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July 24, 2026
 

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Yuka Obayashi
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's industry minister, has asked Australia to increase production of LNG amid the war in the Middle East.
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2026
Japan industry ministry asks Australia to boost LNG output amid Iran crisis
Japan relies on the Middle East for around 11% of its LNG imports, with 6% shipped via the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan's drilling-equipped research vessel Chikyu departs from Shimizu port in Shizuoka Prefecture on Monday to conduct a test recovery of mineral-rich mud near Minamitori Island, marking the world¡¯s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth seabed sludge from a depth of about 6 kilometers onto a ship.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 12, 2026
Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supply
A mining ship has departed for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in critical minerals ¡ª 6 kilometers deep on the seabed.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture. Tepco plans to restart the first unit of the plant on Jan. 20.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2025
Tepco pledges safety ahead of restart of world¡¯s biggest nuclear power plant
The company plans to restart the first unit of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture on Jan. 20, Tepco President Tomiaki ?Kobayakawa says.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings¡¯ Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant stands along the seaside in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 22, 2025
Tepco prepares to restart world¡¯s biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors closed after the 2011 earthquake and ?tsunami crippled the Fukushima No. 1 plant.
Jera's Hekinan thermal power station in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture. Jera gets about 2 million metric tons of LNG per year from Russia's Sakhalin-2.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2025
Japanese utilities say they can replace Sakhalin-2 if supply interrupted
The United States this month urged Japan, along with other Russian energy buyers, to stop imports as it pushes the Kremlin towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Chugoku Electric Power's Shimane nuclear power station in the city of Matsue. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to push for the accelerated revival of nuclear power as an energy source.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 23, 2025
Nuclear power at heart of new prime minister¡¯s energy policy
Imported fossil fuels cover 60% to 70% of Japan¡¯s electricity generation and are a source of inflation that has undermined support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
An employee at a wholesaler puts a price tag on a package of sea urchins from Hokkaido at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 26, 2025
Warming seas add to food inflation woes as urchin rice bowls hit ?18,000
Policymakers have mostly blamed rising food prices on the weak yen¡¯s upward pressure on import costs, but the effects of global warming now also loom as a risk.
Takahiro Mori, executive vice president of Japan's biggest steelmaker Nippon Steel, speaks about its strategy in its headquarters in Tokyo on Nov. 28, 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 26, 2025
Garage meets and sleepless flights: How Nippon Steel¡¯s negotiator stuck at U.S. merger
With Biden¡¯s incoming successor Donald Trump also voicing opposition to the planned purchase, the outlook was bleak.
A bird flu outbreak in Brazil has prompted Japan to stop importing chicken from the country ¡ª a move that could affect the domestic meat market.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 19, 2025
Japan halts some poultry imports from Brazil after bird flu outbreak
The ban took effect on Friday after Brazil confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a poultry farm.
Officials from the state-run Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and development partner Glenfarne Group want to transport natural gas south from Alaska's remote north via a $44 billion 1,300-kilometer pipeline, to be shipped as liquefied natural gas to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2025
Alaskan officials to seek investors in Japan as Trump touts LNG
Japanese energy firms have yet to commit, with cost being a focal point.
Trading company Mitsui
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2025
Japan¡¯s Mitsui could study Alaska LNG project, but no decision yet
Japan is considering offering support for a $44-billion gas pipeline in Alaska as it seeks to court U.S. President Donald Trump and forestall potential trade friction.
Japan aims to accelerate offshore wind development as part of its decarbonization strategy.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2024
Japan selects two groups for third offshore wind power round
The country aims to accelerate offshore wind development as part of its decarbonization strategy.
A liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy in Sakhalin, Russia. Japan, the world's second biggest LNG buyer, depends on Russia for 9% of its LNG.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Dec 12, 2024
Rival supplies and depleting fields give Japan an exit from Russian gas
Japan, the world¡¯s second-biggest liquefied natural gas buyer, depends on Russia for 9% of its LNG.
If the deal goes through, the Japanese steelmaker has promised not to transfer any U.S. Steel production capacity or jobs outside the United States.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 5, 2024
Nippon Steel committed to U.S. Steel takeover, executive says
¡°There is no global strategy without the U.S.,¡± Takahiro Mori, the Japanese company¡¯s vice chairman, said this week.
U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works facility in Clairton, Pennsylvania
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2024
Nippon Steel seeks to close U.S. Steel deal before Trump is president
Before the Nov. 5 election, which handed him victory, Donald Trump promised to block the deal if reelected.
Equinor's bid underscores the focus some wind players are putting on Japan even as they scale back elsewhere.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2024
Norway¡¯s Equinor tries again for a Japan offshore wind lease, sources say
A latecomer to offshore wind, Japan wants to build up to 45 gigawatts of capacity by 2040, which would make it a top-five offshore wind market.
Nippon Steel headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2024
Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel send letter to Biden on merger plans
A spokesperson did not provide details about the letter¡¯s content, but said it was signed by the chief executives of both steelmakers.
The government is considering financial support for liquefied natural gas operators to secure storage tanks in Japan and abroad.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Sep 12, 2024
Japan considers company support measures for long-term LNG contracts
Possible measures included financial support for securing storage tank and a new program to assist LNG buyers committing to long-term contracts.
Nippon Steel Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 30, 2024
Nippon Steel, peers urge Tokyo to curb steel imports from China
China¡¯s steel exports rose 24% to 53.4 million tons in the first half of 2024, on track for 100 million tons for the year.
Itochu is buying back ?150 billion worth of its own shares.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2024
Itochu to buy back shares and take full control of apparel and chemicals units
The deals are part of a trend of dissolving dual listings of parent and subsidiary companies to enhance corporate governance and improve operational efficiency.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

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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