Overview
- NARITA International Airport Company will tell the transport ministry it plans to start Land Expropriation Act procedures for runway land, a shift that signals delays to the previously targeted March 2029 opening and a tougher stance after stalled talks with holdout owners.
- Under Japan’s Land Expropriation Act, authorities can take land for public works such as airports only after an application proves clear public benefit, so officials must first secure that project recognition before any compulsory purchase can proceed.
- JAMSTEC canceled two ocean research voyages scheduled in April because it cannot reliably secure fuel due to Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting ship time for science teams and putting later cruises under review.
- JR Hokkaido, which unveiled its fiscal 2026 plan Wednesday, projected a record 82.5 billion yen in rail revenue but still forecast a 57.9 billion yen operating loss as it moves all express trains to reserved seating with flexible pricing and accelerates talks on low‑use rural lines.
- The Supreme Court’s First Petty Bench dismissed the appeal of Honda Michio, making final a 30‑year prison term for repeated sexual violence against six employees, a ruling that closes a long-running case and affirms lower court findings of coercion by a boss using his position.