Japan This Week

When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Oct. 21, one of her new cabinet pick's stood out. Kimi Onoda was appointed minister for economic security and the “Cool Japan” strategy — but also given a new title: Minister for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners.

It’s a phrase that says a lot about how Japan sees outsiders.

In this week’s Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how anti-foreigner sentiment is gaining political traction, why “coexistence” has become such a loaded word and what that means for Japan’s future.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-vDNg-hhBZo

Chapters

00:00 Intro: Japan’s first female prime minister

01:36 Blame the foreigners

03:48 The coexistence policy

04:33 Kimi Onoda’s appointment

05:51 Anti-foreigner rhetoric in Japan

06:30 Japanese labor needs foreigners

07:57 Fear of foreigners and the facts

09:30 Cultural misunderstandings

11:08 Sanseito’s argument

12:32 Outro: The choice ahead

Do you think Japan’s “foreigner problem” is really about policy or fear? Tell us in the comments.

The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami — the man who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — has begun in Japan. But this case is about more than guilt or innocence.

It exposed disturbing ties between Japan’s ruling party and a controversial church, triggered public sympathy for the killer and forced the country to confront deeper questions about justice, trauma and political power.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/A2hwKzrn7ls

Do you think the trial will bring clarity or just more controversy?

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:45 – The assassination of Shinzo Abe

02:10 – Who is Tetsuya Yamagami?

04:30 – Sympathy and the “Yamagami Girls”

06:40 – Unification Church and LDP ties

08:55 – What the trial means for Japan

10:12 – Outro

Explore more episodes of Japan Today Spotlight:

https://japantoday.com/category/japan-today-spotlight

💬 What do you think about this case and its impact on Japan? Drop your thoughts in the comments on YouTube.

📌 Subscribe on YouTube for full video episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/@JapanTodaySpotlight

Stalking cases in Japan are becoming harder to ignore. Women are being targeted, threatened and, in too many cases, killed — even after going to the police for help.

In this edition of Japan Today Spotlight, we examine why stalking cases so often end in tragedy, what reforms are being proposed and what experts say women can do to stay safe.

▶ Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Dnv7M8KS_Y

A rise in obnoxious and aggressive content creators is sparking outrage across Japan — from graveyard stunts and sushi sabotage to harassment on public trains. Japanese media now calls them “nuisance YouTubers.”

In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we dig into what’s really going on. Why are some influencers acting this way in Japan? Would they pull the same stunts in cities like London or New York? And what’s the impact on foreigners who actually live here and are trying to do things right?

🎥 Watch the full video version on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/hah65eM4iw0

Japan’s “lost generation” came of age during the employment ice age of the 1990s and early 2000s. Promised stable jobs after graduation, they instead faced hiring freezes, temporary contracts and decades of low wages.

Now in their 50s, many are still struggling with low pensions, limited savings and social isolation. The government has pledged new support through reskilling programs and pension reform, but critics question whether it’s too late.

🎥 Watch the full Spotlight episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/UYAyCwzT1F4

Bears are showing up in Japanese towns, supermarkets, even airport runways — and the number of bear attacks is now higher than anywhere else in the world. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the reasons behind the dramatic surge: climate change, depopulated rural areas, rewilded landscapes and a younger generation of fearless bears.

We also look at how Japan is responding — from hunting rules and AI patrols to safety advice for hikers — and why conservationists are urging a rethink.

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/r9Wd17Xv7sI

Japan’s missing persons: Who disappears and why

Every year, around 90,000 people are reported missing in Japan. Most are found quickly, but many vanish by choice — some turning to resignation agencies and the “fly-by-night” industry to help them disappear. This episode of Japan Today Spotlight looks at who goes missing, why, and what it reveals about Japanese society.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pr6Bh-b19O0

Japan’s justice system has a conviction rate of 99.9%. Critics say that figure isn’t proof of prosecutorial skill but the result of a system known as “hostage justice” — prolonged detention, repeated interrogations and confessions forced under pressure.

In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how hostage justice works, the cases of Carlos Ghosn and Iwao Hakamata, and whether recent reforms are changing the system.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Intro: Japan’s hostage justice exposed

01:17 The arrest: How hostage justice begins

03:03 Japan’s official defense of hostage justice

04:26 Slow reforms: Lawyers and video recording

05:38 Breaking down suspects inside detention

06:45 Iwao Hakamata: 45 years on death row

08:16 Carlos Ghosn: The daring escape

09:57 The fallout from Ghosn’s escape

11:18 Global criticism of Japan’s justice system

12:23 Outro: Guilty until proven innocent

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HZCrnIqDrLw

What do you think — is this really justice, or just a system built to secure confessions?

Younger people in Japan aren’t avoiding the news — they’re consuming it differently. In this episode, we look at how platforms like TikTok, LINE, and Instagram have replaced the front page and the evening news for many under 30. But does this shift come at the cost of trust, depth, and real journalism?

We speak with journalist and researcher Nithin Coca, whose work focuses on disinformation, platform transparency, and digital rights in Asia. He shares his insights into how new media is shaping public knowledge in Japan — and what’s at risk if credible journalism continues to lose ground.

🎧 Also featuring mentions of nonprofit newsroom Tansa, journalists Nithin Coca and Magdalena Osumi and Japan’s shrinking media industry.

🎥 Watch the video version on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/Z4PI1uliSnE

🗞️ Read more from the Japan Today media series:

• Part 1: https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/the-slow-fade-of-japan’s-once-powerful-daily-newspapers

• Part 2: https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/japan’s-media-giants-falling-behind-in-the-digital-age

• Part 3 (this episode): https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/scrolling-for-truth-news-for-the-swipe-generation

August 2025 marks 80 years since Japan surrendered in World War II, ending the Pacific War. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how Japan is commemorating the anniversary — from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki memorials to the emperor’s visits, the comfort women issue, and the controversy around Yasukuni Shrine. We also explore how Japan’s relationships with its neighbors are shaped by wartime history, and the questions that still remain about remembrance and responsibility.

📺 Watch the video with presenter Jeff Richards on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/c9DnVw573aM

💬 80 years after the Pacific War ended, how should Japan — and the world — remember that history? Let us know in the comments. 👇