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July 24, 2026
 

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KUMAMOTO

Bereaved family members lay flowers during a memorial ceremony to mark the sixth anniversary of the heavy rain disaster in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Sunday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 5, 2026
Memorial held for 2020 rain disaster in Kumamoto
Participants included bereaved family members, land minister Yasushi Kaneko and Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are expected to visit Kumamoto Prefecture in late September to inspect reconstruction progress and meet disaster survivors following the 2016 earthquakes.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 24, 2026
Japan imperial couple likely to visit Kumamoto in September
During an envisaged two-day visit, the emperor and the empress are expected to inspect progress in reconstruction programs in areas devastated by earthquakes in 2016.
Toshimasa Murata (second from right) at his carrot field in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, with his wife, Hiroko; daughter, Sumi; and son, Kanta
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 18, 2026
Farmer from Fukushima works to promote Kumamoto ¡ª his new home
Seeing residents of Kumamoto Prefecture supporting one another after a quake there, the Fukushima Prefecture native began?thinking he should contribute to revitalizing the area.
Investigators from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Kumamoto Prefectural Police Department conduct a search at the Yatsushiro municipal assembly office and other locations on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 8, 2026
Kumamoto municipal assembly member and two others arrested in bribery case
The three are suspected of acting at the request of a former head of the Kyushu branch of a Tokyo-based construction firm, allegedly receiving ?60 million in return.
Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara speaks during a meeting with members of the Minamata disease victims organization held Thursday in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 1, 2026
Decades later, the dispute over Minamata disease remains unresolved
Victims urge the government and the chemical firm whose wastewater discharges caused the neurological disorder to properly take responsibility.
Yoshihiro Yamashita (second from the right), head of the Minamata Disease Victims and Supporters' Association, speaks at a meeting with Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara on Thursday in the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 30, 2026
Japan to begin Minamata disease survey as early as this year
The survey on residents of the Shiranui Sea coast in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures will be conducted for the first time under a special law that took effect in 2009.
Izumisano Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu inspects the baby hatch at Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto on Feb. 10.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 30, 2026
City in Osaka Prefecture seeks early launch of its own ¡®baby hatch¡¯ system
The city of Izumisano¡¯s initiative reflects Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu¡¯s strong belief that the city must serve as ¡°a stronghold for protecting lives.¡±
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa holds a news conference after a Cabinet meeting at the Diet building on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2026
Sony to receive up to ?60 billion in state subsidies for image sensor plant
The state aid is intended to help ensure a stable supply of semiconductors, designated as a specified important item under the economic security promotion law.
Shinobu Yamato, speaks to reporters near the former site of the Aso Ohashi Bridge, where her son died in 2016 when the bridge collapsed, in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 17, 2026
Mother¡¯s grief continues 10 years after Kumamoto quake
¡°Hikaru mattered more than my own life,¡± Shinobu Yamato said with tears in her eyes. ¡°Ten years on, I cannot see him, hear him or touch him.¡±
Hion Kurahara, 17, delivers a speech during a ceremony in Kumamoto on Thursday, exactly 10 years since the main earthquake of a series of major quakes occurred in 2016.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 16, 2026
10 years after Kumamoto earthquakes, 278 victims remembered
About 250 people, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and bereaved families, attended the ceremony and prayed for the deceased.
A memorial altar marking the 10th anniversary of the foreshock of the Kumamoto earthquake in the town of Mashiki on Tuesday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 14, 2026
Victims mourned as Kumamoto Prefecture marks 10 years since deadly earthquakes
The April 2016 quakes claimed the lives of a total of 278 people in Kumamoto and neighboring Oita Prefecture, including deaths from indirect causes.
Restoration work of Kumamoto Castle's main tower (front) has been completed, but the Uto-yagura tower (back, covered) is still undergoing repairs 10 years after a pair of powerful earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 14, 2026
Kumamoto Castle restoration continues 10 years after quakes
The initial aim was to complete reconstruction in fiscal 2037, but the goal was extended to fiscal 2052 due to the complexity of the work involved.
A town-organized memorial service held for the first time in five years on Sunday in the town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 12, 2026
Memorial held for Kumamoto quake victims 10 years on
At the ceremony, held by the town of Mashiki in Kumamoto, 184 participants, including bereaved families, observed a minute of silence, offering prayers for the victims.
A domestically produced Japanese long-range Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missile with improved capability undergoes a test launch in California in October.
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s counterstrike move reflects rising regional challenges
Japan has for some time debated the acquisition and deployment of ¡°strike capabilities¡± that can hit adversaries from considerable distances.
Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura (left) and city of Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (second from left) speak to reporters after viewing upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile systems (seen in the background), which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, at the Ground Self-Defense Force¡¯s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto on March 17.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 31, 2026
Japan¡¯s ¡®counterstrike capability¡¯ takes shape with missile deployments
Japan on Tuesday for the first time deployed its homegrown longer-range missiles and new hyper velocity gliding projectiles to two military bases in the country.
Prototypes of bronze statues of the Straw Hat Pirates crew members from "One Piece" on display at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art on Friday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 24, 2026
Quake recovery exhibition opens in Kumamoto with ¡®One Piece¡¯ tie-in
The exhibition showcasing reconstruction efforts after the April 2016 earthquakes runs from Friday through May 24.
Launchers and other equipment related to Japan's domestically made Type-12 surface-to-ship extended-range missiles arrive at the Ground Self-Defense Force¡¯s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto early Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 9, 2026
In first, Japan to deploy homegrown long-range missiles on March 31
The deployment, which the Defense Ministry moved forward by one year, comes as the Chinese military ramps up its training around Japan¡¯s far-flung islands near Taiwan.
A vehicle that appears to be carrying equipment for sophisticated long-range missiles enters the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto early Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 9, 2026
Long-range missile equipment sent to GSDF camp in city of Kumamoto
The Defense Ministry has announced that the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missile system will be deployed at the city of Kumamoto¡¯s Camp Kengun this month.
Norio Kimura (right), head of a group of 162 residents in Yamaguchi Prefecture and other areas seeking an injunction against the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, speaks at a news conference on Thursday in the city of Iwakuni after their lawsuit was dismissed.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 27, 2026
Court rejects bid to halt nuclear reactor in western Japan
The plaintiffs had argued that operations at the No. 3 reactor of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture should be suspended due to safety concerns.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.¡¯s plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in the prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
TSMC plans major upgrade of Japan chip plant in win for Takaichi
The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in Kumamoto.
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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