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July 29, 2026
 

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Kenji Yoshida
Debris is strewn at the damaged Aeon Mall shopping center, where an explosion occurred after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto Prefecture, in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2026
Rescuers race to find survivors following massive Kumamoto quake
At least three of the 13 deaths reported came at a major shopping mall, after an explosion ripped through the building, causing a large portion of it to collapse.
Liberal Democratic Party executives meet in Tokyo on July 13.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2026
LDP eyes new tools to counter foreign spies and disinformation
The ruling party¡¯s policy panel proposes new laws against illicit foreign interference, broader intelligence-gathering powers and an independent foreign intelligence agency.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a budget committee session at the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 27, 2026
After a legislative sweep, Takaichi faces public confidence test
A recent poll shows 71% of respondents disapproved of the government¡¯s response to rising living costs as talks remain stalled over a reduction of the consumption tax for food.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2026
Defense Ministry questioned over intelligence gathering on domestic experts
A Ground Self-Defense Force unit made assessments about patriotism, beliefs and sexual preferences, news reports alleged.
Kozo Okamoto attends a ceremony organized by Palestinian militants to mark the 50th anniversary of the Lod Airport attack in Beirut on May 30, 2022.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jul 24, 2026
Kozo Okamoto, last surviving participant of 1972 Lod Airport massacre, dies
The airport massacre in Israel turned a little-known, communist-espousing band of a Japanese militant squad into an internationally notorious movement.
An Upper House committee discusses a bill on the establishment of a secondary capital, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
JIP¡¯s priorities take center stage even as household relief stalls
The Liberal Democratic Party no longer finds itself strictly needing the Japan Innovation Party¡¯s support, yet the latter¡¯s priorities continue to shape the parliamentary agenda.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to Democratic Party for the People head Yuichiro Tamaki in parliament in Tokyo on July 15.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 23, 2026
How Japan¡¯s would-be kingmakers lost their edge
The nationalist Sanseito and the centrist Democratic Party for the People are struggling to maintain the momentum ¡ª and distinct political identities ¡ª that powered their rise.
A fan holds Japanese flags at a public viewing in Tokyo for a 2026 World Cup match in June.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Upper House passes flag-desecration bill despite constitutional concerns
The law, to take effect in August, will punish anyone who publicly damages, removes or defaces the flag in a way deemed likely to cause ¡°extreme discomfort or disgust to others.¡±
LDP lawmaker Itsunori Onodera (right), who chairs the National Council on Social Security, in Tokyo on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2026
Parties agree on new benefit program but stay divided over consumption tax on food
While there is agreement to a refundable tax credit for certain workers, debate on cutting the consumption tax on food is expected to intensify.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Rome on June 15. The prime minister is entering the finals days of the current parliamentary session without a serious dent in her approval.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 14, 2026
Takaichi Cabinet retains high approval ratings despite challenges
Latest polls from NHK and JNN show support declining just 1 and 5.9 percentage points, respectively, compared to polls from March.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, on June 17.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 13, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s first economic policy blueprint puts defense industry revival in focus
The government seeks to ¡°transform Japan¡¯s defense posture within five years¡± to achieve highly autonomous and resilient operational capabilities.
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.
Seiji Maehara, a 12-term lawmaker from the Japan Innovation Party, speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 9, 2026
JIP¡¯s submarine proposal tests Japan¡¯s nuclear red lines
Senior party lawmaker Seiji Maehara says Tokyo should acquire at least eight nuclear-powered vessels ¡°as quickly as possible.¡±
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2026
Takaichi looks to India in the face of supply chain and energy concerns
Takaichi and her Indian counterpart met in New Delhi to advance cooperation in artificial intelligence, economic security, clean energy and defense.
Self-Defense Forces personnel stand guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 1, 2026
Japan weighs state ownership of defense plants to boost arms supply
A draft of the government¡¯s basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines calls for reviewing existing law to allow greater state involvement.
Masayo Tanabu, secretary-general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and a senior Upper House lawmaker, speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s opposition faces a make-or-break choice over wider integration
The Centrist Reform Alliance has yet to fully convince the public of its significance, said senior opposition lawmaker Masayo Tanabu.
China's Commerce Ministry building in Beijing. The ministry on Monday added 20 Japanese companies and organizations to its export control list.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 29, 2026
China blacklists more Japanese entities as row deepens
The move is the latest by Beijing to tighten restrictions on firms and entities it claims are tied to Tokyo¡¯s ¡°remilitarization.¡±
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has, in addition to traditional media appearances, focused more on direct communication through social media, official messaging and rapid online rebuttals since taking office.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 26, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s social media strategy tests old political norms
While traditional media outlets remain vital, the greatest merit of online platforms is ¡°giving the full context¡± in a timely manner, Takaichi¡¯s public affairs chief said.
Senior Japan Innovation Party member Seiji Maehara speaks to reporters after his party submitted national security proposals to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
JIP takes sharper nuclear stance than LDP in security proposals
The junior coalition partner in the ruling bloc is pushing for a ¡°realistic review¡± of allowing nukes into the country, while the LDP is looking to bolster extended deterrence.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks during a news conference on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2026
Two Japanese held in China for allegedly smuggling export-restricted goods
The goods the two are alleged to have smuggled were rare-earth related products, media reports said.
Mall collapses after powerful quake rocks Kumamoto
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.
Tough new permanent residency measures trigger concern in Japan
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Shinagawa Ward in March. Japan's revised guidelines for permanent residency are set to be introduced as early as Oct. 1 and applied to applications filed from April 2027.
Japanese man arrested for years of guitar noise
Police seized over 40 guitars ¡ª many electric ¡ª from a Kyoto musician's residence, along with CD and radio cassette players and amplifiers.
More foreign nationals joining fire brigades in Japan, but barriers remain
Mauricio Ojeda (center) takes part in a flood prevention drill in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, in June.
Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for intricate mystery novels, dies at 68
A display featuring Keigo Higashino¡¯s work, with a range of his titles translated into multiple languages, at Books Kinokuniya Tokyo in the capital¡¯s Shinjuku Ward on Tuesday
With secondary-capital bill passed, competition between cities heats up
A view of downtown Sapporo. Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki is pushing Sapporo as a candidate for a second capital outside Tokyo.
Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for intricate mystery novels, dies at 68
A display featuring Keigo Higashino¡¯s work, with a range of his titles translated into multiple languages, at Books Kinokuniya Tokyo in the capital¡¯s Shinjuku Ward on Tuesday
Tough new permanent residency measures trigger concern in Japan
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Shinagawa Ward in March. Japan's revised guidelines for permanent residency are set to be introduced as early as Oct. 1 and applied to applications filed from April 2027.
The tiny Okayama village providing Japan with a blueprint for forest management
In 2008, Nishiawakura announced a 100-year plan to promote forest health through measures including structured thinning of its artificially planted <i>sugi</i> and <i>hinoki</i> trees. Since then, it has earned nationwide recognition for its innovative forest health management initiatives.
How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan¡¯s ubiquitous konbini
Myanmar national Nyan Linn, who works at a Lawson outlet in Tokyo¡¯s Shinagawa Ward, is one of over 110,000 foreign workers employed by Japan&#039;s three largest convenience store chains.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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