The revised Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, passed by Japan's Upper House on May 14th, will allow over-the-counter drugs to be sold at convenience stores if consumers first receive online guidance from licensed pharmacists or other qualified professionals.
Zensho Holdings, operator of the Sukiya beef bowl chain, reported a 17.7% rise in annual revenue to 1.1366 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025—marking the first time a domestic restaurant company in Japan has exceeded 1 trillion yen in sales.
SoftBank Group has returned to profitability for the first time in four years, reporting on May 13th a net profit of 1.1533 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, driven by a global rebound in stock markets that sharply boosted the value of its investment holdings.
There has been a major development in the so-called "Trump tariffs" negotiations, in which Japan is also involved. The United States and China, which had been imposing more than 100% tariffs on each other, agreed on May 12th to reduce those tariffs by 115%.
A prized early-season melon from Hokkaido's Iburi region fetched 300,000 yen for five pieces at the season's first auction held on the morning of May 13th in Sapporo.
Nissan Motor has decided to cut nearly 20,000 jobs globally as it struggles with worsening business performance.
A new matcha product priced at 4,320 yen for just 30 grams is drawing attention amid a global boom in Japanese green tea, as surging demand has made matcha increasingly difficult to procure even within Japan.
Japan recorded a current account surplus of 30.3771 trillion yen in fiscal 2024, according to the Ministry of Finance, continuing a long-standing trend of strong income from trade and overseas investment.