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)

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)

As tensions in the Middle East continue to worsen, Japanese companies are accelerating efforts to improve logistics efficiency and respond to growing supply concerns, with convenience store operators and automakers already adjusting operations. (News On Japan)

The arrival of the crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru at Nagoya Port on May 25th marked the end of a weeks-long ordeal caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while also highlighting how dramatically Japan's oil procurement system has changed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor plans to further reduce overseas vehicle production as escalating tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt logistics and supply chains. (News On Japan)

Japan’s benchmark stock index closed above the 65,000 level for the first time on May 25th, as optimism over easing tensions in the Middle East and continued enthusiasm for AI-related shares pushed the market to another record high. (News On Japan)

The Hands Shibuya store, a longtime landmark in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, will close in November this year, bringing its 48-year history to an end. (News On Japan)

A model room for a luxury condominium tower under development at Grand Green Osaka in the Umekita district of Osaka has been unveiled, with its most expensive unit priced at 40 billion yen as the developer seeks demand from wealthy buyers looking for second homes. (News On Japan)

The Idemitsu Maru, the first crude oil tanker bound for Japan to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since tensions in the Middle East worsened, arrived at Nagoya Port at around 10:45 a.m., carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil from Saudi Arabia. (News On Japan)

Toshifumi Suzuki, honorary adviser to Seven & i Holdings and widely regarded as the father of Japan's convenience store industry, has died of heart failure at the age of 93. (News On Japan)

Rising tensions surrounding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to ripple through Japan’s economy, with higher energy costs and shortages of petroleum-based materials threatening to accelerate inflation just as the country heads into another extremely hot summer. (News On Japan)

Construction projects across Japan are being suspended as shortages of paint, thinner and waterproofing materials linked to worsening tensions in the Middle East place mounting pressure on small and midsize builders, with some contractors warning they may soon be forced out of business. (News On Japan)

The crude oil tanker "Idemitsu Maru," which passed through the Strait of Hormuz, is scheduled to arrive at Nagoya Port around noon on May 25th, drawing attention as Japan faces a sharp decline in crude imports from the Middle East following the effective closure of the strategic waterway. (News On Japan)

The film 'Kokuhou,' which swept 10 categories at this year's Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony in March, has become one of Japan's biggest box office successes in decades, helping fuel record profits at major distributor and production company Toho. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average climbed sharply again on May 22nd, closing at a record high of 63,339 as investor sentiment improved on expectations that fighting between the United States and Iran could soon come to an end. (News On Japan)

Nagoya Customs released its April trade report on May 21st, showing clear signs that tensions in the Middle East are affecting both imports and exports, with shipments to the region falling 82.4% from a year earlier to 26.17 billion yen. (News On Japan)

Honda will launch a new compact electric vehicle in Japan as it seeks to expand EV sales and rebuild its four-wheel business following its first annual loss since listing. (News On Japan)

The impact of tensions in the Middle East is spreading to familiar snacks in Japan, with Morinaga & Co. temporarily suspending sales of some caramel products, including its long-selling Hi-Soft brand, after difficulties emerged in securing certain raw materials. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average rebounded sharply on May 21st after falling below 60,000 at the previous day's close, briefly rising more than 2,200 points as hopes grew for progress in talks toward ending the fighting between the United States and Iran, while SoftBank Group gave the market a major boost following reports that OpenAI was preparing to file for an initial public offering. (News On Japan)