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JAPAN

The child population, down 350,000 from a year earlier, again fell to the lowest level since 1950.
JAPAN
May 4, 2026
91²Ö¿â child population down for 45th straight year
The child population, down 350,000 from a year earlier, again fell to the lowest level since 1950.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama declined to comment on potential FX intervention on Monday, saying instead on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank¡¯s annual meeting in Uzbekistan that markets had seen speculative trading.
JAPAN
May 4, 2026
Yen briefly jumps in Asia trade, putting investors on high alert
The whipsaw trading came after Japan likely spent around ?5.4 trillion ($34.5 billion) last week to support the yen.
Students at Sakashita Elementary School in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, bid farewell to Shiro, a guinea pig lent out to the school by a veterinary association, on March 12.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chubu
May 4, 2026
Aichi veterinarians loan guinea pigs to schools for hands-on life lessons
With more schools opting not to keep classroom pets, vets are reducing the burden on schools by lending out guinea pigs for short-term stays.
A map on the website of the Japan Meteorological Agency shows advisories and warnings for strong winds across wide areas of Japan through Monday night.
JAPAN
May 4, 2026
Strong winds disrupt transport during Golden Week
By Jessica Speed
The Meteorological Agency is urging residents, particularly along the Tohoku region's Pacific side, to remain on alert for violent winds from Monday evening through the late night.
The surge in bankruptcies among medical and nursing care operators is mostly attributed to staff shortages and rising costs.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 4, 2026
Bankruptcies among Japan¡¯s medical, nursing care providers surge to highest in decades
By Tomoko Otake
A total of 478 bankruptcies were recorded in fiscal 2025, the highest level since 1988.
The welfare ministry hopes to establish a system so people can apply for special welfare loans only using their My Number card information for identity verification.
JAPAN / Society
May 4, 2026
Japan eyes going digital for emergency welfare loan applications
The welfare ministry expects the digitalization will partially begin in fiscal 2028 to allow households in financial distress to apply quickly via smartphones instead of in person.
A Maholo humanoid robot carries out a series of tasks at the Institute of Science Tokyo's Robotics Innovation Center, during the center's opening last month.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
May 4, 2026
Japanese scientists push for AI use in medical research and diagnoses
By Tomoko Otake
The technology has the potential to free staff from time-consuming, repetitive lab work and reduce human error.
The school's flag is returned to the city during a closing ceremony at Shimoibano Elementary School in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 14.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
May 4, 2026
Shrinking city in Miyagi Prefecture braces for uncertain future
Faced with school closures and declining births, the city of Osaki is struggling to find a way forward.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speak at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 4, 2026
Takaichi visits Australia to bolster economic and defense ties
The Japanese prime minister met with her Australian counterpart, concluding agreements on economic and energy security, as well as defense, minerals and cyber partnerships.

ASIA PACIFIC

Sheina Gutnick, whose father was killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, speaks to the media on Monday after the first hearing block of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in Sydney.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 4, 2026
Australia begins hearings into Bondi Beach attack and rising antisemitism
By Christine Chen
Witnesses from ?the Jewish community told the public inquiry into December's mass shooting that they felt unsafe amid rising hostility since the start of the war in Gaza.
Electric vehicles at a charging station in Kathmandu on April 29. An expanding network of charging stations in the country has made long-distance electric travel increasingly viable as the number of EVs on the road has risen sharply.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 4, 2026
More people in Nepal drive electric, evading global fuel shocks
By Anup OJHA
The Himalayan nation imported more than 13,500 EVs between mid-2024 and mid-2025 ¡ª?double that of gas vehicles and a sharp rise from just seven a decade ago, data shows.

WORLD

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte delivers a speech during an official visit to Turkey, in Ankara on April 22.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
NATO chief says Trump disappointed in Europe over Iran response
The U.S. president had accused European countries of ignoring his requests to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran.
Green Party candidate for London mayor Zoe Garbett canvasses in London on April 22.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
U.K.'s leftwing Greens seek to topple Labour's London strongholds
By Alistair Smout
The trend among urban progressives could cost British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dearly.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday before boarding Air Force One en route to Miami.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
Iran says it forced U.S. warship back from Hormuz, U.S. denies missile strike
By Tala Ramadan
A senior Iranian official said Iran had fired a warning shot and that it was unclear whether the warship had been damaged.
A view of the Republic Square on the eve of the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sunday
WORLD
May 4, 2026
European leaders meet as Trump adds more threats
By Michael Nienaber
The U.S. president said he would cut thousands of troops stationed in Germany after accusing European countries of ignoring requests for help in the war with Iran.
A Shiite Muslim man gestures while visiting the Imam Ali Shrine during the fasting month of Ramadan in Najaf, Iraq, on March 10.
WORLD / Society
May 4, 2026
¡®No pilgrims¡¯: Regional war hushes Iraq¡¯s holy cities
By Salam Faraj
The conflict has stemmed the influx of pilgrims from Iran, Lebanon, the Gulf states, India, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The cruise ship MV Hondius floats off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 4, 2026
What is the hantavirus that killed three cruise ship passengers?
Three people have died and three are ill after a Netherlands-based ?cruise ship was hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus.
A maintenance worker inspects a generator during a maintenance outage at a nuclear power plant in Almaraz, western Spain, on April 23.
WORLD
May 4, 2026
Village braces for closure of Spain's largest nuclear plant
By Robin BJALON
The Almaraz plant, which contributes around 7% of Spain's electricity production, is slated to close in 2028.
Orthodox priests arrive for a ceremony in the cathedral of Saint Etchmiadzin near Yerevan, in Etchmiadzin, Armenia on May 3.
WORLD
May 4, 2026
Ancient faith to AI future: Five things to know about Armenia
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has cautiously deepened engagement with the European Union and the United States, seeking economic support and political backing.
A Sudanese girl, who lost her right arm due to injuries sustained in the civil war, leaves an elementary school run by the Sudanese Coalition for Education in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in the south of Port Sudan, on April 26.
WORLD / Society
May 4, 2026
Sudanese schoolchildren race to make up for years lost to war
By Bahira AMIN
Some 8 million children in Sudan are currently out of school, according to UNICEF.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right), during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) ahead of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
Armenia summits show Europe¡¯s Caucasus rivalry with Trump and Putin
By Andrea Palasciano
Long the dominant force in the region, Russia now faces growing competition from the U.S., as well as from Turkey, the European Union and China.
A picture of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi on the wall of the Grand Hotel in central Oslo before the Nobel banquet, in connection with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize 2023, in Oslo, on Dec. 10, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
Nobel laureate Mohammadi remains in critical condition in Iran, foundation says
The Peace Prize laureate was placed in a cardiac care unit after being brought to the hospital from prison.
The cruise ship MV Hondius is stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.
WORLD
May 4, 2026
Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship leaves three dead, WHO says
By Jason Gale
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly infection that typically spreads to humans through contact with infected rodents, with person-to-person transmission uncommon.
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on March 3
WORLD
May 4, 2026
Germany's Merz says not ¡®giving up on working with Donald Trump¡¯
Criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders has clearly aggravated U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. Supreme Court associate justices Samuel Alito (left) and Clarence Thomas at the inauguration ceremony for U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2026
As Clarence Thomas hits a milestone, his conservative stamp on the U.S. Supreme Court endures
By Jan Wolfe
Thomas has ?supported religious liberty, the death penalty and broad presidential powers, and has opposed gay marriage, affirmative action and campaign-finance reform.

BUSINESS

A line of natto products shown on the website of Mizkan
BUSINESS / Companies
May 4, 2026
Mizkan suspends sales for four natto products amid supply strain
By Jessica Speed
The war in the Middle East has driven up procurement costs, the company said, putting pressure on packed natto production.
Saudi Arabia's minister of energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, speaks during a session of the Russian Energy Week international forum in Moscow, Russia, on Oct. 15, 2025.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 4, 2026
Saudi oil prince¡¯s iron grip faces ultimate test with UAE¡¯s shock OPEC exit
By Yousef Saba, Ahmad Ghaddar and Maha El Dahan
The departure poses a formidable test for ?the first royal Saudi oil minister whose style has shifted from diplomacy to increasingly unilateral decision-making.
A Chinese flag flutters in front of the Shanghai Gaoqiao Company Refinery in Shanghai.
BUSINESS
May 4, 2026
China's rare defiance of U.S. sanctions sparks showdown over banks
The latest regulations direct companies in the country not to abide by U.S. sanctions on five domestic refiners linked to the Iranian oil trade.

ENVIRONMENT

Shorebirds gather in dense flocks at Higashiyoka Higata (tidal flats), pushed together by the rising tide.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Perspectives
May 4, 2026
At 70, chasing birds across a changing Japan
By Mark Brazil
From subtropical islands to northern coasts, a quest for rare sightings becomes a meditation on memory, effort and environmental change.

Opinion

A tanker approaches a pier at a PT Pertamina facility at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta in February. Conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel prices are driving energy shocks across Asia.
COMMENTARY
May 4, 2026
Oil shock will hit Asia harder than the 1970s
By David Fickling
We're seeing the first tremors of a similar earthquake now in Asia. More than 80% of the oil and gas that passes through the Strait of Hormuz heads east.
Amid senseless global suffering and authoritarian threats, recent democratic activism and crises such as U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s actions and the Iran conflict show that tragedy can spark hope for moral progress and climate action.
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2026
From despair to action: Tragedy is reborn as hope.
By Chiara Cordelli
The crisis of democracy feeds the climate crisis.
An oil refinery under construction on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria. Africa already has the capital needed for development, but without better institutions, investment platforms and regulations, most domestic savings remain trapped in government debt.
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2026
Putting Africa¡¯s savings to work for its people
By Gomez Agou
The task now is to build the architecture that channels Africa's savings into productive investments.
Tokyo, once ahead in tech before being overtaken by Silicon Valley, is now trying to reinvent itself as a global startup hub by leveraging its stability, AI potential and government-backed support for entrepreneurs.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 4, 2026
Silicon Valley made AI powerful. Tokyo wants to make it work
By Catherine Thorbecke
Japan is full of contradictions on AI. People here are the least fearful in the world of the technology, perhaps because a shrinking population and labor shortages.
People take part in the traditional May Day labor union march in Paris on Friday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 4, 2026
From Paris on May Day: Rethinking work and solidarity in Japan
By Kumiharu Shigehara
May Day came and went last Friday in the City of Light, prompting reflections on its meaning in France compared with Japan.

Sports

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Joao Palhinha (left) and head coach Roberto De Zerbi react after the match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Sunday.
SOCCER
May 4, 2026
Tottenham climbs out of relegation zone with win at Aston Villa
By Martyn Herman
New manager Roberto de ?Zerbi has now taken seven points from his first four games in charge.
Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi delivers a pitch against the White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field in Chicago on April 29.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 4, 2026
Angels place starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on injured list
The move is retroactive ?to April 30 because Kikuchi ?suffered inflammation ?in his left shoulder during his ?start on April 29 at the Chicago White Sox.
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (left) goes for a loose ball against Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen during the second half of Game 7 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
May 4, 2026
Cavs use third-quarter surge to best Raptors in Game 7
Fourth-seeded Cleveland, which trailed by double digits in the first and second quarters, will play the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the East semifinals.
Marta Kostyuk celebrates after winning her final match against Mirra Andreeva at the Madrid Open on Sunday.
TENNIS
May 4, 2026
Kostyuk downs Andreeva to claim Madrid Open title
By Fernando Kallas
In the men's final, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner ?became the first man to win five successive Masters 1000 titles.
Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki handles the puck against the Lightning during Game 7 of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
May 4, 2026
Habs edge Lightning in Game 7 for first playoff series win since '21
The Canadiens set a Stanley Cup playoff record for fewest shots on goal in a win.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli (front) races during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix in Miami on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
May 4, 2026
Antonelli takes third win in a row for Mercedes to stretch F1 lead in Miami
By Alan Baldwin
The youngest driver ever to lead the standings, Antonelli made more history as the first to take his first three career F1 wins in successive races.

COMMUNITY

Muslims pray at Tokyo Camii in the Yoyogi-Uehara neighborhood. Though Muslims account for only 0.3% of Japan¡¯s population, rhetoric in online spaces and by conservative politicians has fomented social tensions.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 4, 2026
Fujisawa flashpoint: A mosque project stokes nativist fears
By Simon Scott and Ben Stubbings
The planned construction of a mosque in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, had been quietly proceeding for years ¡ª until a YouTuber decided to run for office.
Water shortages hit tourist spots in Japan during Golden Week
A hot spring facility in the city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, has suspended the operation of its open-air baths since March.
What is the hantavirus that killed three cruise ship passengers?
The cruise ship MV Hondius floats off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.
China's rare defiance of U.S. sanctions sparks showdown over banks
A Chinese flag flutters in front of the Shanghai Gaoqiao Company Refinery in Shanghai.
Article 9 in focus as Takaichi pushes for revision of Constitution
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives a speech in Hanoi on Saturday.
As Iran war sends oil prices soaring, some see fresh potential for solar in Japan
An agrivoltaic crop, in which solar panels are raised about 3 meters off the ground so that agricultural machinery can freely operate on the crops underneath, in Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.
Fujisawa flashpoint: A mosque project stokes nativist fears
Muslims pray at Tokyo Camii in the Yoyogi-Uehara neighborhood. Though Muslims account for only 0.3% of Japan¡¯s population, rhetoric in online spaces and by conservative politicians has fomented social tensions.
No longer shushed: Japan¡¯s cultural venues make room for children
In 2019, Saitama Arts Theater started permitting children under 3 to some of its shows. Previously, children under 4 were not permitted.
New head chef at Maz explores Peruvian food through a Japanese lens
Since taking over Maz last month, chef Yuya Nakamura has been gradually introducing more Japanese influences to the restaurant's innovative Peruvian cuisine.
For tourists in Japan¡¯s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan's famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country's outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
¡®Sashiko¡¯ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'
Traditional Japanese needlework has exploded in popularity, but a book from a third-generation artisan aims to bring more context to the craft's newfound popularity.

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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