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July 24, 2026
 

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AUCTIONS

Buyers look at carts of stuffed toys as they wait to bid on them at the Hamaya wholesale auction site in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, on May 14.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 8, 2026
Demand for used goods from Japan grows overseas
In Japan, the thriving secondhand goods market has doubled in value since 2010, according to market researchers, and multiple Japanese reuse companies are expanding across Asia.
A single bottle of Yamazaki 50 Year Old (right) has set a new high-water mark in the secondary market for Japanese whisky.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 2, 2026
Rare Yamazaki whisky sells for record $1 million
Bottled exclusively for a club in Nagoya and autographed by Suntory¡¯s chief blender, the 50-year-old Japanese whisky sold for almost twice its estimate.
A Doraemon & Friends tour exhibition in Bangkok last May. A single film cel of a Doraemon show is estimated to nab up to $2,500 during Christie¡¯s first anime auction.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 18, 2026
Christie¡¯s holds first anime-focused online auction
Movie posters, film cels and illustrations of iconic anime characters went under the hammer on Wednesday.
Collecting Pokemon cards is an expensive hobby ¡ª especially if you're interested in owning one of the rarest cards ever printed.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 16, 2026
Rare Pokemon card sets record with $16.49 million sale
One of just 41 such cards in existence, the Pikachu Illustrator card is now the most expensive trading card in history.
Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura, the operator of sushi chain Sushizanmai, shows off a bluefin tuna that he paid ?510.3 million ($3.2 million) for at an auction in Tokyo's Toyosu market on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 5, 2026
¡®Tuna King¡¯ pays record ?510.3 million for bluefin at Tokyo auction
Sushizanmai boss Kiyoshi Kimura paid the top price at the annual new year auction for a 243-kilogram fish caught off Japan¡¯s northern coast.
With just three weeks left until the closing of the Osaka Expo, most admission slots are nearly fully booked. On auction sites, however, many reserved tickets are being traded at high prices.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 24, 2025
Osaka Expo tickets being resold at exorbitant prices as closing date nears
One adult 9 a.m. entry ticket for Oct. 5, originally ?7,500, was selling online for ?59,000 ¡ª over seven times the official cost.
Brand-new toilet paper and other items are displayed at secondhand goods store PX in the city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 19.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Sep 2, 2025
Tokyo police ensure mountain of lost and found items don¡¯t go to waste
The Metropolitan Police Department received some 4.756 million lost items last year ¡ª a record number.
Jane Birkin¡¯s original Hermes Birkin bag displayed at Sotheby¡¯s in Paris, on July 3
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 11, 2025
Hermes¡¯ original Birkin bag sells for $10 million at auction to a Japanese buyer
The price shattered the previous record for a handbag at auction, a rare Himalaya Kelly bag in crocodile with a diamond that sold for about $510,000.
A woman looks at a piece of calligraphy created by Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun in his jail cell weeks before his execution in 1910, at the Seoul Auction on April 22.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 18, 2025
Independence hero assassin¡¯s calligraphy breaking auction records in Seoul
Revered in South Korea for his efforts to defend the country against Japanese encroachment, Ahn Jung-geun is best known for assassinating Japan¡¯s first prime minister.
Kobe Bryant's first game-worn jersey is displayed during a media preview ahead Sotheby's sale of sports memorabilia in New York on March 21.
BASKETBALL
Apr 25, 2025
Jersey from Kobe Bryant¡¯s Lakers debut sells for $7 million
The jersey was photo-matched to seven games from his 1996-97 rookie season.
French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane holds the torch during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024.
OLYMPICS
Apr 14, 2025
Paris Olympic torches auctioned off along with other memorabilia
Money raised from the auction was handed over to three charities by the company in charge of the 2024 Olympics.
Government stockpiled rice stored in a warehouse on Feb. 18 in Saitama Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 3, 2025
Japanese government to auction stockpiled rice on March 10
It is the first time stockpiled rice will be released to ensure smooth distribution. This was previously limited to cases of seriously poor harvests and large-scale disasters.
A bluefin tuna from Oma, Aomori Prefecture, was sold for ?207 million during the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market on Sunday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 5, 2025
Bluefin tuna fetches ?207 million at Toyosu¡¯s first auction of the year
The bid was around 1.8 times higher than last year¡¯s, and second only in price to 2019¡¯s top catch, which sold for ?333.6 million.
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates after hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 25.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 16, 2024
Freddie Freeman¡¯s World Series walk-off home run ball sells for $1.56 million
Freeman delivered one of the most iconic moments in World Series history with his walk-off grand slam on Oct.?25.
A Ferrari F12tdf fetched a record-high price of ?171,001,000 ($1.09 million) in a tax agency auction this week.
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2024
Ferrari sells for ?171 million at Japanese tax sale
The gunmetal gray Ferrari F12tdf, registered in 2017 and with only 1,509 kilometers on the odometer, received 127 bids during the auction.
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.
A Ferrari F12tdf that the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau is listing for an online public auction
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Oct 16, 2024
Tokyo tax office to sell Ferrari with bids starting at ?71.3 million
The car is one of a number of items listed by tax authorities for an online auction of assets seized mainly from people with unpaid taxes.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 8, 2024
Auction of Shohei Ohtani¡¯s 50-50 ball goes on despite ownership battle
With another two weeks to go in the auction, the latest top bid was $1.5 million.
Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season on Sept. 19.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 27, 2024
Shohei Ohtani 50-50 ball heads to auction despite ownership dispute
A Florida man has filed a lawsuit claiming the souvenir was wrested from him by another who is now selling it via an auction house.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits his 50th home run of the season during the seventh inning against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 26, 2024
Shohei Ohtani¡¯s 50-50 home run ball to be sold at auction house
Bidding will start Friday at an opening price of $500,000, although buyers have a chance to purchase the ball outright for $4.5 million between Sept. 27 and Oct. 9.
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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