The Bank of Japan is trying to curb the weak yen and inflation through interest rate hikes, but doubts remain over whether that alone will be enough.

Finland’s prime minister has apologized to Japan, China and South Korea after photographs posted by Finnish lawmakers featuring a so-called “slant-eye” gesture were widely criticized as discriminatory toward Asians.

As the year-end travel season approaches, a growing problem involving airline tickets has begun to surface, drawing attention from major carriers. Last week, Japan Airlines posted a warning on X stating, "Japan Airlines prohibits the transfer or resale of airline tickets to third parties." The airline said prohibited acts such as ticket resales and transfers are spreading across social media platforms.

Japan on December 19th approved its first-ever basic plan for artificial intelligence, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vowing to pursue the strategic development of AI while emphasizing reliability as a core Japanese value.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that it will increase subsidies for environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles by 400,000 yen. Under a revision to the clean energy vehicle promotion subsidy program, the ministry said it will raise the maximum subsidy for EVs by 400,000 yen to a ceiling of 1.3 million yen.

Hotels in major tourist destinations are beginning to change as China’s call for restraint on travel to Japan reduces the number of group tours, with some Kyoto properties now offering rooms for as little as 3,000 yen per night, a level that would have been unthinkable during the recent inbound tourism boom.

A fire at a private sauna in Akasaka, Tokyo, that claimed the lives of a couple in their 30s has revealed serious flaws in safety management, with the shop owner telling investigators that the control panel linked to the sauna’s emergency button had never been powered on.