Article Archive
Browse all published articles about living in Japan
Japan Expands Publicity Rights to Protect Voices from AI Misuse
Japan's Ministry of Justice expert panel recommends protecting voices under publicity rights, responding to AI voice cloning concerns. Voice actors an...
Japan Recommends 3.51% Civil Service Salary Increase for 2024
Japan's National Personnel Authority recommends a 3.51% salary increase for national civil servants in 2024, the second consecutive year exceeding 3%....
Popular Photo App SNOW Penalized for Stealth Marketing Violations
SNOW photo app penalized by Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency for stealth marketing after using influencers without proper ad disclosures. The case high...
Major Japanese Companies' Summer Bonuses Top 1 Million Yen for First Time
Summer bonuses at major Japanese companies averaged 1.04 million yen per employee, the first time exceeding 1 million yen since records began in 1981,...
Japan's Record ¥6.2 Trillion Currency Intervention: What Expats Need to Know
Japan executed a record ¥6.2 trillion single-day currency intervention on April 30, 2024, to strengthen the yen. This historic action affects expat pu...
Tokyo Minimum Wage to Jump to ¥1,280 per Hour from October 2025
Tokyo's minimum wage increases to ¥1,280 per hour from October 2025, up ¥54. The raise applies to all workers including foreign residents and represen...
Japan to Cut Consumption Tax on Food to 1% Starting April 2026
Japan will reduce consumption tax on food items from 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2026. Restaurant meals remain at 10%, creating a significan...
Typhoon 13 Targets Okinawa: Foreign Residents Urged to Prepare Now
Typhoon 13 is approaching Okinawa and Amami with violent winds and heavy rain expected August 7-8. The slow-moving storm will cause prolonged dangerou...
Haneda Airport Tightens Baggage Check-in Deadline to 30 Minutes
Starting September 1, six major airlines at Haneda Airport will require baggage check-in 30 minutes before departure, 10 minutes earlier than current ...
Japan to Slash Food Consumption Tax to 1% from April 2026
Japan will reduce consumption tax on food items to 1% from April 2026 for two years, down from the current 8%. The measure awaits cabinet approval des...
Japan and US Launch Historic Joint Currency Intervention to Halt Yen Slide
Japan and the US conducted historic coordinated currency interventions totaling over 11 trillion yen on July 30-31, strengthening the yen to 155 per d...
Japan and US Launch Rare Joint Currency Intervention to Halt Yen's Fall
Japan and the US conducted rare coordinated currency interventions from July 30-August 1, 2026, to halt the yen's historic decline. The first such joi...
Kioxia Profits Soar 46-Fold as Renesas Plans Factory Closure
Kioxia's profits jumped 46-fold to 840 billion yen due to AI-driven chip demand, while Renesas plans to close its aging Takasaki factory affecting 700...
Japan and US Launch Coordinated Currency Intervention to Stabilize Yen
Japan and the U.S. launched their first coordinated currency intervention since 1998 to halt historic yen depreciation. The move affects expats' purch...
August Electricity and Gas Bills to Drop Thanks to Government Subsidies
Major electricity and gas providers will lower rates in August due to government subsidies offsetting energy price increases. The reductions will auto...
Japan to Slash Food Consumption Tax to 1% Starting April 2027
Japan will reduce consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2027, with additional subsidies making it effectively zero for el...
Japan to Slash Food Consumption Tax to 1% Starting April 2025
PM Takaichi will announce a reduction of food consumption tax from 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2025, following failed multi-party consensus ...
Japan's Population Falls Below 124M as Foreign Residents Top 4 Million
Japan's total population fell to 123.77 million, with Japanese population posting record decline while foreign residents exceeded 4 million for the fi...
Japan's Rice Stockpile Hits Record High as Price Stabilization Debated
Japan's private rice stocks have reached record highs, prompting government consideration of reserve buybacks. The Agriculture Ministry will decide on...
Japan Formalizes Voice Rights Protection Against AI Misuse
Japan's Ministry of Justice expert panel has formalized that voices receive publicity rights protection against unauthorized AI use, particularly bene...