Japan's MAFF and U.S. Wheat Associates held the first meeting under their Memorandum of Cooperation on April 22 to stabilize wheat supply. With only 15% self-sufficiency and 40% of imports from the US, this article unpacks the food diplomacy at stake amid climate and logistics risks.
PETOKOTO and three partner organizations launched the Pet Guardianship Lab to tackle Japan's emerging 'pet refugee' crisis. As single households hit 40% and the population ages rapidly, a uniquely Japanese law-insurance-NGO consortium is building a safety net for pets whose owners die, are hospitalized, or develop dementia.
Japan's Financial Services Agency has, for the first time, formally identified JPYC as a registered Funds Transfer Business in an official document. We unpack the architecture of Japan's stablecoin regulation, contrast it with the US GENIUS Act and EU MiCA, clarify the legal distinction from PayPay-style e-money, and examine what it means for global payment infrastructure.
Tokyo Gas raises its monthly base fee by ¥150 ($0.94) starting October — the first hike since 1980. But in Japan, many are reacting with 'isn't 46 years of NO change the weird part?' A look at how Japan compares to US, UK, and Sweden gas bills, what yen weakness and LNG imports mean, and why this signals the end of Japan's deflation era.
A lawsuit in Ehime, Japan exposes the danger of approaching working guide dogs after an off-leash dog caused a visually impaired woman to fall. With only 768 guide dogs serving Japan and 70.6% of users asking 'please don't touch,' here are the 7 things you must never do.
Japan's gasoline has hit record highs, dialysis tubing is running out, and bathtubs can't be shipped. With 95% of crude oil coming from the Middle East, pivoting to the world's largest oil producer, America, seems like a perfect Win-Win. But refinery design, tanker size, the Panama Canal bottleneck, and an ironic naphtha yield problem all stand in the way. Here's why the obvious solution isn't simple.
Japan has reduced dog and cat euthanasia by 99% over 50 years, yet 6,830 animals are still put down annually. Tokyo-based Signal Talk has launched 'Paw Me,' a service that lets users feed shelter animals remotely via smartphone. A new model of social participation for those who cannot keep pets due to allergies, age, or living situation.
Ainoshima, a tiny island off Fukuoka, is home to roughly 200 cats that outnumber its 270 human residents. Named one of CNN's top 6 cat spots worldwide, this heart-shaped island is going viral again on TikTok and Instagram in spring 2026. Discover the fishing village coexistence, TNR efforts, and how to visit.
Kunio Okawara, the legendary mechanical designer who created Gundam's Mobile Suits, will design Seibu Railway's new tourist limited express debuting in 2028. Running from Shinjuku to Kawagoe, aka 'Little Edo', the train pairs Japanese anime heritage with access to Edo-period streetscapes and the scenic Chichibu region.
Japanese retailer Nojima will acquire Hitachi's home appliance business for 110 billion yen (about $692 million). Here's why traditional Japanese electronics makers keep exiting consumer products, and how it echoes GE and Philips.
Japan's Ministry of the Environment reports total waste of 38.11 million tons for FY2024 (down 2.2% YoY) with a recycling rate of just 19.3%. Why is Japan, famous for its cleanliness, so far behind Germany (67%) and South Korea (60%)? A look inside the world's most incineration-dependent waste system.