Real wages in Japan declined for the third consecutive year, as rising prices continued to outpace wage growth. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Monthly Labour Survey for fiscal 2024, inflation-adjusted wages fell by 0.5% compared to the previous year. (News On Japan)

FamilyMart has unveiled a new retail strategy dubbed the "Apollo Plan," aiming to expand its sales space by attaching small, three-tsubo (about 10 square meters) white containers to existing stores. At a location in Kanagawa Prefecture, curious customers noticed the unfamiliar structure next to the usual storefront, wondering aloud what it might contain. (News On Japan)

Japan is facing a growing crisis not just with rice, but also with seafood, as supply shortages and rising prices begin to hit the consumer's dinner table. (News On Japan)

The average price of a newly built condominium in the Greater Tokyo area in April dropped 8.7% from a year earlier to 69.99 million yen, falling below the 70 million yen mark for the first time in 16 months, according to a report by the Real Estate Economic Institute. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to waive basic water charges for all ordinary households in the city this summer, covering approximately 8 million households. (News On Japan)

With rice prices continuing to hover at historically high levels and empty store shelves becoming more common, the Japanese government is under increasing pressure to implement consumer- and producer-friendly policies. In response, authorities are revising the bidding system for releasing reserve rice stocks, aiming to make it more accessible to smaller wholesalers. (News On Japan)

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the final phase of a major redevelopment project around Shibuya Station, where Tokyu Corporation and JR East plan to construct two new complex buildings at Shibuya Scramble Square and develop a pedestrian deck connecting the station's east and west sides. (News On Japan)

Cases of online securities accounts being hijacked via computers and smartphones are rapidly increasing, with individual investors seeing their carefully built portfolios vanish in unauthorized trades—often involving unfamiliar Chinese stocks. (News On Japan)

U.S. investment fund Dalton Investments has issued a statement criticizing Fuji Media Holdings for rejecting its proposed board nominees, calling the move "regrettable" and stating it "does not appear to have been seriously considered." (News On Japan)

Toyota Group unions have secured the highest average wage increase since 2000, with 123 manufacturing unions achieving pay hikes averaging 16,430 yen and a 5.72% increase, according to the All Toyota Labor Federation, which represents about 362,000 members across 307 unions. (News On Japan)

A Japanese man in his 50s was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Chinese court on May 13 under the anti-espionage law, following his December 2021 detention in Shanghai and formal arrest in June 2022 after six months of interrogation. (News On Japan)

Nissan's plan to shut down several of its production facilities has drawn concern from Kitakyushu Mayor Kenji Takeuchi, who said at a press conference on May 15th that the move is "a matter directly linked to citizens' employment and livelihoods." (News On Japan)

Japan’s three largest banking groups have all reported record net profits for the past fiscal year, with their combined earnings nearing 4 trillion yen. (News On Japan)

Toshiba announced that it returned to profitability in its earnings report for the fiscal year ending March 2025, posting a net profit of 279 billion yen. Operating profit, a key indicator of core business performance, surged nearly fivefold from the previous year to 198.5 billion yen, driven in part by increased sales of hard disk drives for data centers. (News On Japan)

Sony Group announced on May 14th that its net profit for the year ending March 2025 rose 17.6% year-on-year to a record 1.1416 trillion yen. The strong performance was driven by brisk sales in its gaming division, including the PlayStation 5, as well as continued growth in its music business. (News On Japan)

Kadoya Sesame Mills and Takemoto Oil & Fat have been accused of forming a cartel over the wholesale pricing of sesame oil and related products, prompting Japan’s Fair Trade Commission to issue an elimination order against the two companies. (News On Japan)

The revised Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, passed by Japan's Upper House on May 14th, will allow over-the-counter drugs to be sold at convenience stores if consumers first receive online guidance from licensed pharmacists or other qualified professionals. (News On Japan)

SoftBank Group has returned to profitability for the first time in four years, reporting on May 13th a net profit of 1.1533 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, driven by a global rebound in stock markets that sharply boosted the value of its investment holdings. (News On Japan)

Zensho Holdings, operator of the Sukiya beef bowl chain, reported a 17.7% rise in annual revenue to 1.1366 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025—marking the first time a domestic restaurant company in Japan has exceeded 1 trillion yen in sales. (News On Japan)

There has been a major development in the so-called "Trump tariffs" negotiations, in which Japan is also involved. The United States and China, which had been imposing more than 100% tariffs on each other, agreed on May 12th to reduce those tariffs by 115%. (News On Japan)