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August 11, 2026
 

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Kanako Takahara

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Kanako Takahara
Kanako Takahara is a staff writer who has covered national politics, diplomacy, business and the economy at The Japan Times. A graduate of Sophia University, she is currently a national news editor.
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2026
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
The season¡¯s 15th storm is expected to make landfall in Ibaraki and Fukushima prefectures as it heads toward the Sea of Japan.
Disaster relief workers search for car keys at the Kyuganji Temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Friday after the first floor of the temple's residential quarters collapsed following a major quake that struck the region on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2026
Kumamoto showing early signs of quake recovery as transportation routes resume
Shinkansen lines, flights and highways began resuming operations Friday, suggesting the damage to infrastructure was not as devastating as the 2016 temblor.
Evacuees rest inside a gymnasium at a community center, which is serving as an evacuation shelter, in the city of Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Thursday following Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2026
Kumamoto quake death toll rises to 34 as rescuers race against clock
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government on Thursday said five other people sustained serious injuries as a result of the disaster.
Children look at a section of a collapsed road in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Wednesday, after an earthquake struck the region the previous day.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 29, 2026
Fault zone in Kumamoto responsible for a 2016 quake likely triggered latest temblor
The Hinagu and Futagawa fault zones caused the two major earthquakes 10 years ago, with the former likely to have caused Tuesday¡¯s 7.1 magnitude temblor.
Emergency crews outside an Aeon Mall in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Tuesday after the second floor of the building collapsed in the wake of a major earthquake.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2026
Mall collapses after powerful quake rocks Kumamoto
The quake registered up to shindo 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks in a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2026
PM stands firm on LDP-JIP ties and notes public concern over foreign influx
Despite growing speculation that Takaichi is planning to reshuffle her Cabinet before the fall Diet session, she said there is nothing to comment on at this point of time.
A package of bills on the imperial family clears the Upper House plenary session on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Bills to preserve imperial family clear Upper House
They pave the way for the first major revision of the Imperial House Law since its establishment in 1947.
Centrist Reform Alliance leader Junya Ogawa says a difference of opinion on the royals bill among three opposition parties won't have a large impact on ongoing merger talks between them.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 16, 2026
CDP and CRA¡¯s opposing stances on imperial family bills cloud prospect for merger
The CDP opposes a clause that allows future male offspring of newly reinstated members of the imperial family to become heirs.
As of October, there were 2.57 million foreign workers in Japan, up 11.7% from the year before, according to the health ministry.
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2026
Overseas remittances from Japan top ?1 trillion for the first time
The latest Finance Ministry data showed that remittances increased by 11.5% from the previous year to ?1.004 trillion, double the figure recorded in 2015.
The Lower House plenary session, which passed legislation on the dwindling number of imperial family members on Friday
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 10, 2026
Bills on preservation of imperial family pass Lower House
The pieces of legislation will now be deliberated in the Upper House, which is expected to clear them by the end of the current session of parliament.
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to ¡°spend a long time together¡± with her parents.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 3, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ princesses face life-altering legal revisions
After decades of discussion over their future, the princesses may soon have the option to either leave or remain in the imperial family.
Revisions to the laws meant to tackle the imperial family's dwindling numbers included clauses that throw succession rules into question.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2026
Law revisions regarding imperial family invite controversy about succession
Revisions to the laws meant to tackle the imperial family¡¯s dwindling numbers included clauses that throw succession rules into question.
Punch, a Japanese macaque known for clinging to a stuffed orangutan, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture in March
JAPAN / Society
Jun 25, 2026
¡®Unacceptable¡¯: Laser pointer aimed at Punch, the viral baby monkey
Pointing a laser at a monkey will cause it a great amount of stress, a zoo official said, adding that aiming one at its eyes could cause blindness.
A screenshot of the Japan Meteorological Agency website shows the seismic intensity of Thursday morning's earthquake.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Magnitude 7.2 quake hits northern Japan
No tsunami warning has been issued over the temblor, which registered a rare upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the town of Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako with other royal family members at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo in April
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 10, 2026
Parliamentary panel approves draft proposal on revising Imperial House Law
The move paves the way toward legal amendments to help prevent the number of members of the imperial family from further dwindling.
Royal family members greet guests during the spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN / Explainer
May 29, 2026
Who are the former royals who may be reinstated to the imperial family?
A proposal to allow the reinstatement of former male royals along the male line of the imperial family through adoption is being considered by policymakers.
A Cabinet meeting on Friday that approved a revised bill on the retrial system
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Cabinet approves revision of controversial retrial system
Critics of Â鶹´«Ã½ retrial system have said prosecutors¡¯ right to appeal is prolonging the court procedures needed for those seeking a retrial, with it sometimes taking decades.
Keisuke Suzuki, who heads a Liberal Democratic Party panel on the judicial system, speaks during a party meeting on retrial revisions on Wednesday at the party's headquarters in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
May 14, 2026
LDP approves government proposal to revise retrial system
The approval paves the way for the revision ¡ª a top priority for the government ¡ª to be submitted to the current parliamentary session.
Shohei Ohtani warms up during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game in Osaka on March 2.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
After controversial Netflix deal, Japan urges WBC to ensure more people can watch
¡°It is extremely important for a wide range of people to have the opportunity to experience and watch sports,¡± sports minister Yohei Matsumoto said.
Lower House Constitution Commission Chair Keiji Furuya (center) in a session on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 23, 2026
Panel on change to Constitution eyes ¡®emergency¡¯ clause to deliver breakthrough
Those favoring revision discuss streamlining policy shifts and extensions of lawmakers¡¯ terms, while others question if changes are necessary.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
How Â鶹´«Ã½ racehorses find second careers away from the track
TCC Therapy Park is supported financially by racing organizations as well as donations from members of the public.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

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Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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