Food delivery service Wolt announced that it will withdraw from Japan on March 4th as competition in the domestic delivery market intensifies. (News On Japan)
A drone capturing aerial footage of a waterfall in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, suddenly plunged from the sky after being attacked by a hawk, destroying equipment worth around 100,000 yen but leaving the operator with what he described as 'the best footage.' (News On Japan)
A real estate executive with alleged ties to an organized crime group was arrested on suspicion of defrauding elderly victims by selling apartments at several times their market value and extracting large sums of cash, in a case that authorities say caused total losses exceeding 700 million yen. (News On Japan)
A long-awaited spell of steady rain fell across Japan following a record stretch of low precipitation, offering much-needed relief to farmers and manufacturers that had struggled with water shortages. (News On Japan)
Kyoto City on February 25th unveiled a draft plan for a “citizen-priority pricing” system for municipal buses, under which fares for residents would be lowered while non-residents, including tourists, would pay higher rates, as officials seek to balance overtourism with daily life for locals. (News On Japan)
McDonald’s, which opened in Japan in 1971 and has long counted the Big Mac among its signature products, saw the burger’s price rise from 280 yen in 2008 to 480 yen before increasing further to 500 yen on February 25th, nearly doubling over the past two decades. (News On Japan)
China has placed 20 Japanese companies and institutions under export controls, in what appears to be a further escalation of countermeasures following remarks by Prime Minister Takaichi concerning a potential Taiwan contingency. (News On Japan)
A ranking of Japan’s most skilled singing prefectures has placed Aomori at No.1 for the second consecutive year, prompting fresh curiosity over why residents there tend to score highly in karaoke assessments, according to a survey conducted by N-Sta. (News On Japan)
A shift appears to be underway in inbound tourism, with Chinese visitor numbers declining while arrivals from Southeast Asia—particularly Thailand—are rising and repeat travelers increasingly seeking experiences rooted in everyday Japanese life. (News On Japan)
A large-scale display of traditional hina dolls, arranged to resemble a Buddhist mandala and numbering about 4,500 in total, has gone on public view at Tsubosaka Temple in Takatori Town, Nara Prefecture. (News On Japan)
A traditional strength-offering ritual known as “Mochiage Chikara Hono,” in which participants lift massive rice cakes to pray for good health, was held at Daigoji, a UNESCO World Heritage temple in Kyoto. (News On Japan)
A malfunction struck Nana-chan, the iconic mannequin standing in front of Nagoya Station and serving as a promotional “staff member” for the Meitetsu Department Store set to close on February 28th, when the figure’s arm suddenly drooped on February 22nd after days of waving to visitors. (News On Japan)
Aichi Prefecture recorded the highest number of car thefts nationwide in 2025, with more than 1,000 cases as thefts continue to rise in recent years, and Land Cruisers account for 40 percent of the vehicles targeted, prompting authorities to warn that multiple layers of security are essential to deter increasingly sophisticated methods. (News On Japan)
Today, I'll be showing you some of the BEST activities to do on your next Japan trip that MOST tourists miss! (Mrs Eats)
Japan’s largest rice wholesaler, Shinmei Holdings, has laid out its view of where rice prices are heading and how it plans to secure the staple’s future, as households grapple with the sharpest price pressure in years and farmers continue to exit an industry where profits are thin. (News On Japan)
How will AI transform marketing? The answer, according to leading marketer Kazuki Nishiguchi, lies not in marginal efficiency gains but in a dramatic restructuring of business itself, as AI agents move closer to consumers and potentially displace even dominant platforms such as Amazon. (News On Japan)
An elevator at Tokyo Skytree in Sumida Ward made an emergency stop on February 22nd, trapping 20 passengers for about six hours before they were safely rescued with no injuries reported, and the landmark tower remained closed on February 23rd while the operator announced it would also remain temporarily closed on February 24th for further safety inspections and investigation. (News On Japan)
A 21-year-old navigation officer was arrested after a cargo vessel collided with a recreational fishing boat off the coast of Toba, Mie Prefecture, leaving two men dead and multiple others injured. (News On Japan)
The third launch attempt of the private-sector small rocket Kairos, which had been scheduled for three days later in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, has been postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. (News On Japan)
Gold prices continue to surge, while China’s restrictions on rare earths and other developments are drawing renewed attention to mineral resources, prompting a closer look at resource strategies in an increasingly geopolitical era through an interview with Sumitomo Metal Mining President Shinsuke Matsumoto. (News On Japan)
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