Researchers at Kyoto University used Japan's near-total medical insurance database to trace esotropia (inward-turning eyes) cases from 2014 to 2019, the years smartphones swept the country. Incidence rose from 32.26 to 36.61 per 100,000 person-years; surgeries climbed from 3,061 to 3,743. The link with smartphone penetration is strong, the absolute rise is small.
Kissei Pharmaceutical reports 20 deaths among Japanese patients treated with Tavneos (avacopan), a vasculitis drug. Twenty-two cases of vanishing bile duct syndrome were identified, with 13 deaths. The FDA has proposed withdrawal; Europe's EMA is reviewing. Here is what is happening in Japan, the US, and Europe—and what it means for ANCA vasculitis patients.
A Hokkaido natto maker in Ebetsu, Hamanasu Foods, has grown its exports 60-fold in 8 years — almost entirely to China, where Beijing supermarkets stock Japanese-labeled 4-pack sets dominating 80% of shelf space. Meanwhile back home, Mizkan paused four natto products in May 2026 due to Middle East tensions disrupting packaging supplies. Plus: the science of Bacillus subtilis, where to buy natto abroad.
On May 20, 2026, Japan added three ultra-expensive regenerative medicines to public insurance coverage: Amshepri (world's first iPS cell-derived drug, for Parkinson's), Akugo (stem cells for traumatic brain injury), and Zolgensma Intrathecal (gene therapy for SMA patients aged 2+). Prices range from 55 million yen ($352K) to 167 million yen ($1.06M). We explain why these drugs cost so much, how Japan's high-cost medical expense system shields patients, and whether prices might fall over time.
Calbee is switching 14 of its flagship snacks — including Potato Chips Lightly Salted, Consomme Punch, and Kappa Ebisen shrimp chips — to monochrome 'petroleum-saving packages' from May 25. The cause: ink shortages triggered by the Hormuz Strait crisis. A symbolic case of geopolitical risk reaching Japan's shelves, compared with parallel moves at Lindt, Lamb Weston and Smithfield Foods.
Hospital Facility Dogs—canine 'medical staff' that report to the same Japanese pediatric hospital five days a week—will grow to seven teams nationwide by fiscal 2027. From Shizuoka to Hyogo and Tsukuba, we look at how Shine On! Kids built this uniquely structured program, why each dog costs roughly ¥12 million (about $76,000) a year to operate, and how donations and corporate partnerships are filling the gap.
Taiwanese buyers now account for 62% of all foreign home purchases in Tokyo's 23 wards, according to data released by Japan's government for the first time. Behind this surge: a historic yen, a Taipei property bubble exceeding Tokyo, TSMC's Kumamoto pipeline, geopolitical hedging, and Taiwan's AI boom—all converging at once.
A 21-year-old shares yogurt ice cream with a 'mother' she just met. In Japan, you can rent almost anyone — a mum, a middle-aged uncle, a boyfriend, or even a guy who literally does nothing. Inside Japan's quietly booming and surprisingly tender human-rental economy, from a 400-person agency to the Brendan Fraser film inspired by it.
Sushiro, the king of Japan's revolving sushi industry with 13 consecutive years as the top earner, is finally making a real run at the US market. The Times Square flagship opens this fall — but rival Kura is already at 83 US stores and listed on NASDAQ. Inside Japan's three-way sushi war and Sushiro's last frontier.
JR East has unveiled a concept render for the next-generation 'sustina' commuter train, and it looks nothing like the iconic Yamanote Line trains running today. Featuring autonomous control and 'emotional graphics,' the design reimagines what a Tokyo commuter train can be. Here's why Japan's commuter trains are a global obsession.
Nlab Research polled 943 Japanese men on the 'coolest dog breed.' Akita took #1 with 9.5%, Doberman #2 with 8.8%. We unpack the male-specific trend, compare with women's results, and examine what Voicenote's panel composition tells us about who actually answered.
