7 articles
The 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake: What Happened on July 28, and How to Check Official Information Yourself
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto at 16:27 on July 28, 2026. What Japanese agencies had published as of 14:00 on July 29, every figure attributed and time-stamped, plus the JMA advisory, the primary sources you can read in English, and the helplines we checked one by one.
Japan's Foreign Residents Hit a Record 4.12 Million: What the 2026 Data Means for Living and Working in Japan
Japan's foreign population topped 4 million for the first time — a record 4,125,395 at end-2025. Data by nationality, visa and region, plus the 2027 visa overhaul.
Japan's Rice Prices in 2026: Reading the Data From the Great Rice Shock to Today
Two years after Japan's 2024 rice panic, prices have peaked and turned. We trace the weekly 5 kg price data through reserve-rice releases, an import surge, and the 2026 harvest outlook.
Japan's Cashless Payments in 2026: Reading the 'Cash Country' by the Data
Japan's cashless payment ratio for 2025 came in at 58.0% — but that headline uses a newly introduced domestic metric; internationally it was 46.3%. We read the current state by the data: the breakdown, the gap with Korea and China, why cash endures, and the 2026 debates on fees and a digital yen.
Japan Overtourism Rules 2026: Taxes and Rules to Know Before You Go
Mount Fuji entry fees, Kyoto's lodging tax, a higher departure tax, and local manner rules. Here is what changed across Japan in 2026, framed as a practical checklist so you do not get caught out.
Weak Yen and Japan Travel Costs 2026: Reading 'Buy Now' with Data
USD/JPY sits around 161, a near two-year low for the yen. Yet city hotel rates are about 1.3x pre-pandemic levels. We read the real cost of visiting Japan in 2026 through JNTO and tourism-agency primary data and the tax-free reform.
Inbound Visitors to Japan Hold at High Levels in 2026 — Reading the Data
Japan welcomed a record 42.68 million foreign visitors in 2025 (up 15.8% year on year). In 2026, April alone drew 3.69 million — the year's highest single month, though down 5.5% from a year earlier. We read the numbers from the primary source.