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Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss concerns about sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel and the return of land from U.S. military control to Japan. Tamaki emphasized the burden Okinawa bears in hosting U.S. military facilities and called for more serious preventative measures against sexual violence.

Japan's Lower House passed the initial budget for fiscal 2025, marking the first time in 29 years that the Diet revised the initial budget bill and the first time in 70 years that the initial budget amount was reduced. The budget includes measures to provide free high school education and raise the minimum annual taxable income, but faces opposition from some parties over the high-cost medical expense cap and the "1.03-million-yen barrie...

Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, a Nobel laureate organization representing atomic bomb survivors, criticized the Japanese government's decision not to attend an anti-nuclear weapons meeting, calling it "pathetic and disappointing." He emphasized the importance of Japan sharing its experiences in supporting atomic bomb victims and argued against the "endurance doctrine" that forces citizens to endure destruction ...

Canadian convenience store giant Couche-Tard, despite facing rejection from Seven & i Holdings, remains determined to acquire the Japanese company. While Seven & i cites plans to boost its own value and concerns about antitrust issues in the U.S. as reasons for declining the offer, Couche-Tard emphasizes its commitment to a friendly approach and believes the merger would be beneficial for 7-Eleven's business.

Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office gave 100,000 yen gift certificates to parliamentary secretaries attending a social gathering at his official residence, raising questions about the practice within the ruling LDP. This follows Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's admission of distributing similar certificates to new Lower House members, suggesting a potential established custom.