News archive
Past daily articles for learners.
- 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 - daily life
Summer vacation begins: radio calisthenics in the park
As schools across Japan start their summer vacation in mid-to-late July, many neighborhoods hold early-morning "radio taiso" (radio calisthenics) in local parks and open spaces. Around 6:30 a.m., children and adults gather to do about ten minutes of light exercise to music broadcast on NHK radio, and children collect a stamp on a card for each session they attend. First aired in 1928, radio taiso is a long-standing summer tradition that encourages early rising, healthy routines, and neighborly exchange. If you live in Japan, look for a notice in your local park in the morning — anyone can usually join for free.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Tokyo's Sumida River Fireworks Return July 25 — and Every Seat Is Already Gone
Tokyo's Sumida River Fireworks Festival, now in its 49th edition, is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 7 p.m. along the river in Sumida and Taito wards. Two launch sites — one downstream of Sakurabashi bridge, one downstream of Komagatabashi bridge — will send up roughly 20,000 shells. Organisers stress that the only seated viewing is the paid 'citizen sponsorship' seating, and sales for that closed in early July, so everyone else watches standing. Around 930,000 people attended last year, which means wide road closures, packed stations and long waits to get home. Practical advice: take the train rather than a car, arrive early, carry water in the summer heat, and check the official site before you leave — the show can be called off in bad weather.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Obon travel: every Nozomi shinkansen is reserved-seats-only from Aug 7-16
During the Obon holiday travel rush, JR Central and JR West will run every Nozomi train on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen as reserved-seats-only from August 7 to 16, 2026. There are no non-reserved cars during this period, so a passenger without a seat reservation can only stand in the deck area, and even that is not guaranteed on the busiest days. Reserved seats can be booked from 10 a.m. one month before your travel date, and popular sections sell out quickly. If you plan to take the shinkansen around Obon, book your seat as early as you can.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Summer is peak season for food poisoning — Japan's home-kitchen rules
Summer's heat and humidity make it the peak season for bacterial food poisoning in Japan, and government data shows cases cluster from June to August. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promotes a simple home-kitchen framework built on three principles: don't let bacteria attach, don't let them multiply, and kill them. In practice that means washing your hands and utensils and keeping raw meat and fish separate; refrigerating food promptly (fridge below 10°C, freezer below −15°C) and buying chilled items last; and heating food thoroughly to a center temperature of about 75°C for at least one minute. Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers, reheat them well, and when something seems off, throw it out without tasting. August is Japan's Food Sanitation Month, so the reminder is especially timely.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Osaka's Neyagawa passes Japan's first citywide tax on empty homes
On July 9, the city assembly of Neyagawa in Osaka Prefecture unanimously passed an ordinance creating a local tax on akiya — homes nobody lives in. It is the first vacant-home tax in Japan to cover a whole city: Kyoto's existing tax applies only to its urbanized zone. Owners of vacant homes that are not up for rent or sale will pay 35% of a figure based on the fixed-asset tax on the building and land. Of roughly 15,450 vacant homes in the city, about 6,410 are expected to be taxed, raising an estimated 140 million yen a year, which the city will spend on vacant-home measures. The mayor says the goal is not revenue but changing owners' behaviour — pushing unused houses back onto the market so younger residents can move in. The tax is targeted at fiscal 2029 and still needs the consent of the internal affairs minister, so nothing changes yet. If you own or inherit property in Japan, this is a sign that leaving a house empty may become more expensive.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
The rainy season is ending — and Japan's first 35°C days arrive with it
Japan's rainy season (tsuyu) is closing region by region. The Japan Meteorological Agency has already declared it over in Okinawa (June 29), Amami (July 1), Kinki, Chugoku and northern Kyushu (July 8), and Shikoku (July 12); the Kanto-Koshin region around Tokyo is expected to follow around July 15. The end of the rain brings sudden, serious heat: central Tokyo is forecast to reach about 35°C on July 14 — likely its first 'extremely hot day' of the year — with some inland areas approaching 40°C, and nights staying near 25°C. If you live in Japan, treat this week as the start of real summer: run the air conditioner (including at night), drink water before you feel thirsty, avoid long spells outdoors around midday, and learn the signs of heatstroke — dizziness, muscle cramps, and either heavy sweating or no sweat at all. Get help immediately if symptoms do not improve.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Heatstroke alerts issued for 11 regions as dangerous heat grips western Japan
The Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued heatstroke alerts (netchusho keikai alert) for Sunday, July 12 covering 11 regions, mainly in western Japan, including Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Yamaguchi, Kagoshima and Okinawa's Yaeyama islands. It is the first alert of the year for Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Ehime and Oita. The alert is issued when the heat index (WBGT) is forecast to reach 33 or higher. If you are in an affected area, stay in air-conditioned rooms, avoid long periods outdoors, take water and salt regularly, and check on elderly people and small children.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
Japanese Tea Registered as Protected GI Brand to Counter Imitations
Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on July 10 that "Nihoncha" (Japanese tea) has been registered under the Geographical Indication (GI) system, which protects the names of regional foods as intellectual property. It is the first GI whose production area is the whole of Japan, covering green tea grown and processed in the country. The move responds to imitation products, such as fake "Uji matcha", spreading overseas as matcha's global popularity grows. "Lake Hamana eel" (Shizuoka) and "Kaga lotus root" (Ishikawa) were registered at the same time, bringing the total of GI products to 170.
N5N4N3N2N1 - government
Japan plans to raise residence-permit fees from October 2026 — permanent residency up to ¥200,000
Japan's government has released draft guidelines to sharply raise the fees foreign residents pay for immigration procedures, with the changes planned for October 1, 2026. The permanent-residence permission fee would jump from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, a twenty-fold increase, while fees to change your status of residence or renew your period of stay — currently ¥6,000 for an in-person application — would rise to as much as ¥75,000, varying with the length of stay granted. Online applications would be slightly cheaper, and refugees and low-income applicants may qualify for reduced fees. The plan follows an amended immigration law that raised the legal ceiling on these fees amid record numbers of foreign residents. It is still a proposal: public comments are open until August 3, 2026, so the final amounts could change.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Powerful Typhoon Bavi to Approach Okinawa's Sakishima Islands
Large and very strong Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) was moving northwest over the sea east of the Philippines on the morning of July 9, with a central pressure of 925 hPa and maximum sustained winds of 50 m/s. It is forecast to approach — and possibly directly hit — Okinawa's Sakishima Islands (including Miyako and Ishigaki) around July 10–11, bringing violent winds, high waves, and heavy rain; wave warnings are already in effect for Okinawa. If you live in or are traveling to Okinawa, prepare early, stay away from the sea, and keep checking the latest weather and flight information.
N5N4N3N2N1 - technology
Japan's freight-only bullet train: a Shinkansen that carries parcels, not people
JR East has put Japan's first freight-only Shinkansen into service. It converted an E3 series train that once ran as the Yamagata 'Tsubasa', removing all 394 passenger seats across seven cars and refitting the interior with non-slip floors and cargo restraints so it can carry up to about 1,000 parcels — roughly five times what earlier passenger trains adapted for freight could hold. The company turned to high-speed rail because a shortage of truck drivers, worsened by 2024 overtime caps, is squeezing road-freight capacity, and because rail cuts CO2 emissions. Goods that used to move by truck can now travel long distances at Shinkansen speed, and JR East plans to expand the service.
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