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December 30, 2025
 

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A shirt and a hat identical to the items left at the scene in the Setagaya Ward family murders, released by the Metropolitan Police Department ahead of the 25th anniversary of the incident, in Tokyo on Dec. 9.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Police continue searching for killer of Setagaya family 25 years on
At the time of the brutal murders, Tokyo police thought the case would be quickly resolved, but the culprit and motives have remained unknown for 25 years.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Man arrested over stabbing of woman in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward
A 35-year-old Chinese national is being held on suspicion of attempted murder. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Woman injured after being stabbed in Tokyo, with the suspect at large
The woman, who said she knew the suspect, sustained injuries but was conscious when she was taken to the hospital.
A police officer outside a Yokohama Rubber factory in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Friday following a stabbing spree earlier in the day
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
15 injured after stabbing spree at Shizuoka tire factory
The seriousness of the injuries was unknown, although NHK said all victims remained conscious.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeing to halt a number of nuclear reactors hold up papers reading “unjust ruling” following a court ruling on Thursday in the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Court dismisses plea to shut down nuclear plants in Fukui
The plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling to a higher court, while Kansai Electric said that the ruling reflects the court’s understanding of its claims.
Reika Kuroki, who goes by Reika Miyazaki as a social media influencer, has some 500,000 followers on Instagram.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Japanese social media influencer charged with tax evasion
Reika Kuroki, also known as Reika Miyazaki, as well as two other individuals are accused of evading corporate and other taxes amounting to ¥157 million.
Police investigators carry cardboard boxes out of a building in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Thursday after raiding a luxury sauna operator.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Tokyo police raid luxury sauna operator over customer deaths
On Dec. 15, a fire occurred in a private room at the sauna facility in Tokyo's Akasaka district, and the victims were found lying inside.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s officers investigate the house of a woman and her three children who died in Nishitokyo in western Tokyo on Dec. 19.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Suspected murder-suicide of woman and sons linked to another death
A 27-year-old man found dead in an apartment in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward on Monday is believed to have been in a relationship with the woman.
Hyogo Prefectural Police executives have been disciplined over gifts and other favors received from a company contracted to provide services to the police, sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 24, 2025
Hyogo police executives punished over favors from contractor
The gifts included souvenirs, taxi fare money and free items while dining.
The mother (center) of a Thai girl forced to perform sexual services for money at a Tokyo massage parlor is escorted by police and immigration officers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. Parts of the image have been blurred.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 24, 2025
Thai girl in Tokyo sex-work case to be returned home
The girl has expressed a desire to return to Thailand since first seeking help from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau in September.

China may have tested Japan and U.S. readiness in Pacific
At the time of the joint Chinese-Russian bomber exercise on Dec. 9, the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington was conducting drills with the Maritime Self-Defense Force in waters south of the Kanto region.
On to 2050: Life in a shrinking Japan
As Japan’s population ages, fewer workers will be supporting more dependents, reshaping the country’s social and economic balance.
Japan’s original decluttering queen cleans up your new year
A new book from Hideko Yamashita, the original creator of the 'danshari' method of decluttering popularize outside Japan by Marie Kondo, can help you start 2026 off on a tidier note.
Boy dies after becoming trapped in ski resort escalator in Hokkaido
A boy died at a ski resort in Otaru, Hokkaido, on Sunday after being trapped in a conveyor belt-type escalator connecting a parking lot with ski slopes.
China orders travel agencies to slash group tours to Japan as dispute festers
A Chinese tourist group stands near the Sensoji temple, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo's Asakusa area, on Nov. 18.
A year of plenty: Endless art shows, subtle curation of themes
The 2025 Aichi Triennale took place in several locations, including a former bathhouse where Rui Sasaki's “Unforgettable Residues” was exhibited.
In 2025, Asia got tough on nuisance streamers. Japan did not.
This year, Asian countries' relatively lenient approach to nuisance streamers has been replaced by legal charges and potential jail time.
Why stickers are the hottest commodity in Japan right now
Younger generations are beginning to reappreciate things that are simply kawaii and fun.
A night at the museum when dinosaurs come to life
The Tokyo National Museum and the Dino-A-Live show have partnered for a traditional storytelling performance with animatronic dinosaurs reimagined as folklore spirits back from the dead.
Tokyo dining in 2025 was defined by sushi and cutting-edge fare
Sushi, such as this Kyoto-style "saba bōzushi" (rolled sushi with vinegared mackerel) at Kibun, stood out in Tokyo's dining scene in 2025.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

As Japan’s population ages, fewer workers will be supporting more dependents, reshaping the country’s social and economic balance.
On to 2050: Life in a shrinking Japan
By Alex K.T. Martin

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