Overview
- Police in Fussa, western Tokyo, are negotiating with a man who barricaded himself at home after striking a male victim with a hammer-like object and spraying multiple responding officers with tear gas, leaving them injured.
- Government sources say an idea has surfaced to branch an existing expressway toward the Henoko area and Camp Schwab in Okinawa to ease traffic as part of conditions for returning Futenma airbase, though no construction plan exists and local consent and coordination with highway operators remain major hurdles.
- The government held a Showa centennial ceremony at Nippon Budokan with the Emperor and Empress in attendance, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi cited population decline, rising prices, and a more complex security environment in her remarks.
- The Social Democratic Party approved Mizuho Fukushima for another term as party leader, and she pledged to protect Japan’s constitution and revamp party outreach as attendees voiced sharp criticism of the leadership.
- Institutions signaled social shifts, with Sakura Gakuen University planning a four‑year Global Beauty major focused on Korean beauty in 2028 after a 2027 course launch, Onojo City hiring Olympic fencer Shihomi Fukushima for school visits and sports promotion, and moguls skier Hinako Tomitaka confirming retirement in a press conference.