BriefPulse Japan https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/ A useful daily read on life, travel, and change in Japan. en 2026-09-15T10:19:50+00:00 Japan loses contact with a Global Hawk drone off Tottori as a search gets under way https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-loses-contact-global-hawk-drone https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-loses-contact-global-hawk-drone 2026-09-15T09:29:49+00:00 BriefPulse Japan The Air Self-Defense Force says it lost contact with one of its Global Hawk reconnaissance drones operating off Tottori Prefecture, and a search is under way. The available report is short and leaves the cause, the drone's fate and any effect on civilian activity unstated. Japan weighs defense spending at 3.5% of GDP after U.S. pressure https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-weighs-defense-spending-gdp-pressure https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-weighs-defense-spending-gdp-pressure 2026-09-15T08:14:24+00:00 BriefPulse Japan Japanese defense officials have signaled a willingness to sharply increase defense spending in meetings with their U.S. counterparts, and a figure worth 3.5% of GDP is now under consideration. The reporting does not say over what period that would be reached, or how it would be funded. Japan's cities are losing gardens as building lots are subdivided https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-rooftop-gardens https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-rooftop-gardens 2026-09-14T23:49:08+00:00 BriefPulse Japan An architecture symposium in Japan looked at gardens lost as cities densify and asked whether greener rooftops could take their place. The evidence is a summary of that discussion rather than a policy or a plan, so treat the rooftop idea as an open question. Gold bar scams in Japan: losses hit ¥8.13 billion in first half of 2026 https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/gold-bar-scams-japan https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/gold-bar-scams-japan 2026-09-14T17:33:56+00:00 BriefPulse Japan Gold bars are increasingly used in scams in Japan, with losses of ¥8.13 billion in the first half of 2026 already exceeding the ¥6.02 billion lost in all of last year. The source provides figures but few details on how the scams operate. Free car lending for disaster victims in Japan struggles to meet demand https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-disaster-car-lending https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-disaster-car-lending 2026-09-14T04:21:09+00:00 BriefPulse Japan A Japanese nonprofit that lends cars free of charge to disaster victims says it is struggling to meet demand as disasters hit the country at an unprecedented pace. The source offers limited detail on the scale of the shortfall. Okinawa drone users face wider no-fly zones as law revision covers entire towns https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/okinawa-drone-no-fly-zones https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/okinawa-drone-no-fly-zones 2026-09-14T04:17:02+00:00 BriefPulse Japan A July 14 revision to Japan's drone law expanded no-fly zones to protect critical facilities, and in Okinawa, where U.S. military bases are concentrated, some zones now cover entire towns. The available report is limited in detail, but it notes more than 10 confirmed cases of purportedly illegal flights and local business concern. Disaster surveys rank toilet access as a top concern in Japan https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-disaster-toilet-access https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-disaster-toilet-access 2026-09-13T22:14:47+00:00 BriefPulse Japan Japan faces earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons and torrential rains, and surveys show toilet access is a central worry for residents when disaster strikes, alongside food, water and shelter. Chubu Electric chiefs to resign over falsified earthquake-risk data, NHK reports https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/chubu-electric-resignations https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/chubu-electric-resignations 2026-09-13T10:20:53+00:00 BriefPulse Japan NHK reports that Chubu Electric executives are to resign after allegations that falsified earthquake-risk data was provided to Japan's nuclear regulator during safety reviews. Japan's strict drug laws extend to common prescription medicines https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-strict-drug-laws https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/japan-strict-drug-laws 2026-09-13T00:20:39+00:00 BriefPulse Japan Two American women are reported to have attempted to smuggle cannabis worth about US$1 million into Tokyo. The case points to a rule that matters for any traveller: Japan enforces strict drug laws that also restrict some common prescription medicines brought from overseas. Shizuoka Weighs Registration or Rescue Fees for Off-Season Mt. Fuji Climbers https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/mt-fuji-off-season-climber-rules https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/mt-fuji-off-season-climber-rules 2026-09-13T00:20:17+00:00 BriefPulse Japan With this year's Mt. Fuji climbing season over, forestry officials in Shizuoka are preparing to consider whether off-season climbers should register with the government or pay for their own rescues. Bank of Japan set to raise policy rate to 1.25%, a level last seen in April 1995 https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/boj-policy-rate-hike https://news.briefpulse.com/publications/japan/stories/boj-policy-rate-hike 2026-09-12T08:44:53+00:00 BriefPulse Japan The Bank of Japan is set to raise its policy interest rate to 1.25% next week, The Japan Times reports. The rate last stood at that level in April 1995.