We are heading to a traditional Japanese onsen ryokan, deep in the snowy mountains. (News On Japan)

Lawson has decided to enter the Indian market, with plans to open five directly operated stores in Mumbai in 2027 before expanding to 100 outlets by 2030 and ultimately aiming for 10,000 stores by 2050 as it seeks to establish a new pillar of overseas earnings in a country expected to see sustained growth driven by the world’s largest population. (News On Japan)

Japanese 7-Eleven feels like a different universe, while the American version is struggling and trying to “be more like Japan.” But what if the real reason has nothing to do with fresh sandwiches at all? (Asian Boss)

Around 16,500 students travel to Ireland each year to study English. In this report, 34 students from Immaculate Heart University in Kagoshima, Japan, spend a month in Dublin attending classes at the Language Centre of Ireland on Grafton Street , the third group from their university to do so. (TRNGL)

Basketball is booming in Japan. The national team has competed in back-to-back Olympics for the first time since the 1970s. (News On Japan)