Foreign acquisition of Japanese land has become a growing topic of debate in recent years, and now the trend is reaching Ashiya, one of the Kansai region’s most prestigious residential areas, where soaring property prices are increasingly being linked to demand from wealthy Chinese buyers. (News On Japan)

A tanker carrying approximately 45,000 kiloliters of crude oil from Azerbaijan arrived in Japan on May 12th, marking the first time Azerbaijani crude has reached the country as the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues. (News On Japan)

Major snack manufacturer Calbee will switch the packaging of some of its products to black-and-white designs as instability in the Middle East disrupts the procurement of printing ink and other materials. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average reversed early gains and closed 295.77 points, or 0.4%, lower at 62,417.88 on May 11 after surging more than 1,600 points earlier in the day, as selling spread across AI-related and semiconductor shares despite record highs in the U.S. Nasdaq and Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, while concerns over Middle East tensions and U.S. interest rate policy weighed on investor sentiment. (News On Japan)

Major sushi chain Sushiro will make its first entry into the United States this autumn, with plans to open its inaugural North American outlet near Times Square in New York. (News On Japan)