The Hankyu Takarazuka Line is notable for having an unusually large number of stations named after shrines and temples, a feature that reflects a distinctive approach to railway-led urban development in Japan. (News On Japan)

Japan’s scientific community was energized in 2025 by major news when Sakaguchi Shimon of Osaka University and Kitagawa Susumu of Kyoto University jointly won Nobel Prizes, marking a rare double win by Japanese researchers. (News On Japan)

Nishiki Market in Kyoto and Kuromon Market in Osaka, both long known as local kitchens with deep historical roots, are facing a major turning point as a surge in inbound tourism transforms how they operate and who they serve. (News On Japan)

Goldman Sachs, a major U.S. financial institution, is reportedly planning to launch a new fund focused on real estate investments in Japan, according to Bloomberg. (News On Japan)

New vehicle sales by six Japanese automakers in the United States rose 2.4% from the previous year to 6,023,492 units in 2025, the companies announced on January 5th, as demand remained firm despite higher tariffs introduced under the Trump administration, with three manufacturers surpassing their year-earlier results. (News On Japan)

Both yokozuna, Toyoshoryu and Onosato, performed a dedication ring-entering ceremony on January 6th at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo ahead of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, which begins on January 11th at Ryogoku Kokugikan, drawing a crowd of around 2,000 spectators under clear skies. (News On Japan)

The Philippines and Southeast Asia have created a vibrant sporting scene where heat, noise, and passion rise together like steam from a street court at dusk. (News On Japan)

Japan’s long-term interest rates climbed to their highest level in roughly 27 years, with the yield on newly issued 10-year government bonds briefly reaching 2.125% on January 5th, marking the highest level since February 1999. (News On Japan)

Otoshidama, the New Year cash gifts traditionally given to children in Japan, is undergoing a noticeable transformation as the spread of cashless payments and persistent inflation begin to affect even this long-standing custom. (News On Japan)

Twelve men dressed only in traditional loincloths took part in a New Year pilgrimage in the biting cold of Nemuro, eastern Hokkaido, as temperatures plunged to minus 6 degrees Celsius. (News On Japan)

The annual New Year “Karuta Hajime” ceremony was held on January 3rd at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward, where women known as “karuta-hime,” dressed in elegant Heian-period court robes, performed the opening match of the Hyakunin Isshu classical poetry card game. (News On Japan)

Liveliness returned to Japan’s top tuna landing port as the first tuna auction of the year was held in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, where prayers were offered for a safe and abundant fishing season. (News On Japan)

The way people pay respects at family graves in Japan is undergoing rapid change, driven in part by shifting lifestyles and difficult realities surrounding grave maintenance. (News On Japan)

Japan’s professional baseball business continues to evolve, with teams increasingly adopting aggressive strategies to expand revenue beyond the game itself. (News On Japan)

Around 130 worshippers were unable to return home on the night of January 2nd after icy road conditions caused by heavy snowfall led to road closures around Mitsumine Shrine in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. (News On Japan)

Snow fell across the Kinki region from January 2nd to January 3rd, particularly in northern areas, with Kyoto’s Kinkakuji Temple donning its first snow cover of the winter. (News On Japan)

The year 2026 is seen as a turning point when a decline in the number of university-bound students will begin to affect university management across Japan. (News On Japan)

Japan, known as one of the world’s longest-living nations, is seeing its elderly population continue to grow, with people aged 65 and older now accounting for a record 29.3 percent of the population, an increase of around 20,000 from the previous year. (News On Japan)

More people are struggling with what to do about family graves, as the number of people choosing to close ancestral burial plots continues to rise across Japan. (News On Japan)

According to population estimates released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on January 1, the number of 18-year-olds reaching adulthood this year stands at 1.09 million, the second-lowest figure since records began in 1968. (News On Japan)