News archive
Past daily articles for learners.
- travel
Japan's Tax-Free Shopping Goes 'Pay First, Refund Later' From November 2026
Japan is overhauling its tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists starting November 2026. Instead of getting an instant discount at the register, travelers will pay the regular tax-included price and then claim a refund of the consumption tax when they leave the country, for example at the airport. The change is meant to stop cases where duty-free goods were resold inside Japan instead of being taken abroad, and it also removes the special sealed-bag rule that used to apply only to consumable items. Travelers should keep their receipts and purchased goods on hand to show at the refund counter before departure.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan issues heatstroke warning alert for 14 prefectures as dangerous heat continues
On July 29, 2026, Japan's Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a Heatstroke Warning Alert covering 14 prefectures stretching from the Kanto region to Okinawa, as dangerously hot weather continues. Residents in the affected areas are urged to drink water frequently, avoid unnecessary outdoor activity, and use air conditioning indoors rather than enduring the heat, with extra care recommended for elderly people, young children, and those with chronic health conditions.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Mt. Fuji's Yoshida Trail: ¥4,000 fee, reservations, and a 2pm–3am gate closure for 2026
Mt. Fuji's Yoshida Trail is in its official 2026 climbing season (July 1 to September 10). Climbers passing the fifth-station gate must pay a ¥4,000 toll, reserve online in advance, and finish a short safety course before entering. Daily climbers are capped at 4,000, and the gate closes from 2pm to 3am to discourage rushed, no-rest overnight "bullet climbing" that has caused accidents. Anyone planning to climb should book ahead on the official fujisan-climb.jp site.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Foreign Students Now Power Japan's Convenience Stores
A review of Japan's three biggest convenience store chains — 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart — found that foreign nationals now make up over 110,000 of their roughly 800,000 combined part-time staff. Most are international students from countries such as Vietnam, Nepal, China, and Myanmar, working under a permit that caps non-student jobs at 28 hours a week. The finding highlights how essential foreign workers have become to keeping Japan's convenience stores running amid a nationwide labor shortage.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Japan's Budget Rail Pass 'Seishun 18 Kippu' Kicks Off Its Summer 2026 Run
JR has released the 2026 summer edition of the Seishun 18 Kippu, a discount ticket for unlimited rides on ordinary and rapid trains nationwide. It's valid July 18 to September 8, sold as a 3-day (10,000 yen) or 5-day (12,050 yen) version that must be used on consecutive days, with the same price for adults and children. It doesn't cover the shinkansen or limited express trains, but it remains a popular, budget-friendly way for students and travelers to explore Japan by local rail this summer.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan's 2026 typhoon season: August looks like the peak — prepare now
Private weather forecasters say Japan's 2026 typhoon season will likely be busier than an average year: the number of storms should slightly exceed normal, and roughly 14 could approach Japan. August is expected to bring the highest approach risk, especially in eastern Japan, and forecasters warn that autumn storms may be strong, with a large El Nino influencing the season. Now is a good time to prepare: stock drinking water and food, secure or bring in loose items on balconies, and, if you are traveling for Obon in mid-August, check the latest track and intensity forecasts often.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Summer Koshien opens August 5: 49 school teams, a new DH rule, and a heat-reshaped schedule
Japan's summer high school baseball championship — the 108th National High School Baseball Championship, known to everyone simply as "Koshien" — runs from August 5 to 22 at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Through July, prefectural qualifying tournaments involving more than 3,300 schools are narrowing the field down to 49 representative teams, most of which are settled by the end of the month; the bracket is then drawn online before play begins. This year the tournament adds a designated hitter rule and video review, and a woman will serve as an umpire at the summer championship for the first time. Because of the extreme heat, the two-part daily schedule has been rebalanced from two morning and two afternoon games to one in the morning and three in the afternoon, and extra innings switch to a tiebreak from the 10th. For people living in Japan it is an easy national event to follow: the games are shown free on public television, and the local qualifying finals happening right now are close enough to watch in person.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan adds 'kokushobi': a new weather word for 40°C days
Japan's Meteorological Agency has added a new forecast term, 'kokushobi' (酷暑日), for days when the day's highest temperature reaches 40°C or above. It joins the existing scale of natsubi (25°C+), manatsubi (30°C+) and moshobi (35°C+), which previously had no name for 40-degree days. The agency chose the word in April from a public vote of about 478,000 responses, and forecasters are using it from this summer. The change comes as 40°C days grow more common: Kuwana in Mie Prefecture hit a record 40.6°C on July 22. On a kokushobi day, avoid long spells outdoors, drink water and take salt regularly, and use air conditioning.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Shochu-mimai: Japan's summer greeting cards and when to send them
Shochu-mimai are Japanese summer greeting cards sent during the hottest weeks to ask after someone's health. By custom they should reach the recipient between around July 7 (the solar term Shosho) and the day before Risshu, the first day of autumn — August 7 in 2026. What counts is the arrival date, not the postmark: anything arriving on or after August 7 should instead be sent as a zansho-mimai (late-summer greeting), which runs through the end of August. For foreign residents in Japan, a short card to a teacher, host family, or colleague is a simple, well-received gesture.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Mosquitoes emerge early in Japan — experts warn of a possible summer outbreak
Experts in Japan are warning that mosquitoes have emerged earlier than usual this summer, raising the risk of a large outbreak. A warm May and repeated light rain — without heavy downpours to wash larvae away — left standing water where mosquitoes could breed, so numbers may climb sharply in the coming weeks. Because mosquitoes can carry diseases such as dengue fever, residents are advised to use insect repellent, cover exposed skin, and remove standing water around their homes.
N5N4N3N2N1 - government
Japan plans to tie permanent residency to a new Japanese language and daily-life program
The Immigration Services Agency says it plans to make a new "Japanese Language and Lifestyle Learning Program" (working title) a requirement when it reviews applications for permanent residency and for very long stays in Japan. Alongside Japanese study, the program is expected to cover practical everyday knowledge such as sorting rubbish, local community manners, disaster preparedness and city-hall procedures, with online study possible before and after arriving in Japan. A JLPT N2-level target has been floated but nothing is fixed yet. The government will set up an expert panel this summer, draft the rules and a system for tracking completion in fiscal 2027, and aim for a trial run in fiscal 2028. Nothing changes for current applicants today, but anyone thinking about permanent residency in Japan should keep studying Japanese and watch for the official rules.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Beat the heat for free: Japan's 'cooling shelters' now cover 1,400+ cities
As Japan endures record summer heat, more than 1,400 municipalities have designated "cooling shelters" (shitei shonetsu hinan shisetsu) — air-conditioned public spaces such as libraries, community centers and shopping facilities where anyone can rest for free. Under the revised Climate Change Adaptation Act, these shelters open to residents when a Heatstroke Special Alert is issued. Opening hours and locations vary by city, so check what your own local government offers and know where your nearest shelter is before the heat turns dangerous.
N5N4N3N2N1