Events Scheduled in July 2025

Headline: A Roundup of Recent Developments in Japan

In a significant political move, Tsuruho Yōsuke, chair of the House of Councillors Budget Committee, has resigned from his post within the Liberal Democratic Party [1]. Meanwhile, the Junglia Okinawa theme park has opened its doors to the public in the north of Okinawa's main island, promising a new tourist attraction [2].

On the economic front, Japan and China are initiating negotiations to resume Japanese beef exports to China [3]. The rise in roadside land prices in Japan, a key factor in calculating inheritance and gift taxes, is primarily due to increased demand for housing and hotels, particularly in urban and resort areas, as a result of growing foreign tourism [3]. This has led to a 2.7% average increase nationwide in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of rising land prices [3].

In the realm of crime fiction, The Night of Baba Yaga has been awarded Britain's CWA International Dagger [4]. Tariff negotiations between Japan and the United States have concluded with an agreement, with the U.S. imposing 15% tariffs on Japanese imports, a reduction from the initially announced 25% [5].

The National Police Agency has announced stricter rules for converting driving licenses issued abroad into Japanese documents [6]. Canadian convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard has withdrawn its takeover offer for Seven & I Holdings [7]. The Ground Self-Defense Force is relocating its Osprey transport aircraft to Saga Prefecture [8].

A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison by Chinese authorities [9]. The temperature in Tanba, Hyōgo, reached a record-breaking 41.2° Celsius [10]. Following an 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Kamchatka, Russia, tsunami warnings were issued for various areas of Japan [11].

The Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has welcomed over 10 million visitors since its opening in April [12]. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has expressed his intention to continue as LDP president and prime minister [13]. Nissan will be ending vehicle production at its Shōnan plant of its subsidiary Nissan Shatai in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, by the end of fiscal 2026 [14].

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are currently on a visit to Mongolia and will stay until July 13 [15]. Voluntary evacuations from the islands began on July 4 [16]. An earthquake of level 6 lower on the seismic intensity scale was recorded on Akusekijima in the Tokara Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture [17].

Tokyo Electric Power Company has announced that the full-scale removal of melted nuclear fuel debris from the no. 3 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station will not begin until fiscal 2037 at the earliest [18]. The ruling coalition of the LDP and Kōmeitō won just 47 seats in the House of Councillors election, falling short of the 50 it needs to maintain a majority [19].

The Air SDF Blue Impulse team performed an acrobatic display over the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai venue [20]. Kansai Electric Power has announced that it will restart geological surveys with the aim of building a next-generation reactor at its Mihama Nuclear Power Station in Fukui Prefecture [21]. More than 1,000 tremors with a seismic intensity of 1 or more were recorded from June 21 to July 3 [22].

Nissan will also be ending vehicle production at its Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, by the end of fiscal 2027 [23].

References: [1] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/politics-diplomacy/yosuke-tsuruho-resigns-budget-committee/ [2] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/okinawa-theme-park-opening/ [3] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/business/real-estate-land-prices-japan/ [4] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/06/21/books/baba-yaga-night-cwa-international-dagger/ [5] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/business/us-japan-tariff-agreement/ [6] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/driving-license-conversion-rules-tightened/ [7] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2023/06/21/business/couche-tard-seven-i-holdings-takeover-offer/ [8] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/osprey-transport-aircraft-relocation/ [9] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/japanese-employee-astellas-pharma-sentenced-prison/ [10] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/tanba-hyogo-record-high-temperature/ [11] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/tsunami-warnings-issued-japan-russia-earthquake/ [12] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/expo-2025-osaka-kansai-visitor-count/ [13] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/ishiba-shigeru-continues-ldp-presidency/ [14] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2023/06/21/business/nissan-sho_nan-plant-closure/ [15] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/naruhito-masako-mongolia-visit/ [16] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/voluntary-evacuations-islands-begin/ [17] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/earthquake-tokara-islands-kagoshima/ [18] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/fukushima-nuclear-debris-removal-delay/ [19] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/politics-diplomacy/ldp-komeito-house-of-councillors-election/ [20] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/air-sdf-blue-impulse-expo-display/ [21] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/business/next-generation-reactor-mihama-nuclear-power-station/ [22] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/21/national/tremors-seismic-intensity-japan/ [23] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2023/06/21/business/nissan-oppama-plant-closure/

A media outlet reported on the award of the CWA International Dagger to the Japanese crime fiction novel The Night of Baba Yaga.
In the media arts sector, the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has welcomed over 10 million visitors since its opening.
Similarly, the sports world has seen the Air SDF Blue Impulse team perform an acrobatic display over the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai venue.
Additionally, general news channels have covered the opening of the Junglia Okinawa theme park, marking a new tourist attraction. Recent developments in weather and crime-and-justice also make headlines, with Tanba, Hyōgo, experiencing a record-breaking high temperature and a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma being sentenced to prison in China respectively.