Japan’s biggest news stories of 2025

In our latest Top 7 list, we look back at Japan’s biggest news stories of 2025.

Japan sees record number of bear sightings, attacks

It’s been an unbearable year for many Japanese, with the country seeing an unprecedented surge in bear sightings and attacks. Although the carnivorous mammals typically hibernate between approximately December and April, populations remain active during the colder months due to food shortages in the mountains. According to the Ministry of Environment, there were more than 3,700 sightings of Asiatic black bears between January and May this year. However, this is just the beginning. From April to October, there were a record 36,814 sightings. In the eight months to November, 13 people were killed and 217 injured by bear attacks.

They are found in schools, supermarkets, city parks and residential areas. Poor harvests of natural foods such as acorns force bears into towns. There is also a shortage of hunters due to inherent dangers, low wages and an aging population. In September, the revised Wildlife Protection, Control and Hunting Management Law came into effect, allowing the “emergency shooting” of bears and other potentially dangerous animals in densely populated areas under certain conditions. The characters are Same for youThe Japanese word for “bear” was chosen as the 2025 Kanji of the Year in December.

The downfall of SMAP star Masahiro Nakai

The biggest celebrity scandal of the year involves Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the pop band SMAP. In January, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry following Weekly Magazine. Seven City Saints published a story about him getting into “serious trouble” with a woman, who was later revealed to be a Fuji TV announcer. Nakai thought the matter had been resolved when he apologized for the “inconvenience” he had caused. However, after more than 50 sponsors withdrew their advertising from Fuji TV, the station’s then-president Koichi Minato confirmed that a third-party committee would investigate the matter.

On March 31, the committee concluded that Nakai sexually assaulted the woman. She believed someone else was present when she agreed to have dinner with him, according to the nearly 300-page report. Details of the incident have yet to be revealed, although reports claim the broadcaster was hospitalized for two months and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Nakai allegedly asked a Fuji TV employee to pay her 1 million yen in compensation while she was hospitalized. She refused. “There is an ongoing culture of sexual harassment at Fuji TV,” said Akira Takeuchi, the group’s leader.

Photo Expo 2025 Osaka, edited by TW (Victoria Bennett)

Expo Osaka attracts more than 25 million visitors

On April 13, the 2025 World Expo opened in Osaka. The first day was rainy and attracted nearly 120,000 visitors. People queued for hours to enter the site, which showcased futuristic exhibits from more than 160 countries, regions and organizations, including high-tech robots, dragon meat, flying cars and giant Martian meteorites. Ahead of the opening, there were concerns about delays in preparations, high construction costs and lagging ticket sales. The event also struggled to generate excitement among locals. Eventually, however, the tide began to turn.

Thanks to good word-of-mouth, ticket sales gradually began to pick up. The total number of ordinary tourists to the Mengdo artificial island reached 25.57 million. While this was lower than the organizers’ initial target of 28 million yen, in August, the event’s operating expenses exceeded the break-even point of 116 billion yen. It also generates billions of yen in economic effects, including job creation and tourism. The weird-looking but adorable mascot Myaku-Myaku is so popular that some fans want it to become Osaka’s permanent city mascot.

Japan’s chief negotiator Yoshihide Akazawa poses with Donald Trump

The United States and Japan agree to a trade deal

A more important story than the opening of the Japan Expo in April is Donald Trump’s tariffs. On what he called “Liberation Day,” the U.S. president announced sweeping tariffs on more than 90 countries around the world, including a 24% tariff on imports from Japan, in addition to a 25% tariff on all vehicles. However, after global markets collapsed, the White House paused the price increase to allow time for negotiations. Then-Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called the taxes “extremely unfortunate” and prepared a team led by Akazawa Yoshihide to fly to the United States.

In July, when Trump revealed that Japan had reached a new trade agreement with the United States, this number dropped from 25% to 15%. The US president called it a “huge” victory for both countries. Ishiba also welcomed the deal, saying it was “by far the lowest figure among countries with a surplus with the United States.” Trump said Japan promised to invest $550 billion in the United States before the end of Trump’s second term. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Akasawa signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on September 4.

Highland Saae stands with outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (right) during an LDP committee speech in December 2024 | Image: Wikimedia

Takaichi succeeds Shigeru Ishiba as Prime Minister of Japan

After the tariff negotiations were completed, Ishiba announced his resignation as prime minister in September. He resigned after two disastrous election results. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition party Komeito lost their majority in the October 2024 lower house election. Later, they suffered the same fate in the Senate elections in July 2025. Populist opposition parties such as the National Democratic Party (DPFP) and the Three Provinces Party have made significant electoral gains. The latter, under the banner of “Japan First”, warned foreigners against “silent invasion.”

How to deal with foreigners in Japan was one of the key issues in the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election at the time, with five candidates vying to replace Ishiba as the party leader. In the end, Sanae Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in the runoff and won. She was sworn in as prime minister on October 21 after Japan’s Restoration agreed to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister, but she is not known for her progressive views on women’s equality.

Tensions rise between Japan and China

Two weeks after being sworn in as prime minister, Takaichi told lawmakers that the move would pose an “existential threat to Japan” if China used force against Taiwan. She added, “The situation in Taiwan has become serious. We must prepare for the worst.” After Gao Yi made the above remarks, Xue Jian, the Chinese Consul General in Osaka, allegedly wrote on X: “We have no choice but to cut off the dirty neck that jumped at us without hesitation. Are you ready?” The Japanese government strongly protested and the post has been deleted.

China’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, while China’s Ministry of Education issued an official warning advising Chinese citizens to “carefully consider” whether they should study in Japan. Several Japan-related concerts and cultural events in China have also been canceled, including performances by well-known artists such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Hiromi Uehara and pop rock group Yuzu. Otsuki Maki is about to end her life one piece When the 2025 Bandai Namco Music Festival was held in Shanghai, the performance ended when the music suddenly stopped and the stage lights went out.

The rapid rise of Qingjin

In November, Danylo Yavhusishyn became the first Ukrainian and fourth European to win the sumo top division. The 21-year-old, whose ring name is Aoi Nishiki, was promoted to the second-highest level in ozeki after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Championship. He only moved to Japan in 2022 after his homeland was invaded by Russia. More than three years later, he now aims to become the 76th yokozuna. Mongolia’s Hoshoryu ranked 74th in January, followed five months later by Japanese star Onosato. The latter reached lofty status in record time.

In other sports news, Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound to cap off another forgettable year for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-way superstar won his fourth MVP award, leading the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays to retain their World Series title. However, his Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto performed well in Games 2, 6, and 7 and was ultimately named the World Series MVP. The third Japanese player on the Dodgers roster is relief pitcher Riki Sasaki. Domestically, the Fukuoka SoftBank Eagles defeated the Hanshin Tigers 4-1 to win the Japan Series Championship.

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