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July 24, 2026
 

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Himari Semans
Shady business manager visa applications using shell companies can often be identified from the paperwork, with unusually small offices and addresses shared by multiple firms among the red flags.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
Dubious immigration brokers helped spark business manager visa crackdown
Shady immigration consulting firms, many in China, help people set up shell companies to apply for a business manager visa, or advertise the option of renting out properties.
Haneda Airport in April 2025. An immigration bill enacted Friday includes plans to introduce an electronic travel authorization system by March 2029.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan enacts bill to drastically raise visa-related fees
Under the bill, the statutory upper limit for fees to change residency statuses or extend a period of stay will go from ?10,000 to ?100,000.
Taro Tsurugashima presents a petition with 53,000 signatures calling for a revision to the stricter business manager visa eligibility requirements, on May 13 in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 21, 2026
Foreign business owners face frantic scramble to leave Japan amid tighter visa rules
Stricter criteria for the business manager visa has left many owners, some of whom have been in Japan for decades, out in the cold.
Manish Kumar, an Indian national who has run an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture for 18 years, speaks at a rally in Tokyo in protest of new business manager visa requirements.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 13, 2026
After rule change, Japan sees 96% drop in business manager visa applications
Immigration chief Kimi Onoda says the revision of the approval criteria has alleviated concerns that the visa was being misused as a means of obtaining residency.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives a speech in Hanoi on Saturday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
May 3, 2026
Article 9 in focus as Takaichi pushes for revision of Constitution
Without explicitly mentioning Article 9, Takaichi said the charter ¡ª unchanged since 1947 ¡ª must be updated to reflect today¡¯s international environment and security realities.
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.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at the Upper House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Apr 27, 2026
Japan won¡¯t impose fuel-saving measures, Takaichi says
The move signals confidence in Japan¡¯s energy response as it seeks alternative oil supplies amid disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
Rusutsu lift pass police check that companies guiding and teaching on their resort have a corporate pass.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / 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.
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 27, 2026
Japan to tighten requirements for naturalization starting April 1
The criteria for foreign nationals seeking citizenship will be brought to the level required for permanent residency.
A police officer stands guard outside the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Tuesday night, hours after an active-duty Ground Self-Defense Force officer was arrested for breaking into the compound.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Mar 25, 2026
Japan calls GSDF officer¡¯s break-in at Chinese Embassy ¡®deeply regrettable¡¯
The suspect, who had hidden a blade on the grounds, said he had wanted to speak to the ambassador, and would have killed himself if he refused to listen.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at parliament on Friday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 13, 2026
Ruling bloc pushes fiscal 2026 budget through Lower House in supermajority flex
Opposition parties voted against the budget in a plenary session on the argument that it needs more time for deliberations.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / EXPLAINER
Mar 13, 2026
Cabinet approves bill to upgrade intelligence and research office
The bill, to be submitted in the ongoing session of parliament, is aimed at strengthening Japan¡¯s intelligence-gathering and analysis capabilities.
Water coming from an underground artesian well through brass pipes
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 10, 2026
Government panel to compile groundwater report that includes users¡¯ nationalities
In response to whether the panel might consider restricting foreign nationals¡¯ access to groundwater, a land ministry official said discrimination was not the goal.
A window overlooks Shinjuku¡¯s skyscrapers, at a high-rise building in Tokyo, Japan, in 2016.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 4, 2026
Government panel on foreign buyers of land to submit proposal this summer
The panel convened as the government aims to submit a bill to tighten restrictions on land purchases by foreign nationals in the current parliamentary session.
A woman checks Bitcoin¡¯s price chart on a smartphone.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
Takaichi clarifies she is not affiliated with ¡®sanae token¡¯ cryptocurrency
The cryptocurrency is a meme coin that NoBorder ¡ª a YouTube channel featuring political content run by Japanese entrepreneur Yuji Mizoguchi ¡ª announced last month.
Smoke rises after coordinated U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Tehran on Sunday, as joint military operations hit targets in the capital.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 2, 2026
Trump¡¯s Iran attacks put Japan in tough spot as it emphasizes rules-based order
Japan is seeking to balance its strong support for the rule of law with its need to maintain its robust alliance with the U.S.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a Lower House Budget Committee session on Friday where Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi urged officials to consider creating a "China-free" supply chain for defense equipment.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Feb 27, 2026
Koizumi urges pivot away from China for defense equipment supply chain
The defense minister underlined the importance of boosting self-reliance following Beijing¡¯s ban on exporting dual-use items to Japan.
An Liberal Democratic Party panel calls for a review of existing measures to deter and detect foreign intelligence activities and states that new legislation should be considered if current safeguards are found to be insufficient.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Feb 26, 2026
LDP panel approves proposal to strengthen intelligence capabilities
Both the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have said that Japan¡¯s current capabilities are inadequate.
Iranians walk through Tehran's Grand Bazaar on Tuesday. Tokyo on Wednesday called for the release of a Japanese national who it says was detained in Tehran on Jan. 20.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 25, 2026
Tokyo ¡®strongly demands¡¯ release of Japanese national held in Iran since Jan. 20
Details were not immediately clear, but media reports named the person as Shinnosuke Kawashima, Japanese public broadcaster NHK¡¯s Tehran bureau chief.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks in parliament in Tokyo on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Feb 25, 2026
Scrutiny of Takaichi¡¯s gift catalogs for LDP lawmakers could delay budget debate
The prime minister said she gave gift catalogs to 315 lawmakers to celebrate their election on Feb. 8, saying she believes the move is above board.
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.
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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

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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