Former Internal Affairs Min. Katayama Dies at 90

Japan's smartphone software competition promotion law came into full effect Thursday to regulate major information technology companies in the smartphone operating system market.

The number of people leaving Japan for overseas travel during the year-end and New Year holidays is projected to reach 1 million, up 31.5pctfrom a year earlier, according to a survey by JTB Corp.

Japan will host its first summit with five Central Asian nations from Friday, aiming to deepen cooperation with the resource-rich region and strengthen supply chains.

Former Japanese internal affairs minister Toranosuke Katayama, who served as co-chief of the Japan Innovation Party ()削除, died of old age at a hospital in Tokyo on Thursday. He was 90.

The Japanese government and ruling parties decided Thursday to implement a planned income tax hike in January 2027, as part of efforts to secure funding for increased defense spending.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito held a meeting with visiting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday.

Bipartisan U.S. senators on Wednesday introduced a resolution expressing support for Japan and condemning China's economic and military pressure amid Tokyo-Beijing tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency.

Japan's ruling bloc and opposition Komeito on Thursday agreed to pay a monthly fee of 5,200 yen per student to make public elementary school meals free, starting in fiscal 2026.

Two helicopters of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force were hit by laser beams over Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the GSDF has said.

The Bank of Japan is expected to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to a 30-year-high of 0.75pcton Friday, its first increase since January.