Japan's sacred goshuin, handwritten temple and shrine stamps given as proof of worship, are being resold for up to $33 on flea-market apps. Comedian-turned-Shinto-priest Eiko Kano's plea to stop the reselling has reignited national debate. Legally a gray area, spiritually a sacrilege: we explore where faith meets commerce in Japan.
On February 12, 2026, a Chinese tiger-net fishing boat was seized in Japan's EEZ off the Goto Islands and its captain arrested after ignoring an order to stop. It is the first Chinese vessel seized since 2022, and the captain was released the same day.
Japan's Space Data Inc. and CYPHIC, the country's only electronic warfare startup, have launched a strategic partnership combining digital twin technology with anti-GPS spoofing capabilities. A deep look at how Japanese defense tech startups are tackling modern electronic warfare threats.
Trump's auto tariffs have shaken Japan's major automakers to the core. Mazda posts its first loss in 5 years, Honda's car division sees record losses. A deep dive into their earnings, the tariff damage in dollars, and early signs of recovery.
Kagawa Prefecture becomes Japan's first local government to sign a partnership with NVIDIA. From GPU data center development to AI talent cultivation with University of Tokyo's Professor Yutaka Matsuo, discover how this small prefecture is pioneering a bold "Sovereign AI" strategy for regional revitalization.
Over 420 wind turbines decommissioned across Japan in 10 years as the renewable energy boom of the 2000s hits a wall. Aging infrastructure and expiring government subsidies are forcing municipalities to spend millions on dismantling. What went wrong with Japan's wind power strategy?
Aircraft carrier flight decks come in two main types: ski-jump ramps and catapult systems. Japan's JS Kaga uses neither. Here is the engineering behind CATOBAR and STOVL carriers, why Kaga was converted the way it was for the F-35B, and what each nation's deck shape reveals about its defense strategy.
Japan's government launches public solicitation for regulatory barriers to AI adoption. From AI-assisted cancer screening to AI contract drafting concerns, discover how Japan is tackling regulation reform in healthcare and legal fields.
Japan's transport ministry has issued its first-ever guidelines requiring more women's toilet fixtures than men's in public facilities. From highway rest stops with reversible layouts to real-time occupancy displays, here's how Japan is finally addressing the gender gap in restrooms.
Japan once built 40% of the world's ships and now builds 8%. The government's Shipbuilding Revival Roadmap puts about 1 trillion yen ($6.5 billion) of public and private money behind doubling annual capacity to 18 million gross tons by 2035. Imabari's takeover of JMU, the signed frigate contract with Australia, and US-Japan cooperation, alongside the labor and scale problems that could stall all of it.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has significantly strengthened pedal misapplication prevention standards, now mandating pedestrian detection, creep-speed protection, and expanding coverage to light trucks. Based on UN Regulation No. 175 — a standard Japan helped create — these new rules roll out from 2030 for new vehicles. A deep dive into how the world's most aged society is leading global automotive safety innovation.