The steel industry has long supported the backbone of global industry and economic growth, but at the same time it accounts for more than 10 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions, making decarbonization an urgent challenge. (News On Japan)

Three years have passed since construction began on January 12th on a Japan Self-Defense Forces base on Mageshima, an uninhabited island off Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, as part of a plan to relocate U.S. carrier-based aircraft field carrier landing practice to the site, with the local community enjoying a construction-driven economic boost while growing concerns spread over the prolonged impact on daily life caused by significant delays to the project. (News On Japan)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a woman’s body inside a restaurant he operated in Hidaka, Hokkaido, with investigators now believing the business continued operating while the body remained inside the premises. (News On Japan)

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan. (News On Japan)

What appeared to be an ordinary 100-yen coin turned out to be a counterfeit after emerging from a change machine at a capsule toy specialty store, prompting a Japanese television personality to share his experience on social media. (News On Japan)

Osamu Suwa, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is set to undertake his first long-term stay aboard the International Space Station, becoming the eighth Japanese astronaut to do so. (News On Japan)

A man accused of robbing a convenience store and injuring an employee, his face marked by a prominent tattoo, gave an interview from detention ahead of his first court appearance on January 9th, saying the crime was not motivated by financial need. (News On Japan)

A male whale measuring about 15 meters in length and weighing roughly 32 tons, which strayed into Osaka Bay and died in January 2024, was excavated from the site where it had been buried. The operation was carried out over two days, during which the whale’s bones were gradually uncovered. (News On Japan)

A 27-story building will serve as the core facility of the integrated resort (IR) that includes a casino now under construction in Osaka City, it has been learned. (News On Japan)

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings. (News On Japan)

Delays have emerged in customs procedures for food and other products exported from Japan to China, with clearance in many cases taking around two weeks longer than usual, raising the possibility that the measures are a response to comments by Takaichi regarding a potential Taiwan contingency. (News On Japan)

In Japan, real wages in November, adjusted for price fluctuations, fell 2.8% from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline. (News On Japan)

A photograph of a Samoyed dog taken against the backdrop of Mount Fuji has been drawing widespread attention on social media, with the striking image earning more than 48,000 likes. (News On Japan)

A car rammed into a police officer during a traffic violation crackdown in Kishiwada, Osaka, on January 7th, with the vehicle continuing to drive while the officer clung to the hood, prompting police to investigate the case as attempted murder. (News On Japan)

A ramen shop in Osaka’s Minami district has found itself at the center of controversy after introducing what is known as “dual pricing,” setting different prices for Japanese customers and foreign visitors, prompting questions over fairness as similar pricing structures are increasingly debated at tourist destinations across Japan. (News On Japan)

doctors and schools across Japan are drawing attention to a condition known as “New Year syndrome,” a form of physical and mental malaise that can emerge when daily routines are disrupted by an extended year-end break. (News On Japan)

Tourism industry leaders gathered in Naha to mark the start of the new year, as Okinawa’s visitor numbers continue to climb to unprecedented levels. The number of tourists entering Okinawa in fiscal 2025 is expected to exceed 10 million for the first time, setting a new record. With further growth anticipated, executives across the sector shared their outlook for 2026. (News On Japan)

A safety prayer ceremony was held ahead of the construction of giant snow sculptures at the Odori site, one of the main venues of the 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, which opens in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 4th. (News On Japan)

Graffiti has been discovered on a bamboo grove near Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, a popular area that draws large numbers of tourists to the shrine’s famed Senbon Torii gates. (News On Japan)

More than a day after a strong earthquake struck Tottori and Shimane prefectures on January 6th, with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5, disruptions including water outages are still affecting local communities. (News On Japan)