Fixed-rate mortgage costs in Japan are set to rise again in June as the country's five major banks increase home loan rates in response to higher long-term interest rates, with their flagship 10-year fixed-rate mortgages rising to preferential rates of 3.27% at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, 3.5% at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and 3.25% at Mizuho Bank. (News On Japan)

Japan is facing a growing transportation dilemma. While a record number of foreign visitors in 2025 has fueled congestion and traffic jams in major cities and tourist destinations, many rural communities are grappling with the opposite problem: shrinking populations and aging residents are making it increasingly difficult to maintain public transportation services. (News On Japan)

Fujitsu announced its long-term management vision through fiscal 2035, unveiling plans to invest approximately 3 trillion yen over the next decade in growth businesses centered on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and other advanced fields as it seeks to significantly boost profitability. (News On Japan)

Sanmarc Holdings is betting on Kyoto's global appeal and the growing popularity of gyukatsu among foreign tourists as it accelerates overseas expansion, with President Yuki Fujikawa positioning the beef cutlet chain as a key driver of the restaurant group's inbound tourism and international growth strategy. (News On Japan)

Osaka City will stop accepting new applications for its special-zone minpaku program on May 29 as complaints over noise, garbage disposal and other issues involving guests continue to increase. (News On Japan)

Japan's population stood at 123.05 million in 2025, according to preliminary results from the national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking a decline of 3.097 million people over the past five years. (News On Japan)

Volleyball player Shunichiro Sato, a member of Japan’s men’s national team, was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of possessing marijuana after allegedly leaving a bag containing the drug at a pachinko parlor in Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Japan’s largest space business exhibition opened at Tokyo Big Sight on May 27th, showcasing a growing wave of companies from outside the traditional aerospace sector entering the rapidly expanding space industry. (News On Japan)

Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disorder that makes bones fragile and prone to fractures, Toshiya Kakiuchi built a company with a mission to transform both the physical and emotional barriers faced by people with disabilities. (News On Japan)

Finland is positioning economic resilience as a core pillar of national security, with Finnish Economic Affairs Minister Sakari Puisto emphasizing closer cooperation with Japan in advanced technologies, supply chain security and dual-use industries during a recent visit to Tokyo. (News On Japan)

A new travel style known as “Otetutabi,” which combines short-term work with tourism, is rapidly gaining attention across Japan as both travelers and local businesses search for new ways to address changing social and economic realities. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on May 28th, agreeing to upgrade bilateral ties as the two countries deepen security cooperation in response to growing regional and global challenges. (News On Japan)

Japanese manufacturing giants are discovering that their legacy data structures cannot support modern AI demands. (News On Japan)

Police in Hyogo Prefecture on May 27th released a new image of a wanted murder suspect believed to have changed clothes multiple times while fleeing after the killing of a mother and daughter in Tatsuno City, raising concerns that he may still be hiding in the surrounding area. (News On Japan)

The National Police Agency announced on May 28th that it will launch a new framework in cooperation with nine financial institutions aimed at rapidly tracing money stolen through special fraud schemes and other scams, as damages from such crimes reached a record high last year. (News On Japan)

The route dispute surrounding the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Osaka has been thrown back into uncertainty, with the long-discussed "Obama-Kyoto Route" effectively returned to square one as ruling coalition lawmakers consider eight alternative plans, including a route via Maibara Station in Shiga Prefecture. (News On Japan)

The “naphtha shortage” triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East is now spreading into Japan’s housing industry, with shortages of paint, thinner, insulation materials and other building products forcing construction delays across the country. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor has notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of a recall affecting about 43,300 vehicles across six models, including the Land Cruiser, after instrument panels were found to sometimes fail to start properly when the engine is turned on, causing parts of the display not to appear. (News On Japan)

JR Tokai held its first-ever resident briefing session in Shizuoka City on May 26th regarding construction of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, outlining measures for water resource management and environmental conservation as the company seeks to gain local support ahead of the start of construction in Shizuoka Prefecture. (News On Japan)

Traditional rice planting was held on May 27th in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, where women dressed as saotome carefully planted Koshihikari rice seedlings as traditional rice planting songs echoed across the historic village. (News On Japan)