Tetsuzo Fuwa, former chairman of the Japanese Communist Party and a central figure in the party for decades, died on December 30, the party announced. He was 95. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Takaichi moved into the official residence next to the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday, relocating from the lawmakers’ housing complex in Akasaka, Tokyo, as the year-end and New Year holiday period begins. (News On Japan)

The U.S. military is expected to resume solo patrols outside its bases as early as the end of the year, with both the Japanese and U.S. governments confirming the policy shift following a temporary suspension triggered by the wrongful detention of a civilian man. (News On Japan)

Japan’s newest Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer was launched in Nagasaki City, with Defense Minister Koizumi attending the ceremony. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Takachi on December 22nd visited a “Press Photo Exhibition” in Tokyo reviewing key events of 2025, smiling for reporters as she recreated a pose from a photograph taken aboard the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington alongside President Trump. (News On Japan)