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)

A new fully automated freezer warehouse opening in Nagoya in August aims to tackle chronic labor shortages and harsh minus 25-degree working conditions in Japan’s growing frozen food logistics industry, while also introducing environmentally friendly refrigerants and futuristic remote-monitoring systems. (News On Japan)

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on May 27th that Japan's economy is facing an "oil price shock" as tensions in the Middle East drive up crude oil prices, speaking at an international conference hosted by the central bank. (News On Japan)

Two junior high school students were injured after being attacked by a monkey in a residential area of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on May 26th, as reports of similar incidents continue across the city. (News On Japan)

Black bears trapped inside box cages have been filmed thrashing about violently and attempting to lunge at handlers, as a sharp rise in bear sightings across Japan this spring raises concerns among local communities and hunters alike. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted an imperial banquet at the Imperial Palace on May 27th to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who are currently visiting Japan, with Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, attending the event for the first time. (News On Japan)

Japan will begin rolling out a major overhaul of its disaster weather information system from the afternoon of May 28th, reorganizing warnings and advisories to make it easier for residents to understand when they should evacuate. (News On Japan)

A law creating the National Intelligence Council to strengthen the Japanese government's intelligence-gathering and analysis capabilities was passed and enacted at a plenary session of the House of Councillors on May 27th. (News On Japan)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who are visiting Japan as state guests, were welcomed by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace at around 9:30 a.m. on May 27th during an official welcoming ceremony. (News On Japan)

Two Vietnamese construction workers died on May 26th after becoming trapped during concrete pouring work inside an underground agricultural water pipe in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. (News On Japan)

Japan's net external assets — the value of overseas assets held by the government, companies and individual investors minus liabilities — rose 4.4% from a year earlier to 561.7504 trillion yen at the end of 2025, the Finance Ministry announced. (News On Japan)

Seven & i Holdings announced on May 25th that former chairman and honorary adviser Toshifumi Suzuki, one of Japan's most influential retail executives credited with establishing convenience store culture and transforming Seven-Eleven into a vital part of the nation's daily infrastructure, died of heart failure on May 18th at the age of 93. (News On Japan)

People caught littering in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward will face on-the-spot fines of 2,000 yen starting June 1st under revised local regulations aimed at tackling a surge in street garbage around the busy entertainment district. (News On Japan)

A seasonal spectacle has begun on the Miwasaki coast in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, where tiny male chigogani crabs are emerging from their burrows at low tide and rhythmically waving their claws in a movement resembling a dance. (News On Japan)

A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of murder after turning himself in to police on the night of May 25th in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 72-year-old father at a housing complex in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government is set to provide summer electricity and gas subsidies worth about 5,000 yen per household as extreme heat is forecast for 2026, while medical costs are also set to rise from June as hospitals gain the ability to charge cancellation fees and increase initial consultation and hospitalization charges. (News On Japan)

Japan is preparing to rename the Air Self-Defense Force the "Air and Space Self-Defense Force" for the first time since the Self-Defense Forces were established 72 years ago, reflecting growing concern over space debris, satellite security, and military developments by countries such as China and North Korea. (News On Japan)