Oct 23 (The Shogunate) - The rise of Japan's warrior class is at hand. In this video we dive into the development of private warrior groups who will transition into the Bushi along with significant warriors of the capital who will forge lasting warrior clans.
Check out episode 1 of this updated series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhgR0Zz6Ok
Shibuya Ward has approved an ordinance that would impose a 2,000-yen fine for littering on public streets, while also penalizing shops that fail to provide trash bins. The measure was passed on December 10th and targets both individuals who discard waste and businesses near major stations that offer takeout services, raising questions about whether the approach will meaningfully reduce trash on the streets.
Shogi player Kana Fukuma, who currently holds six women’s titles, revealed on December 10th that she has submitted a formal request calling for revisions to the Japan Shogi Association’s rule that prevents players from competing in title matches during a set period before and after childbirth.
The most popular baby names of 2025 were led by Minato for boys and Sui for girls, according to rankings released by Meiji Yasuda Life, which highlighted continued enthusiasm for certain kanji characters and showed how naming trends have evolved since the survey began in the first year of the Taisho era.
A powerful earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6+ struck Aomori late on December 8th, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue a temporary tsunami warning for coastal areas along the Pacific side of the prefecture. While the warning has since been downgraded, the government is urging caution after authorities announced, for the first time, a heightened possibility of another large earthquake occurring off Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast.
A plan to sharply raise Japan’s departure tax is taking shape as the government and ruling coalition have begun coordinating a proposal to lift the current 1,000 yen levy to a flat 3,000 yen per person in next fiscal year’s tax reform, adding new momentum to calls for expanded funding to deal with overtourism across the country.
The number of applicants for next January’s nationwide university entrance common test has reached 496,237, the National Center for University Entrance Examinations announced on December 9th, with the figure rising by 1,066 from the previous year as applications moved to a principally online system that allows students to apply directly without going through their schools.
A Kyoto school has apologized after confirming that a group of its students appeared in a widely circulated social media video showing boys speaking Japanese and placing clothing items into their bags at what is believed to be a shop in Bali, Indonesia, during a study trip on December 4th.
A civic group in Usa City, Oita Prefecture that collects and analyzes wartime film archives released 18 pieces of footage to the media on December 7th, with the materials depicting kamikaze aircraft engaging U.S. forces and the devastation from air raids across Japan, much of it being shown publicly for the first time after the group obtained and examined the reels from the U.S. National Archives.
A volcano education center at the base of Showa-Shinzan is facing an existential threat as aging facilities and deteriorating materials put decades of invaluable records at risk.
A former teacher accused of secretly filming women by placing miniature cameras in a high school changing room and restroom faced sentencing at the Utsunomiya District Court on July 12th, with prosecutors demanding 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment.
As December approaches and people prepare for handwritten New Year’s cards, opportunities to pick up a pen naturally increase at this time of year, yet the nation’s enthusiasm for beautiful handwriting shows no sign of fading as calligraphy schools continue to evolve in step with the boom.
Jomon pottery estimated to be more than 10,000 years old has been found almost perfectly preserved at the bottom of Lake Biwa, with researchers calling the discovery exceptionally rare.
Okinawa’s Board of Education has cancelled this year’s program to send high school students to China after officials received notice from the host institution that it could no longer accept the group.
