In this week’s news roundup, Japan’s birth rate for 2025 falls to a record low for the 10 straight year. Sanae Takaichi defends her decision to gift catalogs to members of the LDP. The Supreme Court of Japan grants a posthumous retrial for a 1984 murder case. Twenty people are trapped for nearly six hours in a Tokyo Skytree elevator. Luna Sea drummer Shinya passes away at 56. Punch the baby monkey continues to go viral online. Yokohama is once again named the best place to live in the Greater Tokyo area. And Japan’s Winter Olympians return home with a record medal haul.
Japan’s Birth Rate Falls to Record Low for 10th Straight Year
According to a summary released by the Health Ministry on Thursday, the birth rate in Japan fell to 705,809 in 2025, the lowest figure since records began in 1899. A 2.1% drop from 2024, it marked the 10th consecutive year the total has hit a new low. The figure includes foreign nationals living in Japan and Japanese citizens born abroad.
One positive sign amid the country’s continuing birthrate decline is a modest rise in marriages. In 2025, 505,656 couples tied the knot, a 1.1% increase from the previous year. It was the second straight year of growth. While the uptick remains relatively small, it suggests some stabilization after years of pandemic-era disruption that saw wedding numbers fall sharply across the country.
Image: Wikimedia
Takaichi Defends Gift Catalog Distribution
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi revealed via her X account on Tuesday that she distributed gift catalogs to members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) following this month’s landslide Lower House election win. They were sent to 315 lawmakers, who could all choose a congratulatory present worth about ¥30,000. On Wednesday, Masayo Tanabu of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan questioned her about the tweet.
Tanabu noted that former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba apologized after being criticized for presenting gift coupons worth ¥100,000 to 15 people last year. Takaichi, however, defended her actions, stating that the gifts were lawful gestures of appreciation covered by political funds from her party branch rather than taxpayer money. Opposition parties criticized Takaichi, with one politician saying that it “reflects the old culture of the LDP.”
Japan’s Supreme Court Building
Supreme Court Sets Posthumous Retrial for 1984 Murder Case
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Japan granted a posthumous retrial for a man convicted of robbing and murdering a 69-year-old woman. Hiromu Sakahara was accused of killing liquor store manager Hatsu Ikemoto in December 1984. Her body was found in a nearby grassy field the following month. Sakahara, a regular at Ikemoto’s shop, was brought in for questioning three years later.
“I endured being hit and kicked by the police, but when they threatened me by saying, ‘We’ll go after your daughter’s in-laws and ruin them,’ I finally said ‘I did it,'” Sakahara reportedly told his family. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Otsu District Court in 1995. The Supreme Court finalized the verdict five years later. Sakahara died in 2011 at the age of 75, still maintaining his innocence.
20 Trapped for Nearly Six Hours After Tokyo Skytree Elevator Fails
Tokyo Skytree was temporarily closed for safety inspections from Monday through Wednesday after an elevator malfunction left 20 people stranded. According to the tower’s operator, Tobu Tower Skytree Co., the elevator — named Winter — suddenly stopped at around 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, approximately 30 meters above street level. The 20 passengers inside, including two children, were trapped for nearly six hours before being safely rescued.
No serious injuries were reported. An unoccupied elevator called Autumn also stopped. During the rescue operation, emergency crews aligned the Autumn elevator with the Winter unit. The emergency side doors of both were then opened, and a stainless steel panel was placed between them, creating a temporary bridge. Passengers were guided across one by one. All 20 people were freed at around 2 a.m.
© Shinya Yamada
Luna Sea Drummer Shinya Passes Away at 56
On Monday, the rock band Luna Sea announced the death of the group’s drummer, Shinya Yamada, better known by his mononymous stage name, Shinya. He was 56. The Kanagawa Prefecture native was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer in 2020, but continued to perform with the band. He was forced to stop last year after it was revealed that he had developed a brain tumor.
“Until the very end, Shinya remained committed to his rehabilitation, driven by his will to play the drums at our performance in March,” read a statement by Luna Sea on the band’s website. “His sudden departure has left a void that words cannot fill. Shinya believed more strongly than anyone that ‘the five of us would return to the stage once more.’”
Yokohama Named Best Place To Live in Greater Tokyo Area for 9th Consecutive Year
Yokohama has once again been named the most desirable place to live in the Greater Tokyo area, a position it has held for nine years running. The port city’s blend of scenic waterfronts, family-friendly neighborhoods and convenient access to the center of the capital keeps it high on residents’ wish lists, according to Recruit’s 2026 survey, now in its 17th edition.
Mirroring last year’s results, Omiya in Saitama Prefecture and Kichijoji came in second and third, respectively, while Ebisu and central Tokyo rounded out the top five. The only change in this year’s top 10 was a swap between Shinjuku and Shinagawa, which exchanged positions but remained within the top tier of desirable locations. Other areas in the top 10 were Ikebukuro, Meguro and Shibuya.
Housed in the concrete “Monkey Mountain” enclosure at Ichikawa City Zoo, baby monkey Punch continues to go viral | Image via @zoo-at-home Youtube
PETA Urges Public To Stop Sharing Punch the Monkey Videos
Punch, the viral baby monkey abandoned by his mother, continues to make headlines around the world. The young Japanese macaque, often seen clinging to a stuffed orangutan toy, has captivated audiences online. Videos of him returning to his plushie after other monkeys push him away or aggressively drag him around are being shared extensively on social media.
However, PETA, the world’s largest animal rights organization, is urging people to stop sharing such footage. “There’s nothing heartwarming about a baby growing up behind bars,” said PETA Asia President Jason Baker earlier this week. “Zoos are not sanctuaries — they are places where animals are confined, deprived of autonomy, and denied the complex environments and social lives they would have in the wild.”
Miura and Kihara Awarded ¥20 Million Each by Sponsor
The Japanese team returned from the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Tuesday after winning a record 24 medals over the 17-day event, including five golds. Snowboarding was the standout discipline, with Kimura Kira, Kokomo Murase, Yuto Totsuka and Mari Fukada claiming four of the five golds. The other top spot went to Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who triumphed in pairs figure skating.
“We won by delivering our performance in the free program, and I learned the importance of not giving up in any situation at the Games,” Miura said at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo on Wednesday. The next day, the duo, known as RikuRyu, met with corporate sponsors Kinoshita Group, who presented each with ¥20 million in recognition of their triumph in Italy.
