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Ceremonies celebrating those turning 20 were held across Japan on January 12th, with events taking place nationwide to mark Coming of Age Day.
The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.
Osamu Suwa, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is set to undertake his first long-term stay aboard the International Space Station, becoming the eighth Japanese astronaut to do so.
A traditional New Year event known as the “Lucky Man Selection,” in which participants compete to be the first to pray for the new year, was held on January 10th at Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture, the head shrine of “Ebessan,” the deity of prosperous business.
According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings.
A joint project with the Nikkei takes a closer look at Generation Alpha, the cohort expected to shape the next era. Born from 2010 onward, this generation is said to account for roughly a quarter of the world’s population.
doctors and schools across Japan are drawing attention to a condition known as “New Year syndrome,” a form of physical and mental malaise that can emerge when daily routines are disrupted by an extended year-end break.
Japan’s scientific community was energized in 2025 by major news when Sakaguchi Shimon of Osaka University and Kitagawa Susumu of Kyoto University jointly won Nobel Prizes, marking a rare double win by Japanese researchers.
The year 2026 is seen as a turning point when a decline in the number of university-bound students will begin to affect university management across Japan.
According to population estimates released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on January 1, the number of 18-year-olds reaching adulthood this year stands at 1.09 million, the second-lowest figure since records began in 1968.
A special exhibition showcasing specimens of rare wildlife found in Okinawa has opened in Naha, offering visitors a close look at the region’s rich natural heritage.
Field-based learning that takes students out of the classroom and into real-world settings is gaining traction in Japanese education, with students from Dalton Tokyo Junior and Senior High School and Minerva University in the United States visiting the Unosumai district of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture in November as part of an inquiry-based learning program to trace the aftermath of the March 11 disaster.
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.
