CoCo Ichibanya’s Winning Streak: Record Profits and Bold Price Hikes Ichibanya, the company that runs the beloved Curry House CoCo Ichibanya chain, is riding a wave of success. For five straight periods, revenue has climbed, and profits have risen for three consecutive periods. This period, the company is set to …

Japan’s New Disaster Prevention Plan Targets Nankai Trough Earthquake Risks The Japanese government has announced a bold new disaster prevention plan to tackle the devastating potential of a Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake. Aiming to slash the estimated death toll by 80% within the next 10 years, this strategy addresses a …

Ado Sells Out Paris Concert with 20,000 Fans, a First for a Japanese Artist – 25 Shows in 24 Cities Worldwide Sold Out Ado, the 22-year-old Japanese singer who burst onto the scene with her 2020 major debut hit “Usseewa,” is marking her 5th anniversary in 2025 with her second …

Foreign Group Shoplifting on the Rise: Uniqlo Takes a Bold Stand with Full Compensation Claims Vietnamese Nationals Dominate Shoplifting Arrests Shoplifting by foreign groups has surged across Japan, prompting Fast Retailing—the parent company of the Uniqlo clothing chain—to announce a tough new policy this month. The company will now pursue …

Young Women Are Rapidly Leaving Rural Japan: 17 Prefectures See Over 3% Annual Decline as They Flock to Cities for Compelling Reasons In places like Kochi Prefecture, the number of young women plummeted by an astonishing 4.5% in just one year. The exodus of women from rural areas to urban …

Electricity Prices Drop Across Japan: Government Subsidies Bring Relief Good news for Japanese households: electricity prices are set to decrease across the country in July. All ten major power companies announced on June 27, 2025, that charges for July usage (reflected in August bills) will drop by 520 to 691 …

Tohoku Shinkansen Collides with Bear, Service Temporarily Suspended… Entry Path Unknown for Full-Standard Train on Elevated Tracks On June 28 at around 4:02 PM JST, a rare incident occurred when the JR Tohoku Shinkansen, specifically the Hayabusa 25 (bound for Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto) and Komachi 25 (bound for Akita) trains departing from …

（The Ryukyu Shimpo Co., Ltd） Okinawa Farmers Discard 10,000 Cabbages as Prices Crash: “The More We Ship, the More We Lose” In Ginoza Village, Okinawa, farmers are facing a tough reality: discarding 10,000 cabbages due to plummeting prices. “The more we ship, the more we lose,” one farmer laments, summing …

Record-Breaking Early End to Japan’s Rainy Season (Tsuyu) in 2025 Japan’s rainy season, known as tsuyu, typically drenches the country with heavy rainfall and humidity from June to July. However, in an unprecedented and historic event, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced on June 27, 2025, that the rainy season …

When summer hits Japan, the heat and humidity can make many regions feel stifling. However, Hokkaido and the mountainous areas of Honshu, such as Karuizawa and Kamikochi, stand out as the most comfortable destinations. With cooler temperatures and pleasant conditions, these spots offer a refreshing escape from the typical summer …