News archive
Past daily articles for learners.
- daily life
August 11 is Mountain Day — and Japan's mountain accidents hit a record 3,623 people
August 11 is Mountain Day (Yama no Hi), a Japanese national holiday created by a 2014 change to the holiday law and first observed in 2016; its stated purpose is to give people a chance to get close to mountains and to appreciate what mountains give us. In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday, right before the Obon travel period, so more people head for the hills. Safety is the other side of the story. The National Police Agency's figures for 2025 show 3,122 mountain accidents involving a record 3,623 people, with 332 dead or missing and 1,480 injured. Getting lost caused about 31% of cases, followed by slipping down slopes and falling over; 75.6% of those involved were 40 or older, Nagano recorded the most cases at 358, and accidents involving visitors from abroad reached 174 cases and 246 people, the highest since counting began in 2018. If you plan to climb, file a tozan-todoke (climbing plan) — some local governments require it by ordinance and many now accept it online — check the forecast, carry rain gear and something warm, leave margin in your schedule, and plan to be back down while it is still light.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Typhoon No. 15 May Land in Southern Tohoku or Kanto on August 11 — Peak Obon Travel Day
Typhoon No. 15, named Chanhom, is moving north-northwest over the sea east of Japan and may approach or make landfall in southern Tohoku or the Kanto region on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 11. Its central pressure is about 990 hPa with maximum sustained winds near 20 m/s and gusts to 30 m/s, and it is expected to strengthen slightly as it nears land. Unusually, it is travelling from the east toward the west rather than curving up from the south, and the forecast cone is wide, so the landfall point and timing may still shift. Heavy rain, strong winds and high waves are likely on the Pacific side. August 11 is Mountain Day, a national holiday, and falls in the middle of the Obon travel peak, so trains, flights and expressways may be disrupted. Check the latest forecast and transport updates before setting out, allow extra time, and stay away from the coast.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Consumer trouble in Japan? The tourist hotline hit a record 698 calls
Japan's National Consumer Affairs Center reported on August 5 that its Consumer Hotline for Tourists handled 698 consultations in fiscal 2025 — the most since the line opened in December 2018, and a third straight annual rise after 305 in FY2023 and 513 in FY2024. Typical cases are faulty goods bought in Japan, unreasonably high restaurant bills, hotel rooms that differ from the booking, and inflated rental-car repair charges. The line, 03-5449-0906, answers in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, French and Japanese on weekdays from 10:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00; the caller pays the call charge, and advisers help you negotiate with the business yourself — they have no power to punish it. If you live in Japan rather than visiting, dial the consumer hotline 188 instead and you will be connected to the consumer affairs center nearest you.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
Japan decides to cut the food consumption tax to 1% for two years from April 2027
On August 5, 2026, the Japanese cabinet approved a basic policy to cut the consumption tax on food and drink from the current reduced rate of 8% to 1% for two years, from April 2027 through March 2029. It would be the first time the consumption tax rate has come down since the tax was introduced. What counts: groceries you buy at a supermarket or convenience store, and takeout meals. What does not: eating in at a restaurant and alcoholic drinks, which stay at 10%. The rate was set at 1% rather than 0% because zero would need about a year of point-of-sale system rework, while 1% can be done in roughly half a year. Alongside the cut, the policy includes about 600 billion yen a year in cash payments to lower- and middle-income households, which the government says brings the effective burden close to zero. Nothing changes at the register yet: the related bills still have to pass the extraordinary Diet session this autumn, so shop prices stay as they are until then.
N5N4N3N2N1 - government
One card instead of two: Japan's combined residence + My Number card is now live
Japan's Immigration Services Agency has started issuing the "special resident card" (tokutei zairyu card), which merges a residence card and a My Number Card into a single card. The system went live on June 14, 2026, and regional immigration bureaus began accepting applications the next working day, June 15. It is open to mid- to long-term residents and special permanent residents who are on the resident registry, and taking it is entirely optional — you may keep carrying two separate cards. Applications are counter-only: at an immigration bureau when you file a residence-status application or a residence card notification, or at your city or ward office when you report your address. The online residence application system cannot be used for it for the time being. The payoff is fewer trips — when immigration issues the card, the My Number side is updated at the same time, so no separate visit to city hall is needed. The trade-off is time: issuance takes longer than for an ordinary residence card and there is no same-day service, so apply with room to spare before your period of stay runs out. Check the Immigration Services Agency site for current conditions and any fees.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Hiroshima Marks 81 Years: Peace Ceremony August 6, Park Closed to General Entry 5–9 a.m.
Hiroshima holds its Peace Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, August 6, 2026, 81 years after the atomic bombing. The ceremony opens at 8:00 a.m. in Peace Memorial Park, with a one-minute silence and the Peace Bell at 8:15 a.m., the mayor's Peace Declaration, and a children's Commitment to Peace; it closes around 8:50 a.m. About 7,000 seats are set out in the park, and the nearby Hiroshima International Conference Center has roughly 2,200 indoor seats with a live relay. For security, general access to the park is restricted from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.; attendees may enter from 6:00 a.m., with bag checks and metal detectors at the entrances. Wide traffic restrictions apply around the park, so the city asks people to come by public transport. From about 6 p.m., the Peace Message Lantern Floating is held on the Motoyasu River. Early August in Hiroshima is very hot, so bring water, wear a hat and take breaks.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Obon expressway forecast: 436 jams of 10km or more, peaking August 13 and 15
Japan's expressway operators (the three NEXCO companies, JB Honshi Expressway and the Japan Road Traffic Information Center) have published their Obon congestion forecast for August 7-16. They expect 436 traffic jams of 10 km or more across both directions, well above last year's 345. Outbound jams - people leaving the big cities for their hometowns - cluster on August 8 and on August 13, the start of Obon, while inbound jams peak on August 14 and 15. The worst single stretch is the Chuo Expressway near Sagamiko IC, with up to about 45 km, and around 40 km is expected on the Kan-Etsu Expressway. The usual weekend/holiday toll discount does not apply during this period. If you plan to drive, shift your departure date or time away from the peaks, check live traffic information before you set off, and take frequent breaks.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
Japan and the U.S. jointly bought yen after a 40-year low
Japan's Ministry of Finance said on August 3 that it had bought yen together with the U.S. Treasury on July 31 (U.S. Eastern time) — a rare joint currency intervention, the first time the two countries have bought yen side by side since 1998. The yen had slipped to around 164 to the dollar in late July, its weakest in roughly 40 years, and recovered to about 157 after the operation. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said recent moves in the currency market had been excessive and disorderly, and that Japan would not hesitate to intervene jointly again; the U.S. Treasury secretary signalled the same readiness. Analysts note that intervention buys time but does not by itself change the interest-rate gap that drives the yen. For people living in Japan the practical link is import prices: a weak yen pushes up the cost of imported food, fuel and everyday goods, and it also changes how much your salary is worth when you send money home.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
2,311 Food Items Get More Expensive in Japan This August — 80% More Than a Year Ago
Credit research firm Teikoku Databank reported on July 31 that 2,311 food and drink products in Japan are scheduled for price increases in August 2026 — roughly 80% more items than in August 2025 (1,262), with an average rise of about 15%. Processed foods such as ham, sausage, cup noodles and canned goods make up the largest share at 1,419 items, followed by seasonings (589) and raw ingredients such as sesame, wheat flour and sugar (276). The survey attributes the increases to higher raw-material prices plus rising logistics and packaging-material costs. September looks heavier still, with 4,531 items scheduled to rise — the biggest single month of 2026 — and the year's cumulative total may pass 20,000 items. If you live in Japan, it is worth watching supermarket sale days, store-brand products and bulk buying over the next few months.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Very Strong Typhoon Dolphin to Approach the Ogasawara Islands on August 3-4
Typhoon No. 13, named Dolphin, is a very strong storm moving west-northwest over the ocean far south of mainland Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency expects it to bring a wide area of storm-force winds to the Ogasawara Islands on August 3 and 4, passing closest to Chichijima around August 4; the probability that the islands enter the storm-wind zone is extremely high. Violent gusts, high waves and heavy rain are possible even if the centre stays offshore. Later in the week the typhoon may approach the Daito Islands, and effects on Okinawa and Amami cannot be ruled out. Flights and ferries to remote islands are often cancelled well in advance, so anyone travelling should check operating information frequently, keep water and food on hand, and secure balconies and windows early.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
About 30 fireworks festivals across Japan this weekend; Nagaoka opens Aug 2
The first weekend of August is the busiest stretch of Japan's fireworks season. Around 30 major hanabi taikai are scheduled nationwide on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2, 2026. Tokyo's Edogawa Ward festival sends up roughly 14,000 shells on the 1st, and Chiba's Makuhari Beach Fireworks Festa about 24,000 the same evening. In Niigata, the Nagaoka Matsuri Grand Fireworks run on the 2nd and 3rd along the Shinano River, where the "Phoenix" sequence honours the victims of the wartime air raid. Expect very crowded trains and crowd control at the nearest stations; rail operators add extra services, but it pays to leave early, carry water and salt for the heat, and check the organiser's official page before setting out, because bad weather can cancel or postpone an event on the day.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
Japan's Minimum Wage Guideline: National Average to Rise to ¥1,176
Japan's Central Minimum Wage Council (under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) issued its guideline for fiscal year 2026 on July 28, recommending a nationwide weighted-average hourly minimum wage of 1,176 yen — up 55 yen, or 4.9%, the smallest increase in six years. Prefectures are grouped into three ranks with suggested rises of 54 to 56 yen; each prefecture's own labor bureau will finalize its actual minimum wage, usually effective from around October. This matters for anyone paid by the hour in Japan, including foreign residents working part-time, so it is worth checking your prefecture's updated rate closer to autumn.
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