Still no woman emperor in sight
THE parliament tweaked the imperial succession law but maintained the bar on women emperors – despite surveys suggesting wide public support for the idea.
Tokyo criminalises national flag desecration despite criticisms
THE nation enacted a law that criminalises damaging the national flag as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes forward with her conservative agenda despite worries over freedom of expression.
After KFC disruption, cyberattack hits ice cream giant
A major ice cream maker said it is seeing shipment delays following a cyberattack at its logistics partner that has already affected Kentucky Fried Chicken and a large sushi chain.
Family calls police after finding bear in kitchen
A family in the northern part of the country called police after finding a bear in their kitchen, an official said, as anxiety over the animal grows, following a surge in deadly maulings.
Tougher social media rules for elections
AI-generated images and videos will have to be marked as such under new rules on the use of social media during elections, the internal affairs minister said.
Stepping up anti-spy efforts
THE nation said it has recognised the need to counter foreign intelligence better after The New York Times reported that Russia had turned the country into a "den of spies" and key source of weapons components.
Reusable rocket passes first test
The country's space agency said its prototype reusable rocket has successfully completed the first lift-off and landing test, marking a step forward in the cost-cutting technology dominated by SpaceX.
Lower House backs monarchy reform to secure royal succession
THE Lower House has passed a Bill aimed at easing a looming imperial succession crisis as the monarchy shrinks, with just one young heir under a male-only succession rule.
More LNG, Japan-linked vessels transit Strait of Hormuz
More liquefied natural gas tankers have resumed transiting the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, ship-tracking data showed, and 22 Japan-linked vessels have left the Gulf since Tuesday, Tokyo said, despite renewed fighting in the Middle East.
Moon cargo service eyes shared rides and lower costs
Moon transport company ispace said it would start a new, lower-cost lunar cargo business using the Starship heavy rocket and moon lander developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
