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Following approval by the health ministry, Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare's Norlevo went on sale at drugstores on Feb. 2, becoming the first emergency contraception available over the counter in Japan.

JAPAN / Society

May 2, 2026

High costs and lack of privacy slow uptake of OTC emergency contraceptives

Having to receive explanations about the pill from pharmacists and take it in front of them poses significant hurdles for buyers seeking anonymity.

The interior of Ume-no-yu, a public bathhouse in the city of Nagano. Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to a storied Japanese institution: the sento, or traditional public bathhouse.

JAPAN / Society

May 2, 2026

Not even Japanese bathhouses are immune from shocks of Iran war

By River Akira Davis and Kiuko Notoya

Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to the traditional public bathhouse.

Volunteer firefighter Ryota Haga carries a fire hose to battle a wildfire in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, on Sunday.

JAPAN / Society

Apr 27, 2026

Tsunami survivor battles wildfire to protect hometown in Iwate Prefecture

By Kentaro Okasaka and Tom Bateman

Volunteer firefighter Ryota Haga is working to contain a wildfire raging for a sixth ?day that is threatening his community 15 years after it was devastated by a tsunami.

Shingo Takatsu (left) and Soichi Tojima check a crop surrounded by a fence in Oda, Shimane Prefecture.

JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima

Apr 27, 2026

Shimane farming districts face onslaught from rising monkey population

Japanese macaques have become used to humans, stealing persimmons and daikons even with people standing nearby.

Ryo Hanamori speaks about his experience of suffering from compulsive buying disorder.

JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima

Apr 27, 2026

Confronting addiction: ‘I knew I had to stop buying things’

Ryo Hanamori fought his disorder for years. Now that he's stable, he hopes to help others.

A walking training session for people with visual impairment is held on a platform at East Japan Railway's Shinagawa Station in Tokyo's Minato Ward on March 2.

JAPAN / Society

Apr 27, 2026

Japan starts platform safety training for visually impaired

With more time needed to install platform screen doors, the transport ministry views the initiative as an urgent interim measure to prevent falls and other accidents.

Many mothers have difficulty preparing child care products for their babies as they cannot work as much as they want due to pregnancy or childbirth.

JAPAN / Society

Apr 24, 2026

Half of disadvantaged mothers in Japan lack child care products, survey finds

When asked about concerns, 88% of respondents said they could not work as much as they wanted to due to pregnancy or childbirth.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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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