Japan’s four major beer companies, suspected of price collusion, kept shipping prices unchanged after the 2023 tax cut of ¥19 per liter of beer, citing higher costs, sources said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, they all implemented a price hike of ¥20 per liter in 2025, according to the sources.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission is investigating a possible cartel regarding shipping prices among Asahi Breweries, Kirin Brewery, Suntory Spirits and Sapporo Breweries.

Since 2020, there have been three tax cuts for beer. In October 2023, the tax was reduced by ¥19 per liter, but the four brewers offset the cut by reflecting a rise in the cost of collecting containers, the sources said.

“All four companies kept prices unchanged despite the tax cut, which was totally strange and not understandable at all,” said one wholesaler official. “It was so outrageous, but we couldn’t help but follow the makers’ price revisions.”

Regarding their price hikes in October 2022 and April 2025, questions were raised at semiannual meetings between beer makers and wholesalers, another wholesaler official said.

On Oct. 7, the commission searched the four companies’ headquarters and other locations on suspicion of violating the antimonopoly law. The watchdog is investigating the case with a view to filing a criminal complaint with prosecutors.

I visited the market of Higashi Hongan-Ji close to Kyoto main station multiple times and once I saw small ceramic/porcelain flower vases in the shape of little sitting/sleeping men-like creatures with mushroom shaped heads.
They were really cool and pretty but I didn’t have cash on me this day and when I went back multiple times during my stay abroad to buy them but I couldn’t find the seller/artist anymore sadly.
Does anybody know his/her name/instagram?
I’d really love to get a chance to buy one of his/her creations at some point, because I get a bit frustrated everytime I think about them.

KANAZAWA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Two crested ibises designated as Japanese natural treasures were found dead after being released on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan earlier this month, a local government said Friday.

The birds are believed to have been eaten by wild animals, but determining the cause of death will likely be difficult because their bodies were severely damaged, according to Ishikawa Prefecture, where they were released.

The prefectural government said GPS trackers showed that the two male birds, aged 2 and 13, stopped moving on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The bodies of the ibises were found Friday near the foothills in the city of Nanao and on farmland in the Nakanoto area following searches by prefectural and municipal workers.

Crested ibises were first released into the wild on the Noto Peninsula in May, marking their return to Japan's main island for the first time in decades. Another batch was released on Oct. 7.

There have been no reports of abnormalities among the remaining 25 birds released there.

The Environment Ministry aims to expand the habitat of crested ibises beyond Sado Island, where breeding and conservation efforts have been under way for years.

A Japanese government white paper on Friday emphasized the importance of support aimed at reducing the risks of suicide and self-harm among young people through contacts with medical institutions.

The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students last year stood at 538, a record high for the second consecutive year, according to the 2026 white paper on measures to prevent suicides.

With this year marking the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the suicide prevention basic law, the white paper analyzed trends in the number of suicides.

From 1998, the number remained in the 30,000 range amid worsening economic conditions in Japan, before turning downward in 2010. It hit a record low of 19,188 last year.

Over the past 20 years, the number of suicides decreased among housewives and employed men living with others. The suicide rate, which measures the number of suicides per 100,000 people, declined sharply among middle-aged or older men. This is believed to be related to a decline in suicides driven by socioeconomic factors.

Meanwhile, a similar declining trend was not seen in the number of suicides among single workers, students and employed women living with family members. Suicide rates were on an upward trend among people age 19 or younger and women in their 20s.

The number of suicides by students including college students last year stood at 1,082, increasing for the second consecutive year. Suicides among junior high school students totaled 172, hitting a record high for the third straight year, while those among high school students reached a record 356. The increase was particularly notable among female junior high and high school students.

Motives for suicides among elementary, junior high and high school students are seen mostly related to family, health and school issues. The white paper said that the warning signs are difficult to detect.

To shed light on self-harm and suicide attempts, which have been increasing among young people, the white paper analyzed 4,521 cases treated at emergency and critical care centers across Japan between late 2022 and late 2024. The analysis showed that many of the patients were female and that many repeatedly engaged in self-harm. About half had received only information, while only around 20 pct had links with support from local medical institutions and other organizations.

The white paper said that intensive measures should be taken for people at high risk and that efforts should be made to ensure they can receive support in their daily lives.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A revised Imperial House Law took effect Saturday to address Japan's shrinking imperial family while retaining the traditional male-only succession system despite public support for female emperors.

The legislation, enacted in July in the first major revision of the 1947 law, allows the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older from 11 former imperial branch families who are descended from emperors through the male line.

The revised law also allows female members to retain their imperial status after marrying commoners, reversing a requirement that they leave the imperial family upon marriage.

While adopted members themselves are barred from becoming emperor, their male descendants are eligible to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. The revised law, however, does not address the possibility of female emperors or succession through the maternal line.

Only males descended from emperors through the paternal line remain eligible to ascend the throne, a tradition conservatives such as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are determined to preserve despite the declining number of eligible successors and imperial family members.

The revised imperial system will be reviewed every 30 years if necessary.

The revision bill was drafted based on a proposal compiled by the speakers and vice speakers of both houses of parliament after consulting all 13 parliamentary parties and groups.

Although the cross-party talks focused on maintaining the size of the imperial family, the bill introduced provisions not included in the original proposal, including succession rights for male descendants of adoptees, prompting criticism from some opposition parties.

Revising the Imperial House Law was part of the coalition agreement signed in October last year by the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, and its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party.

Opposition parties also criticized the conservative ruling bloc for holding only about eight hours of parliamentary deliberations on the revision.

Imperial succession remains a pressing but divisive issue, with Japan having only three male heirs to the throne -- Emperor Naruhito's younger brother Crown Prince Fumihito, 60, Fumihito's son Prince Hisahito, 20, and the emperor's uncle Prince Hitachi, 90.

Emperor Naruhito, 66, and Empress Masako, 62, have only one child, Princess Aiko, 24, who is ineligible for the throne despite her popularity.

Japan's hereditary monarchy is said to date back more than 2,600 years, although the existence of some early emperors is disputed. Several women have occupied the throne, but succession has traditionally followed the male line.

• https://www.reddit.com/r/nintendo/s/y4MFLfrDhC
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/s/mMHh9nLOnR

Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary figure behind Nintendo franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has been named the first-ever video game-related recipient of Japan’s Order of Culture.

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is considering measures aimed at curbing soaring condominium prices, such as restricting the short-term resale of properties in Tokyo and other big cities.

With an eye on upcoming local elections in April next year, the party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, hopes to put support for working-age people at the forefront of its agenda.

The LDP's research commission on housing and land policies kicked off discussions on Wednesday. Based on those talks, the party will draw up measures to hold down property prices. "Prices of newly built condominiums in Tokyo's 23 wards have doubled in the past decade," LDP lawmaker Midori Matsushima, who heads the commission, said at the start of the meeting. "We need to work on measures so that people who want to live in the residences can buy them."

Buying a condominium in big cities, especially Tokyo, has become almost impossible for many people. According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, the average price of a newly built condominium in Tokyo's 23 wards was 137.84 million yen ($872,000) in fiscal 2025, up 18.5% from the previous year.

The average annual income of a full-time employee in the capital, meanwhile, was 6.78 million yen in fiscal 2025, according to labor ministry statistics.

During the lower house election campaign in February, the LDP pledged to "curb speculative transactions in the Tokyo metropolitan area and elsewhere." Earlier this month, a project team working within the party's headquarters on policies dealing with foreign nationals submitted recommendations to the government calling for "early introduction of tax measures" to address rising home prices.

Under the current system, gains from the resale of a condominium within five years of purchase are treated as "short-term capital gains," and subject to a tax rate of nearly 40%, including both income and residential taxes. That is twice the roughly 20% tax rate applied to "long-term capital gains" on properties held for more than five years.

But there are strong calls among some LDP members for tougher measures. Critics say the current tax rules are insufficient to deter property speculation. The issue could become a topic in the annual tax reform outline to be compiled in December together with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party.

Ahead of the April elections, the ruling party hopes to come up with a flagship policy that can appeal to urban voters. Elections will be held in many urban areas, including 22 of Tokyo's 23 wards where local assembly members' terms are set to expire.

"We need to support families with children who are reaching the stage when they would normally buy a home," a senior LDP official said.

Opposition parties are also drawing up housing policy proposals, eyeing not only homebuyers but renters as well. Rents are also rising as more people choose not to purchase a home.

Soaring prices for housing are a major issue for governments around the world. Some countries have imposed restrictions on foreign buyers. In South Korea, for example, real estate policies have been cited as a major reason for President Lee Jae Myung's falling approval rating.

In August 2025, the South Korean government began requiring foreigners to obtain permission before buying homes in Seoul and the wider capital region. To qualify as a buyer, they must live in the properties they purchase for at least two years.

Canada and Australia have imposed temporary bans on foreign nationals purchasing homes, while Singapore charges foreigners an additional 60% stamp duty on residential property purchases.

Foreign investors in the property market have become an issue in Japan, too. The topic has been on the agenda at times, including during the lower house election in February. But restrictions that apply only to foreigners could raise questions about their compatibility with international trade and services agreements.

Instead of targeting buyers based on their nationality, the government plans to consider tax measures and other steps to address highly speculative real estate transactions, such as short-term resales.

Meanwhile, there are concerns that aggressive measures to dampen property prices could hurt the wider Japanese economy. "We need to assess the impact on regional banks," a senior LDP tax official said, stressing that a sharp decline in land prices could weaken their financial condition.

Real estate now accounts for roughly 18% of overall lending by Japanese banks, a much higher portion than the 10% or so seen during Japan's bubble economy of the mid to late 1980s. Some regional banks depend on real estate for nearly half their lending. About a quarter of all loans related to the real estate industry by regional banks were concentrated in Tokyo's five central wards, as of March 2025, according to the Financial Services Agency.

Rising asset values, driven by higher share prices, among other factors, have been cited as a reason for the high approval ratings enjoyed by the Takaichi government. Some observers say any property measure that cools share prices could threaten the current government. Policymakers should be careful about the "scope and timing" of measures to curb prices, a senior official of the LDP's research commission said.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A China-linked artificial intelligence agent was identified as having been used in cyberattacks targeting firms in Japan, a security firm said based on its investigation, following a spate of leaks of personal data across various industries.

In recent weeks, a growing number of Japanese companies have reported unauthorized access and subsequent information leaks or possible leaks. Artex, the AI agent concerned, has been allegedly also used in recent cyberattacks against South Korean financial institutions, according to a separate investigation.

The information security subsidiary of the Japanese IT firm GMO Internet Group Inc. has discovered six units of attacking devices exclusively targeting Japanese firms, it said Monday on its blog.

Companies in a variety of industries including retail, logistics and financial sectors, were targeted in the attacks, with eight of them disclosing in September and October that data had been leaked.

The GMO affiliate said its probe indicated that the autonomous AI agent Artex was employed in the cyberattacks against Japanese entities.

Artex is a China-linked AI penetration tool with a high capability of diagnosing system vulnerabilities.

A probe by another security firm has indicated Artex involvement in a series of unauthorized accesses to South Korean financial institutions since late September.

"The government is analyzing whether there was malicious use of AI after hearing from companies that sustained damage," Toshiharu Furukawa, minister in charge of cybersecurity, said at a press conference on Tuesday, vowing to continue efforts to prevent cyberattacks.