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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 14h

With Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, her spouse, former LDP lawmaker Taku Yamamoto, is set to become the country’s first-ever first husband.

Takaichi taking office will herald arrival of Japan’s first-ever first husband

Former LDP Lower House lawmaker Taku Yamamoto has supported Sanae Takaichi’s position on surnames after marriage and her bid to lead Japan.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 16h

While waiting in 1989 on a supercomputer to analyze the structure of a new crystal, Nobel laureate Susumu Kitagawa said he talked with two other student researchers and came up with the idea of porous materials.

Chemistry Nobel winner Kitagawa says downtime helped him think up new material

Waiting on a supercomputer to analyze the structure of a new crystal gave him time to come up with the idea for a kind of material that could, for example, capture carbon dioxide.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 17h

Comedian Takashi “Waka” Wakasugi makes fun of Aussies’ behavior as much as his own “lost in translation” moments. 👉 ebx.sh/KDssHp

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 19h

Tokyo has been ranked as the world’s best large city for the second consecutive year, solidifying Japan’s position as a global tourism powerhouse.

Tokyo named world’s best big city for second straight year

Recognition from readers of luxury travel and lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveler comes after Japan welcomed a record 36.8 million foreign visitors in 2024.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 23h

Masami Nagasawa is fierce and unforgettable as O-Ei, the woman behind ukiyo-e master Hokusai, in Tatsushi Omori’s gritty historical biopic.

‘Hokusai’s Daughter’ captures the ferocity of a forgotten painter

Masami Nagasawa delivers one of her most compelling performances yet in Tatsushi Omori’s historical biopic.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The yen reached its weakest level since mid-February against the dollar on Wednesday on rising concerns about an increase in fiscal spending in Japan.

Yen weakest since mid-February on fiscal fears

The dollar has likely benefited from a lack of U.S. government economic data as the federal government remains shut.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Commentary: Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s likely first female prime minister, will face key diplomatic challenges with the U.S., China and South Korea, while addressing economic and demographic issues, if she is appointed.

Will Takaichi become the prime minister Japan needs?

An admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is an adherent to Shinzo Abe’s pragmatic yet conservative vision.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Need a non-alcoholic option for your guests? Toss together some roasted green tea and whip up a "horchata," a delicious milk-based drink with warm spices.

Roasted green tea gets a milky makeover

The fragrant brew works well in a 'horchata,' a lightly spiced, milk-based drink that offers a comforting sip this season.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Discussions should be held on how new technologies and ideas showcased at the World Exposition in Osaka will be put to practical use, local business leader Masayoshi Matsumoto said.

Local business leader vows to discuss Osaka expo legacies

The new technologies shown off at the expo include flying cars.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has proposed that the nongovernment camp back Democratic Party for the People head Yuichiro Tamaki as a candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

CDP proposes DPP head Tamaki as unified opposition PM candidate

The proposal is believed to be aimed at putting a brake on the LDP's intensified outreach to the DPP as a potential coalition partner.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Faced with a long slump in their mainline petrochemical operations, major Japanese chemical makers are working with other companies over businesses related to semiconductor materials.

Japanese chemical firms seeking partnerships over next-gen chips

Companies are taking measures with others, such as setting up a joint framework, to speed up the development of related materials

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

How all non-European Union citizens, including British visitors, travel to and from the bloc will start to change from Sunday when its long-delayed new biometric entry-check system starts operations.

What the EU's new biometric border checks mean for non-EU citizens

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will require all non-EU citizens to register their personal details, including fingerprints and facial images, when they first enter the Schengen area.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

In an unusual move, ruling coalition junior partner Komeito has only said it will continue talking with the Liberal Democratic Party about remaining in the coalition following Sanae Takaichi becoming LDP president.

After 26 years, Komeito may be showing signs it will break with LDP

Komeito not immediately endorsing Takaichi reflects deep concerns among Soka Gakkai members, the party’s main supporters in the lay Buddhist group, about her ideology and policies.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Women are genetically at higher risk of clinical depression than men, Australian researchers have found in a study that could change how the disorder is treated.

Study finds women have higher genetic risk of depression

Scientists poured through the DNA of almost 200,000 people with depression to pinpoint shared genetic 'flags.'

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Shimon Sakaguchi, an immunologist who won this year’s Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, is calling for a diverse investment in basic scientific research with the knowledge that some projects won’t yield results.

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi urges support for science despite its 'poor success rate'

The Nobel Prize winner engaged in research once considered dodgy or even dangerous, and he said he struggled to gain support for it early in his career.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Rarely seen traditions and plenty of light-hearted moments were on the menu for the Japan Sumo Association's well-received 100th anniversary event.

Japan Sumo Association’s 100th anniversary bash mixes the ancient with the modern

A multitude of historical ceremonies and arcane aspects of the sport, each one rarely performed, were all on display over the space of a few hours at Tokyo’s Kokugikan.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

A planned management buyout of auto parts maker Pacific Industrial sparked a backlash from one of its investors, pressuring the Tokyo Stock Exchange to provide more protection for minority shareholders in such deals.

Toyota supplier’s management buyout plan stokes investor rebuke of Japan rules

The tension around Pacific Industrial’s MBO proposal highlights the debate over the TSE’s rules requiring companies to provide more disclosures on price fairness and procedures.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Japan is preparing to overhaul its graduate education system in a bid to boost enrollment and increase the number of highly skilled professionals in its dwindling workforce.

Japan to move toward five-year integrated bachelor's-master’s programs

The proposed reform would allow students to complete a one-year master’s program after a standard four-year undergraduate course.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

An expert panel has called for Japan’s next-gen subs to be able to operate longer and strike targets from father away. Easier said than done, analysts say, amid an array of technical and political challenges. 👉 ebx.sh/US5Hbi

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The Osaka Expo, set to close next Monday, is expected to generate a profit of up to ¥28 billion thanks to strong sales of admission tickets and goods related to the Expo's official mascot, Myaku-Myaku.

Osaka Expo expected to post profit of up to ¥28 billion

Robust sales of admission tickets and goods related to the Expo's official mascot, Myaku-Myaku, have pushed up revenue.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate two landmark transit projects worth nearly $4 billion in Mumbai, marking a milestone in his administration’s effort to modernize infrastructure in India.

Modi to open airport and metro-line projects worth $4 billion in Mumbai

The landmark transit projects mark a milestone in the administration’s effort to modernize infrastructure in the world’s most populous country.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Toyota Motor has amassed a growing after sales and service operation that keeps 150 million of its vehicles on roads around the planet, with the business poised to become the company’s biggest source of profit.

Toyota arm that keeps 150 million cars on road also top earning

Toyota’s value chain arm is set to exceed operating profit from new car sales during the fiscal year ending March 2026 after reaching a record ¥2 trillion the previous year.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

A Japanese group of lawyers tackling karōshi, or overwork-related deaths, has protested new Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi's remarks calling on the ruling party's members to "work like workhorses"

Lawyers protest Takaichi's 'work like workhorses' remarks

The group is led by Hiroshi Kawahito, a lawyer who represented the family of an employee of major advertising agency Dentsu who committed suicide due apparently to overwork.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The Mie Prefectural Government plans to create what it says will be Japan's first ordinance with a penalty aimed at deterring customers from behaving abusively to workers.

Mie eyes Japan's first penalty against customer abuse

The ordinance would define customer abuse as excessive nuisances that go beyond social norms and harm employees' working environment.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The National Police Agency on Tuesday held the first meeting of an expert panel on measures against illegal drone flights, in light of the growing threat of drones being used for terrorism and other purposes.

Police launch talks on stricter drone rules in Japan

The panel plans to compile a report by the end of the year on expanding the list of no-fly zones and penalties, with a view to revising the drone control law.

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