A professor at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school has been arrested on suspicion of receiving entertainment in connection with a joint research project, with investigators revealing that spending on some days reached as much as 850,000 yen. (News On Japan)

Ever feel like your life is going at the pace of a Shinkansen? By 2026, Japan will have officially become the playground for those refusing to stay in one place. (News On Japan)

VPS hosting has become a popular choice for website owners and businesses that need more control and steady performance than shared hosting can provide. (News On Japan)

A winter pressure pattern is set to re-establish itself in the latter half of this week, allowing cold air to flow more easily into areas around Japan. The peak of the cold air is forecast for Thursday, January 29, and Friday, January 30, when snow clouds associated with the Japan Sea Polar air mass Convergence Zone (JPCZ) are expected to move inland, particularly across eastern parts of the San’in region and western Hokuriku, raising the risk of heavy snowfall. (News On Japan)

Rare earths are strategic materials on which the world remains heavily dependent on China, and as Beijing increasingly uses export controls as a diplomatic and economic lever, Japan’s latest challenge is drawing historic attention as a potential turning point. With 2026 being described as the “first year of domestically sourced rare earths,” the question is whether Japan can truly become a game changer in reducing its reliance on China. (News On Japan)

On December 24, 2025, Lexus added a new model, the RZ600e, to its battery electric vehicle RZ series, marking the culmination of an unconventional development partnership that is challenging long-held assumptions in automotive engineering. (News On Japan)

As Japan’s population ages, the number of people working while caring for elderly parents is increasing, with about 100,000 people nationwide leaving their jobs each year due to caregiving responsibilities, revealing deep structural barriers to balancing work and family care. (News On Japan)

With one week remaining until Setsubun on February 3rd, preparations of auspicious decorations known as “kicho” are in full swing at Kumano Hayatama Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture. (News On Japan)

Flocks of whooper swans, often called “messengers of winter,” have arrived in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, delighting onlookers with their graceful appearance. (News On Japan)

A man wearing a black hood emerged from a police station on January 27th, identified as Hiroaki Obata, 40, chairman of Japan’s largest scout group, “Natural,” who had been on the run for nearly a year before being arrested on January 26th on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to police. (News On Japan)

A private lodging operator based in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward and its chief executive have been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating Japan’s Private Lodging Business Act, marking the first such criminal referral nationwide under the law, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. (News On Japan)

In Osaka, the number of residents from Nepal has risen sharply in recent years, with many international students and workers settling around the UR Kongo housing complex near Kongo Station in Tondabayashi. The area has become home to a growing Nepalese community after public housing operators, seeking to address vacancies caused by an aging population, partnered with educational institutions to accept trainees from Nepal, a move that has led to long-term settlement by many residents. (News On Japan)

From a hill overlooking the river mouth, countless boats could be seen floating below, their multicolored lights reflecting off the shimmering surface of the water, while the hum of engines and the voices of fishermen occasionally drifted through the night air. (News On Japan)

The dollar-yen rate swung sharply over just a few days, with the yen strengthening rapidly from the 159 range to the 153 range, fueling market speculation that Japanese and U.S. authorities may have carried out “rate checks” to signal readiness for intervention. (News On Japan)

A water-spraying firefighting drill was held at the World Heritage-listed Horyuji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, on January 26th, Cultural Property Fire Prevention Day, with monks and local volunteer firefighters taking part. (News On Japan)

Tokyo police have taken 32 boys and girls into protective custody after they were found gathering at night around the “Toyoko” area near Kabukicho in Shinjuku. (News On Japan)

China’s Foreign Ministry has urged Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday period, citing a rise in crimes targeting Chinese nationals and a series of earthquakes in parts of the country. (News On Japan)

New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido was effectively cut off by record snowfall, leaving around 7,000 people stranded overnight after rail and bus services were suspended, severing key transport links and disrupting daily life. (News On Japan)

The government on January 23rd compiled a comprehensive set of measures after holding a ministerial meeting on foreign resident policy, stressing the need for “orderly coexistence.” (News On Japan)

Japan’s department store sales fell for the first time in five years in 2025, as spending by foreign visitors shifted toward lower-priced goods and pushed down average purchase amounts. (News On Japan)