Japan

Markets

Bank of Japan says inflation hit 2% target after 13 years

The Bank of Japan said on Friday inflation had hit its 2% target, more than 13 years after it adopted the goal in a bid to pull the economy out of deflation, but held off hiking interest rates for now.

30 October 2026

Europe News

Germany and Japan strengthen economic ties as global tensions rise

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi agreed in Tokyo on Wednesday to deepen cooperation on economic security and high tech. It is Merz's first visit to Japan since taking office in May 2025.

28 October 2026

Singapore

Merz courts Asian investors as he insists Europe remains a safe bet

The German chancellor's upbeat pitch comes at a time of mounting pressure in Berlin, where a ministerial resignation and rising far-right support have left the chancellor’s coalition on shaky ground.

27 October 2026

Tech News

Japanese company to compensate users hit by cyberattack

GMO Internet, a Japanese internet infrastructure company, will compensate customers for losses from unauthorised trading linked to a cyberattack on its cloud service, and will make a ¥5,000 (€28) goodwill payment to every customer currently using the affected service.

26 October 2026

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Taiwan: Deadly Typhoon Champi brings travel chaos and school closures

Towering waves crashed against Taiwan's coastline as Typhoon Champi swept past the island on Friday, leaving one person dead, 94 injured and hundreds of flights cancelled.

23 October 2026

World News

Japan village looks to young Peruvians to tackle ageing population

A small Japanese village facing an ageing population and labour shortages is hoping to attract young residents from Peru through a new sister-city partnership.

23 October 2026

Culture news

'Ghibli is tied to its era': Kenichi Yoda on making studio strategy

The new president of the legendary Japanese animation studio argues that beauty must be sought even when portraying horrors such as war. In Oviedo, Yoda, Ghibli’s public face, says they will continue to explore contemporary themes and concerns, just as their founders did.

22 October 2026

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Japan launches mission to bring back samples from Mars’s moon Phobos

Japan’s H3 rocket launched the MMX probe on Tuesday, starting a three-year mission to collect samples from Phobos and study the origins of the Solar System.

20 October 2026

Space

Japan launches historic mission to get samples from Mars' moon

NASA has landed nine spacecraft on Mars over the past 50 years, and China touched down in 2021, but no one has returned samples from Mars, let alone its moons.

20 October 2026

World News

Japan's first female PM says makeup and housework add hours to her working day

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says household chores and getting ready for TV appearances add three to four hours to her working day compared with male predecessors.

16 October 2026

Russia

Russia detains Swedish citizen as Moscow eyes future prisoner swaps

The FSB arrested the Swedish citizen in Pskov region on terrorism charges and Japanese journalist Yuki Imai on Sakhalin on espionage charges, days after former president Medvedev wrote that Russia may need to “fill up the exchange pool with European and American idiots” to recover Russians abroad.

15 October 2026

Russia

Japan summons Russian ambassador to protest journalist's arrest

Moscow's FSB security service said a Japanese national was arrested on the Far East island of Sakhalin, near a disputed cluster of islands, but did not name the individual.

14 October 2026

Travel News

Lufthansa Group boosts Japan network with up to 50 flights per week

Due to a ‘strong increase in demand’, the group’s airlines will offer up to 50 weekly flights to four Japanese airports next summer.

13 October 2026

Business

French defence firm Thales to open Japan maintenance base

The facility could be the first in Japan set up by a foreign defence company to maintain military equipment and support its operation, according to Nikkei.

12 October 2026

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Tokyo sleep competition offers 2 million yen prize to best sleeper

A Tokyo sleep competition organised by Koala offered ¥2 million to the best sleeper, highlighting Japan’s long-hours work culture and sleep deprivation.

7 October 2026

Moments

This new Japanese walking trail connects six cities across 320km

Japan’s longest loop trail is now fully open. Spread across 320 kilometres, the Hitachinokuni Long Trail takes hikers through mountains, rural villages, waterfalls, beaches and historic ruins.

5 October 2026