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August 11, 2026
 

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SHIZUOKA

Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki (right) and JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa pose for photos Saturday after signing an environmental preservation agreement, paving the way for the construction of a section of the magnetic levitation train line in the prefecture.
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2026
Shizuoka and JR Central sign pact to start maglev construction
The completion of the Shizuoka section of the line is expected to take over 10 years.
Japan's closely watched maglev train project still faces major challenges, including soaring construction costs, despite clearing a key hurdle with a prefectural governor's long-awaited approval.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 8, 2026
Despite the green light, challenges lie ahead for Â鶹´«Ã½ maglev project
Central Japan Railway now expects the train line¡¯s opening to be in 2036, at the earliest, even if construction kicks off by the end of this year.
Environmental concerns relating to the construction of Central Japan Railway¡¯s high-speed maglev line had contributed to years of delays for the project.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2026
Long-stalled maglev line finally gets green light from Shizuoka Prefecture
Environmental concerns had led to years of delays, but now that understanding has ¡°steadily deepened,¡± it is now possible to move forward, Shizuoka¡¯s governor said.
Bereaved family members offer prayers on Friday at the site where their home once stood in the city of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, before a mudslide disaster took place in 2021.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2026
Families mourn victims of 2021 Atami mudslide
On July 3, 2021, heavy rain triggered a mudslide involving some 55,500 cubic meters of earth and sand, which destroyed over a hundred houses and other buildings, killing 28 people.
Shinsuke Yamanaka, chair of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday about misconduct at Chubu Electric Power.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2026
Chubu Electric suspected of nuclear plant data fraud cover-up
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said it plans to decide its response to the scandal as early as this summer, after confirming the details.
A maglev train exhibited in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, in 2020
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
Shizuoka governor to approve maglev line construction
Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki plans to announce the approval at a prefectural assembly meeting on July 7.
Hideko Hakamata attends a parliamentary session on May 27 to observe deliberations on a Criminal Procedure Code revision bill.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 9, 2026
Sister of ex-death row inmate calls for full disclosure of evidence by prosecutors amid retrial system review
A bill under consideration would limit the scope of evidence disclosure and mandate that the defense not be provided with a list of evidence.
A hyper velocity gliding projectile launcher was unveiled to the public for the first time during the Ground Self-Defense Force's live-fire exercise in Shizuoka Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2026
Standoff weapon launcher showcased in SDF live-fire exercise for the first time
The Type-25 HVGP missile system, which was deployed at the GSDF¡¯s Camp Fuji in March, appeared in an exercise attended by about 3,000 GSDF troops on Sunday.
About 2,900 pigs at a farm in the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, will be culled after an examination conducted by the central government confirmed the presence of classical swine fever, the Shizuoka Prefectural Government said Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 6, 2026
Japan confirms fourth swine fever outbreak of the year
About 2,900 pigs at a farm in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, will be culled after an examination by the central government confirmed the presence of classical swine fever.
A staff member checks a Komodo dragon at Surabaya Zoo in Surabaya on Wednesday. Indonesia will lend a pair of endangered breeding Komodo dragons to Japan.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2026
Indonesia lends Komodo dragon pair to Japan zoo
Indonesia¡¯s Surabaya Zoo will receive a pair of red pandas, a pair of giraffes, four Aldabra giant tortoises and two female Japanese macaques from iZoo in Shizuoka Prefecture.
A domestically produced Japanese long-range Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile with improved capability undergoes a test launch in California in October.
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ counterstrike move reflects rising regional challenges
Japan has for some time debated the acquisition and deployment of ¡°strike capabilities¡± that can hit adversaries from considerable distances.
Indonesia will loan two Komodo dragons to Shizuoka Prefecture in hopes that the endangered reptiles will successfully breed, an official said Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2026
Indonesia to loan endangered Komodo dragons to Japan for breeding program
A male and a female will be sent to a zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture, which will send several animals in return to Indonesia including red pandas and giraffes.
Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura (left) and city of Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (second from left) speak to reporters after viewing upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile systems (seen in the background), which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, at the Ground Self-Defense Force¡¯s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto on March 17.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ ¡®counterstrike capability¡¯ takes shape with missile deployments
Japan on Tuesday for the first time deployed its homegrown longer-range missiles and new hyper velocity gliding projectiles to two military bases in the country.
Maki Takubo, former mayor of Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture, was indicted without arrest on Monday by public prosecutors on suspicion of violations including contravening the local autonomy law through alleged academic fraud.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 31, 2026
Former mayor of Ito indicted after allegedly falsifying academic record
Maki Takubo was elected Ito mayor for the first time in 2025 and claimed to have graduated from Toyo University, but later revealed that she had been expelled.
The Shizuoka Crown Melon brand of melons that have been exported to Australia
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2026
Shizuoka¡¯s premium melons hit Aussie market
The Shizuoka Crown Melon, grown chiefly in the cities of Fukuroi and Hamamatsu, boasts a high sugar content and rich aroma compared with other varieties
The maglev line project has long been stalled by environmental concerns.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2026
Shizuoka set to approve maglev construction
Shizuoka Prefecture¡¯s special committee has approved environmental conservation measures for a section of the planned maglev line.
Shizuoka Financial Group President Hisashi Shibata (center), Bank of Nagoya President Ichiro Fujiwara (right) and others at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2026
Two Japanese regional banks¡¯ shares surge in latest merger pact
The move is the latest example of Â鶹´«Ã½ regional lenders joining forces in a market hit by a shrinking population.
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested three men over alleged involvement in employing Vietnamese nationals without work permits in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2026
Three arrested over illegal hiring of Vietnamese workers in Japan
The incident came to light last May following an investigation into a 26-year-old Vietnamese man who was arrested on suspicion of illegal stay.
A tea field in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture. A significant portion of tea fields in the prefecture is on sloped terrain in hilly and mountainous regions.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 26, 2026
Shizuoka aims to reclaim top tea status with focus on matcha
Long supported by the strength of its brand, Shizuoka now faces a number of challenges as it moves to rebuild its position in the tea market.
Shizuoka police carry boxes from the home of former Ito Mayor Maki Takubo on Saturday in the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 15, 2026
Shizuoka police raid ousted Ito mayor¡¯s home
Takubo faces allegations of falsifying her academic background ¡ª claiming to have graduated from Toyo University then later announcing she had been expelled.
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.
¡®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.

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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