News On Japan
April 26, 2025
A passenger car was captured speeding across the frame from left to right by a security camera just moments before a fatal crash in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, that claimed the lives of four vocational school students.
Image of Four Young Mechanics Die After Car Crashes at High Speed

A fire broke out on the evening of April 25th on an electronic billboard attached to the Yodobashi Camera commercial complex in front of JR Osaka Station, prompting a large emergency response. No injuries were reported.

Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.


SOCIETY | April 26, 2025
After 77 years, Tokyo is set to return blue skies to Nihonbashi as the city buries its expressways underground and reimagines its historic heart.
Image of Skies To Reopen Over Nihonbashi

The Emperor and Empress attended the Greenery Ceremony, an annual event honoring researchers who have made outstanding contributions in fields such as plant and forest conservation.

Nearly three months after a road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, authorities are preparing to resume the search for the missing truck driver as early as next week.

The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.


Universal Studios Japan has announced a surprise expansion of its popular Minion Park, increasing the area by 1.4 times and unveiling a new attraction that features the park’s first-ever moving walkway.
Image of USJ Expands Minion Park With New Ride for Summer

Japan plans to introduce a new electronic travel authorization system to bolster immigration screening for foreign visitors, moving up its original timeline in response to the recent surge in arrivals.

The total number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai surpassed one million on April 23rd, just 11 days after the event began. Despite being a weekday, the venue remained crowded, with long lines forming at popular pavilions such as the one from the United States.

Foreign tourists are lining up to visit some of Tokyo’s most photogenic spring attractions, with Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo Ward drawing crowds on April 22nd as vibrant late-blooming azaleas reached their peak.

Shibata Town, known for its flourishing cherry blossoms, has embraced a tree ownership system to pass the beauty of its roughly 400 commemorative trees—planted to mark births, marriages, and other milestones—on to future generations.


Bullet Train Explosion is a high-octane thriller set aboard Hayabusa 60, an E5 Series Shinkansen racing from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo — and it can’t drop below 100 km/h, or a hidden bomb will detonate.
Image of Kusanagi Reveals His Role in 'Bullet Train Explosion'

For the first time in his life, comedian Nagano—known for disliking romance reality shows—sat down to watch one with TV personality Chinatsu Wakasugi, a self-proclaimed romance reality show enthusiast. The pair viewed the premiere episode of the new series Offline Love together.

A growing number of Japanese gravure idols—models known for their swimsuit photo shoots—are entering the sauna world, fueling a new entertainment trend known as "nettobashi" (heatwave shows). These events feature the idols dressed in swimsuits, vigorously fanning heat across sauna-goers in steamy venues packed with excited fans.

Shonosuke, a 28-year-old rapper from Sapporo, once spent his teenage years in constant fights, arrests, and turmoil. Raised in a single-parent household, his playground was the nightlife district of Susukino, where he ran away from home, dropped out of high school, and was arrested several times for soliciting customers.

What began as a swirl of excitement quickly became a full-blown celebration of galactic proportions as Star Wars Celebration made its triumphant return to Japan, bringing together fans from more than 125 countries for a spectacular weekend of panels, premieres, and unforgettable moments.


We visited three different food truck spots and tasted a variety of mouthwatering dishes. (TabiEats)

There are some English words that are harmless. But to Japanese, they sound FILTHY! Yes, simple words like chin, napkin, and even people's names like Gary and Ben can sound very inappropriate in Japan! Today, I'll share all of these words with you! (Mrs Eats)

As counterfeit pharmaceuticals continue to spread worldwide, Japanese optical and AI technologies are playing a critical role in protecting lives.

Kyoto University and its research team have revealed that several former employees of Daikin Industries developed lung diseases, potentially linked to exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of chemical compounds used in industrial manufacturing.


BUSINESS | April 26, 2025
Construction of the Integrated Resort (IR) complex in Yumeshima, Osaka—adjacent to the site of the 2025 World Expo—began on April 24th, with plans to open the facility in five years.
Image of Osaka Begins Building Casino Resort Near Expo Site

Toyota Motor Corporation announced on April 24th that its global sales for fiscal 2024 totaled 10,273,719 vehicles, a 0.3% decrease from the previous year, marking the first year-on-year decline in four years.

Rice prices in Japan continue to soar, more than doubling from the same period last year, with no clear signs of easing despite the government’s decision to release stockpiled rice. The current situation—dubbed the “Reiwa Rice Crisis”—has drawn comparisons to past supply shocks, prompting public concern and debate over whether government intervention has come too late.

At the Shanghai Motor Show, which opened to the press on April 23rd ahead of its public run from April 27th to May 2nd, Toyota Motor Corporation revealed a series of new models, including a new electric vehicle, as it works to regain ground in the increasingly competitive Chinese market.

The average weekday lunch spending in Japan rose for the third straight year to a record 485 yen in 2024 -- a 7.3% increase from the previous year -- highlighting how inflation is reshaping workers' midday habits.