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July 04, 2026
 

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EXPATS

Though Okinawa accounts for only 0.6% of Japan’s total land, it hosts 70.3% of exclusive-use U.S. military bases.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Mar 2, 2026
Recentering Okinawa, one story at a time
Through conferences, films and publications, international scholars and journalists are building bridges with Okinawan communities and amplifying the voices of local residents.
Richard Tomic, better known as “Ricchaado” to his Instagram followers, debuted his stand-up set at Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya Ward in December.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 1, 2026
From clicks to claps: Online comics seek the stage
Ricchaado, a comic from a generation that builds its humor in cyberspace, is the latest to try a transition to classic stand-up on stage.
In Japan, parents of bilingual children with hearing impairmentsmust navigate unforseen obstacles with a constant goal: giving their kids the best possible chance at a fully realized life.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 28, 2026
In bilingual homes, raising hearing-impaired kids is a long road toward a ‘normal life’
Early screening, financial assistance and emotional support from wider communities help multilingual families navigate an uncertain process.
From fiery Sichuan to Inner Mongolia feasts, Tokyo's Chinese hot pot scene is heating up.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 27, 2026
Where Tokyoites go for Chinese hot pot
The fiery alternative to Japanese hot pot, “huoguo” is a tongue-numbing Sichuan staple that has found many fans in the Japanese capital.
The death penalty has been sought for a 43-year-old man charged with killing three members of a family in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 26, 2026
Death penalty sought over triple murder in Saitama
The defendant, 43-year-old Jun Saito, is charged with killing three members of a family at their house in the city of Hanno in December 2022.
Tokyo Station. There were 932,090 people living under permanent residency in Japan as of June 2025, according to the Immigration Services Agency.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 25, 2026
Immigration agency tightens guidelines for permanent residency
The revision made Tuesday comes amid efforts by the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to take a tougher stance on immigration.
Visitors worship at a Hare Krishna temple in Nishikasai, Edogawa Ward, which became a hub for the Indian expat community in the 2000s.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 23, 2026
After closures and breaks, Tokyo’s ‘Little India’ regains its footing
The Indian cultural hub of Nishikasai in Edogawa Ward is bouncing back post-pandemic with new businesses and reprising the lively celebrations of years past.
Three Brazilian nationals were arrested for allegedly stealing a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 SUV in the city of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, last December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 20, 2026
Three Brazilian nationals arrested after luxury Toyota car theft case
Authorities believe the trio has stolen a total of about 50 vehicles in Tokyo and seven other prefectures, targeting high-end vehicles.
The education ministry building in Tokyo. The ministry is raising caps on accepting foreign students at three national universities.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Three national universities to raise international student enrollment caps
Universities in Japan typically face penalties if they exceed enrollment limits, but a new framework will allow them to raise caps if they meet specified standards.
The University of Tsukuba says it is investigating whether online comments made by two faculty members against foreign nationals amount to a breach of work regulations or its social media guidelines.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 17, 2026
University of Tsukuba apologizes over comments against foreign students
Two faculty members posted inflammatory comments on social media about foreign nationals, including describing foreign students as “incompetent” and “troublemakers.”
Team Mirai head Takahiro Anno speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Feb. 8.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 17, 2026
AI could replace foreign workers in Japan, Team Mirai says
While some parties during Lower House campaigning argued for strictly monitoring foreign nationals or setting quotas, Team Mirai sees AI as a means to replacing them altogether.
The Saitama District Court. In the first trial hearing at the court for a triple murder case on Monday, defendant Jun Saito said he did not know about the case.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 16, 2026
Man pleads not guilty to triple murder in Saitama Prefecture
According to the indictment, Jun Saito killed U.S. national William Ross Bishop Jr., his wife, Izumi Morita, and their daughter.
A Bangladeshi student seeking support from Food Bank Sendai shows the only money he has remaining, in Sendai in December.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Feb 16, 2026
Food bank sees surge in requests for support from foreign students
The organization says such students cannot depend on support from their family back home due to factors such as political instability.
Initially attracted to Nishiogikubo for its welcoming atmosphere, Yoann Rohart (center) opened Bonjour Les Amis in 2025 and hosts game nights and French language meet-ups at the restaurant.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 16, 2026
Games and gab at a French pub in western Tokyo
At Bonjour Les Amis in Nishiogikubo, hearty French fare and lively game nights are bringing together a casually cosmopolitan crowd.
The woman behind the Lost Filipina blog says typical social media fame interests her much less than the hikes she continues to map out.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 16, 2026
Off the beaten feed: Comprehensive site steers hikers in Japan past social media noise
English-language guides to hiking Japan’s many mountains can be scarce, but one Filipina resident has taken it upon herself to map out the country’s many trails.
David J. Farber in May 2008
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2026
Pioneering computer scientist and Keio professor dies at 91
David J. Farber was a central figure in the development of early research networks that evolved into today’s internet.
A craft beer brewery run by California native Brian Shevlin and his wife Mariko Furuta, Joynt Brewing Co. regularly hosts events that highlight different cultural communities.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 9, 2026
Foreign residents breathe new life into bubble-era resort town
A spate of new businesses operated by non-Japanese residents is bringing new vitality to the seaside town of Ito with cultural events, art classes and more.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is also leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks during an election campaign event ahead of the Feb. 8 snap election, in Tokyo, on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 7, 2026
Takaichi talks tough on immigration on eve of vote
In a final appeal to voters, the prime minister pledged to make Japan “more prosperous and safer,” including through tougher immigration screening.
Sanseito, a party led by Sohei Kamiya (second from right), opposes the long-term settlement of foreign nationals but supports the use of short-term foreign labor.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 5, 2026
Conservative parties push for capping of foreign resident population
The Japan Innovation Party, Sanseito and the Conservative Party of Japan are taking a hard-line stance while other parties are proposing alternative measures.
Kashima Gakuen goalkeeper Poomraphee Siribunyakul saves a penalty in the first half of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament final against Kamimura Gakuen at MUFG Stadium in Tokyo on Jan. 12.
SOCCER
Feb 4, 2026
Thai-born goalkeeper shines in national high school soccer tournament
Marking his school’s maiden appearance in the championship match, Poomraphee Siribunyakul repeatedly produced crucial saves, including a first-half penalty stop.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
Japanese-language education is at a turning point
The country is gradually transforming Japanese-language education from a volunteer-driven system into a professional, government-supported network to better serve its growing foreign population. 
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil
Wind turbines generate energy from strong easterly winds on the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture. Despite the oil crisis caused by conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns instability in the region could continue to impact supply and the price of imports, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not seem to be drawing on the war as a pretext to hasten progress toward Japan's renewable goals.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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