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July 24, 2026
 

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EXPRESSWAYS

Draft guidelines list expressways and some shinkansen lines as key areas of focus for infrastructure development.
51勛圖厙
Jun 29, 2026
Japan to stop focusing on public works cost effectiveness
The government will shift its focus to an overall assessment that places an emphasis on basic functions to protect lives and livelihoods, under annual guidelines due next month.
An expressway toll gate in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, that only accepts cars equipped with ETC systems
51勛圖厙
May 6, 2026
ETC-only expressway gates increasing as Japan ditches cash toll payments
The number of interchanges that do not allow toll payments with credit cards and cash is increasing as Japanese operators aim to complete the transition by fiscal 2030.
A test run of a tourist bus on an expressway under Level 2 autonomous driving was carried out on Nov. 26 in Aichi Prefecture.
51勛圖厙 / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2026
Aichi Prefecture eyes Japan＊s first Level 4 autonomous expressway bus service
Aichi Prefecture aims to put buses with Level 4 autonomous driving, in which a vehicle can operate without a driver under specific conditions, into practical use in fiscal 2027.
The Nonobori tunnel on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, on Friday
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal
Mar 20, 2026
Six die in vehicle collision in Mie Prefecture tunnel
The accident that included a large cargo truck occurred at around 2:20 a.m.?in the Nonobori tunnel in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture, sparking a fire, police said.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission plans to issue cease-and-desist orders to four road maintenance companies, including Subaru Enterprise, over bid rigging of Metropolitan Expressway cleaning contracts, sources have said.
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal
Jan 29, 2026
JFTC to issue orders against firms over bid rigging of expressway cleaning jobs
The anti-monopoly watchdog is also set to fine two of the four companies for colluding to secure Metropolitan Expressway contracts, sources say.
The aftermath of a pileup crash on the Kan-Etsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture on Saturday, the day after the massive collision that left two people dead.
51勛圖厙
Dec 28, 2025
Pileup involving 67 cars in Gunma leaves two dead and 26 injured
The accident is believed to have been triggered when a large truck collided with a midsize truck that had stopped sideways on the two-lane road.
Japan hopes to harness large-scale data obtained via its next-generation electronic toll collection system for a variety of purposes, including easing traffic congestion.
51勛圖厙
Dec 17, 2025
Japan to broaden use of ETC＊s driving data for disaster response and tourism
The government aims to harness large-scale data from ETC 2.0 for a variety of public and economic purposes, including easing traffic congestion and improving disaster response.
Families of victims observe a moment of silence on the 13th anniversary of the Sasago Tunnel accident on Tuesday in the city of Otsuki in Yamanashi Prefecture.
51勛圖厙 / Society
Dec 2, 2025
Victims mourned on 13th anniversary of Sasago Tunnel disaster
During a ceremony Tuesday, Nexco Central President Tadashi Nawata apologized again to bereaved families for the tunnel incident that ※took the peaceful lives§ of the victims.
The total length of Japan's expressways in service stood at 10,328 kilometers as of the end of March 2025.
BUSINESS
Oct 1, 2025
20 years after privatization, free expressways still 90 years away
The privatization was a key policy of then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
The Fair Trade Commission has raided four firms over suspected bid-rigging in relation to expressway cleanup contracts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2025
FTC inspects four firms over alleged bid-rigging for expressway cleanup deals
The companies are believed to have coordinated to ensure they could each continue to win orders for the same section and so make stable profits, sources said.
The transport ministry plans to introduce autoflow roads, which will be built on medians of expressways or underneath them, in some expressway sections between Tokyo and Osaka in the mid-2030s.
51勛圖厙
Aug 1, 2025
Japan to test autoflow roads for self-driving freight vehicles
The ministry plans to introduce autoflow roads, which will be built on medians of expressways or underneath them, between Tokyo and Osaka in the mid-2030s.
A minivehicle that crashed head-on with another vehicle in the Enasan Tunnel in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, on June 11 after being driven the wrong way on the Chuo Expressway
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jun 18, 2025
Wrong-way driving on expressways proves a persistent problem in Japan
Around 200 cases of wrong-way driving on expressways are reported each year.
Nihonbashi bridge, long overshadowed 〞 literally 〞 by an elevated expressway, is at the center of a multidecade project to relocate the highway underground in hopes of restoring the scenery around the historically significant bridge.
51勛圖厙
Jun 17, 2025
Tokyo moves to restore open skies over historic Nihonbashi bridge
The elevated expressway is set to be completely removed in fiscal 2040 under a project expected to cost ?320 billion ($2.2 billion).
A blue car driving the wrong way on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Mie Prefecture, on Sunday
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal
May 20, 2025
Peruvian man held on suspicion of hitting vehicles while driving the wrong way
The Mie Prefectural Police believe the suspect continued to drive in the wrong direction after causing collisions.
A Fuchu expressway entrance in western Tokyo is closed on April 6 due to a glitch in the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system.
51勛圖厙
May 2, 2025
Central Nippon Expressway won＊t collect tolls after ETC glitch
About 960,000 vehicles are estimated to have been affected by the problem, which lasted some 38 hours.
Bento boxes and other food items attract visitors at the Sera roadside station in Hiroshima Prefecture.
51勛圖厙 / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 21, 2025
10 years on, Hiroshima-Shimane highway boosts logistics and tourism
The Chugoku Yamanami Highway has played a crucial role in regional development since its full opening in 2015.
A Fuchu expressway entrance in western Tokyo is closed Sunday due to a glitch in the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system.
51勛圖厙
Apr 7, 2025
Tollbooths now operational after ETC malfunction causes mass confusion
It was?the first time such a large-scale problem?involving the ETC system has occurred since Japanese expressways were privatized in 2005.
ETC lanes are closed at a toll booth on the Chuo Expressway in the city of Mitaka in Tokyo on Sunday.
51勛圖厙
Apr 6, 2025
Malfunctioning tollbooths snarl traffic around Honshu
The Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system was unusable at over 90 tollbooths in seven prefectures 〞 Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Aichi, Gifu, and Mie.
People enjoy running and yoga on Tokyo Expressway＊s KK Line, a 2-kilometer elevated expressway cutting through the capital＊s commercial Ginza district, when it was opened as a pedestrian space in May last year.
51勛圖厙
Apr 3, 2025
Tokyo＊s KK Line to close for decadelong overhaul as public greenway
The line will become a pedestrian-focused green space called Tokyo Sky Corridor, with sections opening in phases before its full relaunch in 2035.
Officials from the Meteorological Agency hold a news conference about the heavy snow forecast, on Sunday in the city of Saitama.
51勛圖厙
Mar 4, 2025
Snow forces highway closures in Tokyo
The closures are set to begin at around 4 p.m. for major routes including the Tomei Expressway, Shin-Tomei Expressway?and Joshinetsu Expressway.
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" 〞 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.

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