Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi publicly criticized the White House at an April 17 Diet session over its use of Nintendo's Wii Sports footage in an Iran strike propaganda video. As Nintendo already sues the US over tariffs, here's how Japanese IP ended up at the center of a diplomatic spat, and how Reddit is reacting.
Japan's National Intelligence Council Bill marks the country's biggest postwar intelligence reform. But similar PM-led intelligence bodies overseas have produced both spectacular successes (foiling the 2006 transatlantic bombing plot) and deep abuses: Korea's KCIA election interference, NSA mass surveillance, GCHQ's legal loopholes, BND monitoring German politicians for the NSA. What lessons should Tokyo draw?
Food tech is one of 17 pillars in Japan's new national growth strategy under the Takaichi administration, with a 30% global market share target by 2040. Beyond the obvious giants like Maruha Nichiro, Nissin, and Kikkoman, this deep dive spotlights 5 lesser-known but high-potential players: Regional Fish (gene-edited seafood), FRD Japan (closed-loop salmon), Chitose Bio Evolution (algae unicorn), UMITRON (aquaculture AI), and Oishii Farm (NY strawberry factory).
On April 16, 2026, TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6 resumed commercial operation for the first time in 14 years, the first post-Fukushima restart for the utility responsible for the 2011 disaster. With Middle East tensions squeezing LNG supply, electricity prices climbing, and 2050 carbon neutrality targets looming, Japan's energy policy has reached an inflection point. A deep dive into the restart's context, comparisons with Germany, France, and South Korea, the 'enclave mega-solar' scandal denting renewables, and how ordinary Japanese people are actually reacting.
In spring 2026, Japan and the United States began building a three-layered rare earth alliance: Treasury Secretary Bessent's May visit, Mitsubishi Materials' stake in US recycler ReElement, and Proterial's breakthrough heavy-rare-earth-free magnet. Here is what this quiet realignment means for the global critical minerals map.
The Hormuz Strait blockade has cut off Japan's naphtha supply, forcing TOTO to halt bathtub orders and LIXIL to declare delivery dates unknown. Insulation up 40%, paint up 80%, pipes up 20%; housing materials are skyrocketing across the board. We analyze Japan's structural vulnerability of depending on the Middle East for 90% of its crude oil, with comparative data from other countries.
Japan's Economy Minister Akazawa was reprimanded by PM Takaichi and Finance Minister Katayama for suggesting BOJ rate hikes as a policy option on national TV. We explain why this crossed Japan's central bank independence red line, amid surging oil prices, a weak yen at 159, and the upcoming April 27-28 BOJ meeting.
Nine months after the Japan-EU BRT proposal, the rare earth landscape has transformed: 55-nation pricing agreements, an EU center modeled on Japan's JOGMEC, and $1.3B US funding. But can the West truly break China's grip?
On April 13, 2026, Japan's 10-year government bond yield surged to 2.490%, surpassing the 1998 'Trust Fund Bureau Shock' level for a 27-year high. BOJ Governor Ueda warned of Middle East geopolitical risks at the Trust Convention. All eyes are on the April 27-28 policy meeting.
China's carrier Liaoning conducted flight operations near Minamitorishima — Japan's remote rare earth island. With Beijing tightening export controls in retaliation for PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks, and a US-Japan rare earth partnership signed at the March 2026 summit, this is no longer just about minerals. It's a geopolitical power game with South China Sea parallels.
Japan's Economy Minister Akazawa called BOJ policy to boost the yen 'one option' to curb Iran-driven inflation. With USD/JPY near 160 and a 60% chance of a BOJ rate hike on April 28, we explain why a cabinet minister weighing in on forex policy is so unusual.
