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August 11, 2026
 

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INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY

As of Jan. 1, the population of Japanese residents in Japan stood at 119.74 million, down 0.76% from the previous year.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 30, 2026
Japanese population falls below 120 million for first time in decades
The population of Japanese residents has been declining for 17 consecutive years since peaking in 2009.
Japan's internal affairs industry may introduce artificial intelligence agents at local governments facing labor shortages.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2026
Japan weighing AI agents for understaffed local governments
A study group will compile an interim report by the end of fiscal 2026 and aim to release its final report around summer 2027.
The government plans to invest ?150 billion in Rakuten Mobile in a push to develop a homegrown satellite communication system and reduce reliance on firms such as Starlink.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to invest ?150 billion in Rakuten¡¯s domestic satellite project
The investment is part of a push to develop a homegrown satellite network and to reduce Starlink¡¯s dominance in the field.
Japan's National Diet Building in Tokyo. Japan has released an online visualization tool that makes it easier to analyze the fiscal conditions of local governments.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2026
Japan releases tool to visualize local government finances
Users can examine revenues, expenditures and fiscal indicators of local governments through graphs and color-coded maps.
Â鶹´«Ã½ real wages have risen 1.9% from a year earlier, extending gains to a fourth month and reinforcing expectations for another Bank of Japan rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 5, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ real wages rise for fourth month, backing BOJ hike
Inflation-adjusted wages rose 1.9% from a year earlier, accelerating from a revised 1.4% gain in the previous month, the labor ministry reported Friday.
Japan is looking into ways to protect children from the features of social media platforms that can cause addiction.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 3, 2026
Japan weighs stricter age verification for social media users
The government is not considering a blanket age restriction like Australia¡¯s, however.
Internal affairs minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks at a meeting on cybersecurity in Tokyo on May 21.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
Japan to set special aid category for community-based startups
The internal affairs ministry aims to promote what is known as AI transformation, in which companies reform themselves by placing AI at the center.
Â鶹´«Ã½ core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, rose 1.4% in April from a year earlier, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 22, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ inflation eases to four-year low, complicating BOJ hike
Â鶹´«Ã½ core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, rose 1.4% in April from a year earlier, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
Internal affairs minister Yoshimasa Hayashi noted Tuesday that fees paid by local governments to intermediary operators as part of the <i>furusato n§à?zei</i> hometown tax donation program have reached a high level. The ministry plans to urge such portal site operators to lower their commission fees as part of plans to increase the amount of donated funds made available to local governments.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2026
Commission fees for furusato n¨­zei portal sites exceed 10% of donated funds
The ministry plans to urge such portal site operators to lower their fees, as part of plans to increase the amount of donated funds made available to local governments.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in Tokyo, the smallest gain since March 2022, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 1, 2026
Tokyo inflation cools on childcare support, backing BOJ caution
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in the capital, the smallest gain since March 2022.
By the end of March 2027, Japan aims to have around 10,000 people working to revitalize nonurban areas after relocating from urban areas under a government-subsidized program.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Record 8,196 in Japan serve as ¡®community reactivators¡¯
The government aims to increase the number of community reactivators to 10,000 by the end of March 2027.
Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is known for its traditional townscape, including shrines and stone-paved streets, but turning this heritage into a stronger draw for tourists had long been a challenge.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 10, 2026
Financial support program for community-focused startups draws growing interest
The continuation rate for supported projects is high, and the program has received positive reviews from communities for providing tangible benefits.
Â鶹´«Ã½ household spending fell for a third consecutive month in February, dropping 1.8% year-on-year despite real wages turning positive, highlighting weak domestic demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ households cut spending even after real wages advance
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation fell 1.8% in February from a year earlier, a faster decline compared with January¡¯s 1% retreat.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.7% in the capital from a year earlier in March, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 31, 2026
Tokyo inflation cools for now as BOJ monitors Mideast impact
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.7% in the capital from a year earlier in March, marking the smallest increase since April 2024.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Several local government websites become inaccessible
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a news conference Wednesday that the central government and others are gathering information to identify the cause of the problem.
As concentration of the population in the Tokyo area is ongoing, addressing the situation remains a challenge for Japan.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 3, 2026
Net population inflow into Tokyo area slowed in 2025, but concentration persists
As concentration of the population in the Tokyo area is ongoing, addressing the situation remains a challenge for the country.
Early voting turnout for Sunday's election fell 2.54% from the previous Lower House election in 2024, a decline believed to be partly due to heavy snow, particularly in Hokkaido, the Tohoku region and the Hokuriku region.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 3, 2026
4.56 million people vote early for Lower House election
The number of early voters for the Feb. 8 election fell by 2.54% from 4.68 million over the same period in the previous 2024 election.
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 2.9% in November from a year earlier, with the advance driven by outlays on cars and communications, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ household outlays rose ahead of Takaichi¡¯s stimulus plan
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 2.9% from a year earlier, with the advance driven by outlays on cars and communications, the internal affairs ministry reported.
Consumer prices in Tokyo, excluding fresh food, rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing from 2.8% in November, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2025
Yen weakens as Tokyo inflation cools more than expected
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the capital rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing sharply from 2.8% in the previous month.
The issuance of My Number cards began in 2016.
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2025
Number of My Number cards held tops 100 million
The internal affairs ministry said that the number equates to 80.3% of the country¡¯s population.
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&#039;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.
¡®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&#039;t just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it&#039;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.

Podcast

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

Longform

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
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