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June 07, 2026
 

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Tourists in the Shibuya area of Tokyo are stopped by a group of multilingual officials who hand out fines to people caught littering on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
On patrol with Tokyo¡¯s new litter police
On the streets of Shibuya, patrol teams caught 10 people littering on the first day of the new ordinance, 15 on the second day and nine on the third, according to city officials.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
With no end in sight for the Iran war, supply chain bottlenecks for the oil-derived material are set to continue, prompting calls for government-enforced energy saving measures.
JAPAN / Society
Man arrested over video of him allegedly pouring detergent-like liquid on sushi
Yuta Shinnishi, 43, has admitted to the allegation and was quoted as saying he "wanted to get more views" on social media.
James "Weston" Higginbotham was last seen in Kyoto on May 29.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 4, 2026
Kyoto police search for missing American tourist
By Elizabeth Beattie
James Higginbotham, who also goes by Weston, was last seen in the Kyoto area on Friday last week.
Asako Mito, head of the preconception care center at the National Center for Child Health and Development, said the number of high-risk pregnancies and childbirths due to such factors as advanced age, being underweight or obesity is increasing in Japan.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 3, 2026
Japan promotes preconception care amid falling birthrates
Preconception care, an initiative aimed at encouraging people to acquire knowledge on pregnancy and childbirth, has been part of government policy since 2018.
Low income, difficulties meeting a partner and balancing work with raising a child are some of the factors playing a role in Japan's declining fertility rate, the Children and Families Agency said.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s births hit new low, but drop less severe than previous years
By Yukana Inoue
The 2.2% decrease in the number of births recorded in Japan was a relatively modest drop compared to the year-on-year 5% decline seen over the past several years.
Thailand's first municipally operated elderly care center in Pathum Thani on April 8
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 3, 2026
Thailand references Japan in boosting its community-based elderly care
In some cases drawing on Japanese experience, local governments and communities in Thailand are stepping up work to support older residents through integrated care initiatives.
Tokyo's Shibuya Ward has begun handing out ?2,000 ($12) fines to litterbugs.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 2, 2026
Shibuya begins handing out ?2,000 fines for littering
By Jessica Speed
Patrol officers will now monitor the ward and collect the fine on the spot from anyone caught throwing away trash improperly, with cashless payments accepted.
A Meteorological Agency official shows a satellite image of Tropical Storm Jangmi in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 1, 2026
Tropical Storm Jangmi set to lash wide area of Japan
By Jessica Speed
The Meteorological Agency has warned of violent winds, high waves, storm surges, landslides, flooding and overflowing rivers in affected areas.
A father, who lost his son in the war in Ukraine, holds the drumsticks the son used to play drums with as a hobby, on April 26 in Fukuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Jun 1, 2026
¡®It feels like he¡¯ll come back¡¯: Father navigates losing son in Ukraine war
The father said it is heart-wrenching to see reports about other wars because it means the world is moving away from peace ¡ª something his son gave?his life trying to restore.

A bleak prognosis for Japan¡¯s demographic future
Japan¡¯s population decline continues to accelerate despite some modest positive signs, highlighting the need for broader social, economic and cultural changes to raise the birth rate.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
Is an honorable U.S. surrender to Iran inevitable?
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 15, shortly before the start of hostilities on Feb. 28.
J-pop group Arashi takes its final bow at Tokyo Dome
J-pop group Arashi ended its long career with a final nationwide tour and the last concert took place in Tokyo on May 31.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
¡®Fujiko¡¯ transforms a mother¡¯s resilience into festival gold
¡°Fujiko¡± stars Yuki Katayama (left) as a scrappy single mother who fights for her autonomy in 1970s and ¡¯80s Japan.
Japan should prepare for an intense typhoon season this year, experts say
Elevated water levels are seen along the Tama River in Kawasaki's Tama Ward as Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Kanto region Wednesday.
The LDP wants another coalition partner. Will it happen?
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), delivers a question during a House of Representatives plenary session on May 25. Making the DPP a coalition member would make it easier for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (above left) to drive forward her legislative agenda.
Japan¡¯s Cannes moment signals a new global push
Tao Okamoto (left) and Virginie Efira (right) shared the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s best actress honor for their roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± a coproduction between Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.

Podcast

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

Longform

Community programs and tracking systems are expanding across Japan as local governments search for ways to prevent dementia-related disappearances.
He told his wife he was ¡®coming home.¡¯ Then he disappeared.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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