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May 02, 2026
 

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EXPATS

The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2026
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
A survey by Tokyo Shoko Research has found that about 5% of foreign business owners are considering closing up shop while 45% expect impacts to operations.
A bill to revise the immigration control and refugee recognition law is approved at a Lower House plenary meeting on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 29, 2026
Japan to likely pass bill raising immigration fees
If the bill also clears the House of Councilors,?the new immigration fees would be implemented within this fiscal year, which ends next March.
The government is considering creating a Japanese language program for foreign people that would be a factor in residency screenings.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2026
Japan considers making language programs a factor in residency screenings
This comes in response to calls from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for measures to address problems between Japanese and foreign residents.
Simona Stanzani translates manga into Italian and English, working with localization companies in Japan and publishers in Italy and elsewhere.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Apr 27, 2026
Italian creatives find their niche in Japan
Inspired by early encounters with Japanese culture, Tokyo-based translator Simona Stanzani and illustrator Luca Tieri have put creative dialogue at the forefront of their careers.
Navigating cancer treatment as a foreign resident of Japan can be an added layer of stress, but nonprofit organizations and community resources are available to support those with a diagnosis.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 20, 2026
Counseling and community for foreign cancer patients in Japan
Navigating cancer treatment as a foreign resident can be daunting, but mental health clinics, nonprofit organizations and other platforms can support the journey.
The Ilocos empanada, a popular street food in the Philippines, gets a jazzed-up presentation at Bananas, a Filipino bistro.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 15, 2026
No buffet, no karaoke: Filipino food gets elevated at Bananas
Breaking out of the confines of simple eateries and community events, the cuisine is making a stylish statement at a new bistro in Shinjuku.
Aya Puka (left), the vice representative of the Triple-Helix Roundtable for International Ph.D. Talent initiative, Thomas Busch (second from left), the dean of the graduate school at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Hirokazu Kato (center), director of Nara Institute of Science and Technology¡¯s (NAIST) regional co-creation office, and Naoya Taniguchi (second from right), NAIST assistant professor and program representative, attend an event announcing the program in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2026
Japan universities announce plan to boost foreign Ph.D. recruitment and development
The move comes as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its competitiveness amid intensifying global competition for skilled workers.
Starting Wednesday, Japan will require certain foreign nationals applying for its most common white-collar work visa to prove language proficiency.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 15, 2026
Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants
The requirement applies to jobs in which language skills are central, such as translation, interpretation and customer-facing roles.
Filipinos with specified skills qualifications learn how to prepare fish for sushi in Tokyo in 2022.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 13, 2026
Japan freezes visa applications for foreign restaurant workers
Visas will not be issued for applications received after Monday, but for those submitted prior to that, certificates will be issued in order as long as the quota is not exceeded.
A woman holds a handheld fan bearing the image of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's wedding photo, during an election campaign event in Tokyo on Feb. 7.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 11, 2026
Debt-laden Japan should review spending on gender equality, survey finds
The results come from a taskforce, set up in an effort to emulate the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, seeking cost-cutting suggestions from the public.
An immigration control passport stamp issued in Japan. A surge in arrivals from overseas has coincided with a tightening of immigration controls under a government initiative aimed at reducing overstayers.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 9, 2026
Japan¡¯s tighter immigration controls yielding results
The number of overstayers fell to 68,488 as of Jan. 1, down by 6,375 from a year earlier and marking the second consecutive annual decline.
Islamic Yokocho in Shin-Okubo is home to a plethora of grocery stores specializing in halal food and fresh produce, among other goods and services.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 6, 2026
Please your palate with Tokyo¡¯s international grocery stores
The capital has a surfeit of specialty supermarkets with ingredients from all over the world ¡ª if you know where to look.
After studying cultural anthropology in London, Nina Otsubo Cataldo (left) started a consulting business in Niigata Prefecture that helps bridge the gap between foreign and local residents.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Apr 3, 2026
In rural Japan, a consultant code-switches and connects
A cultural consultant is combining academic and personal passions in Niigata Prefecture while maintaining an online community for women of similar biracial backgrounds.
Everett Hopkin, second from left, marches on the field with his Yamauchi Spirits teammates before a competition.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 3, 2026
Unifying power of Japanese baseball brings together people from all walks of life
In Japanese baseball, everyone belongs.
Rusutsu lift pass police check that companies guiding and teaching on their resort have a corporate pass.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 1, 2026
Foreign ski instructors and guides operating illegally in Japan spark concerns
Officials and businesses in major winter destinations warn that such illicit operations could disrupt public order, create unfair competition and raise safety concerns.
Amy Yee poses for a photo in Lalibela, Ethiopia. An award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, Yee shifted her focus to the issue of Tibetans in exile for her book, ¡°Far From the Rooftop of the World: Travels Among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents.¡±
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Mar 31, 2026
The voices of Tibet, far from home
A conversation with author Amy Yee on exile, identity and the lives of Tibetan refugees across continents.
Nahoko Manako teaches a small class to prepare students for the annual Certified Care Worker national exam at Hiraoka Care Worker School in Ogori, Fukuoka Prefecture. Of the school's 36 second-year students this year, only 10 are Japanese.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Mar 30, 2026
Foreign students at nursing care schools outnumber Japanese peers
A shrinking youth population and below-average wages are among factors contributing to the trend.
The executive committee of Women in Law Japan poses for a photo at the organization¡¯s 10th anniversary gala.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Mar 30, 2026
Women in Law Japan marks 10 years amid persistent gender gap in the profession
Through events, workshops and mentorship programs, the platform offers opportunities to connect for women in the legal profession in Japan.
Visitors in the Dotonbori area in Osaka. The number of foreign residents in Japan has exceeded 4 million for the first time.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 28, 2026
91²Ö¿â foreign resident population hits record 4.12 million
The figure is a 9.5% increase from a year earlier, the Immigration Services Agency said Friday.
Japan introduced the specified skilled worker residency program in 2019 to expand the acceptance of foreign workers amid domestic labor shortages.
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2026
91²Ö¿â tally of specified skilled workers hits record 390,296
The program was introduced in 2019 to expand the acceptance of foreign workers amid domestic labor shortages.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
Yen, Japanese government bonds and Tokyo stocks decline as oil prices spike
The yen is trading at levels last seen in July 2024.
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
Tennis trailblazer Kei Nishikori announces his retirement
Kei Nishikori, who has won 12 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as No. 4 in the world rankings, on Thursday announced his retirement.
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.

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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