For our latest List of 7, we’re looking back at the biggest news stories in Japan in 2025.
Japan Experiences Record Number of Bear Sightings and Attacks
It’s been an unbearable year for many in Japan, with the country experiencing an unprecedented surge in bear sightings and attacks. While the carnivoran mammals typically hibernate from roughly December to April, record numbers remained active into the colder months due to food shortages in the mountains. According to the Ministry of the Environment, there were more than 3,700 sightings of Asian black bears between January and May of this year. That, though, was just the beginning. From April to October, there were a record 36,814 sightings. In the eight months through November, 13 people died and 217 were left injured following bear attacks.
They have been spotted in schools, supermarkets, city parks and residential areas. Poor harvests of natural foods, such as acorns, have forced bears into towns. There is also a shortage of hunters due to inherent dangers, poor wages and an aging population. In September, the revised Wildlife Protection, Control and Hunting Management Act went into effect, allowing for the “emergency shootings” of bears and other potentially dangerous animals in populated areas under certain conditions. The character for kuma, the Japanese word for bear, was voted as the 2025 Kanji of the Year in December.
The Downfall of SMAP Star Masahiro Nakai
The biggest celebrity scandal this year involved Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the pop group SMAP. In January, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry after the weekly magazine Josei Seven published a story about him getting into “serious trouble” with a woman, later confirmed to be a Fuji TV announcer. Nakai thought the matter had been dealt with when he apologized for the “inconvenience” he caused. However, after more than 50 sponsors pulled their ads from Fuji TV, the station’s then-president, Koichi Minato, confirmed that a third-party committee would be investigating the matter.
On March 31, the committee concluded that Nakai had sexually assaulted the woman. According to the nearly 300-page report, she believed other people would be present when she agreed to meet him for dinner. Details about what happened have not been disclosed, though it was reported that the announcer was hospitalized for two months and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. While she was in hospital, Nakai allegedly asked a Fuji TV employee to pay her ¥1 million in compensation. She refused. Akira Takeuchi, who headed the panel, said there was a “persistent culture of sexual harassment at Fuji TV.”
Image Osaka Expo 2025, edits TW (Victoria Bennett)
Osaka Expo Attracts More Than 25 Million Visitors
On April 13, the 2025 World Expo kicked off in Osaka, attracting just under 120,000 visitors on a rainy first day. People lined up for hours to enter the site that was showcasing futuristic exhibits from more than 160 countries, regions and organizations, including high-tech robots, dragon meat, flying cars and a huge Martian meteorite. Prior to the opening, there were concerns regarding preparation delays, high construction costs and lagging ticket sales. The event was also struggling to generate excitement among locals. Eventually, though, the tide started to turn.
Thanks to positive word of mouth, ticket sales gradually started to pick up. The total number of general visitors to the site on the artificial island of Yumeshima reached 25.57 million. While that is short of the organizers’ original target of 28 million, in August, the event surpassed the break-even point of ¥116 billion for operating expenses. It also generated billions of yen in economic effects, including job creation and tourism. The weird-looking but cute mascot, Myaku-Myaku, proved particularly popular, with some fans hoping it becomes Osaka’s permanent city mascot.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief negotiator, pictured with Donald Trump
US and Japan Agree to Trade Deal
An even bigger story than the opening of the Expo in April in Japan was Donald Trump’s tariffs. On what he described as “Liberation Day,” the US president announced sweeping tariffs for more than 90 countries around the world, including a 24% levy on imports from Japan, in addition to 25% tariffs on all vehicles. However, following a global market crash, the White House suspended the increases to allow time for negotiation. Then-Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who described the taxes as “extremely unfortunate,” prepared a team, led by Ryosei Akazawa, to fly to the United States.
In July, Trump revealed that a new trade agreement had been reached between Japan and the United States, with the figure dropping from 25% to 15%. The US president called it a “massive” win for both countries. Ishiba also welcomed the deal, saying it was the “lowest figure to date among countries with a surplus with the US.” According to Trump, Japan promised to invest $550 billion into the United States by the end of Trump’s second term. US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Akazawa signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on September 4.
Sanae Takaichi standing with outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (right) at an LDP Committee Presentation in December 2024 | Image: Wikimedia
Takaichi Replaces Ishiba as Japan’s Prime Minister
With the tariff negotiations complete, Ishiba announced that he was resigning as prime minister in September. His resignation came after two disastrous election results. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition party, Komeito, lost their majority in the lower house vote in October 2024. They then met with the same fate in the upper house election in July 2025. Notable gains in the election came for populist opposition parties like the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) and Sanseito. Under the banner of “Japanese First,” the latter warned against a “silent invasion” of foreigners.
How to deal with foreigners in Japan was then one of the key issues during the LDP presidential election, which saw five candidates bidding to replace Ishiba as the party’s leader. In the end, Sanae Takaichi triumphed, defeating Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a runoff vote. She was sworn in as PM on October 21 after Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) agreed to form a coalition with the LDP. Takaichi is the nation’s first female prime minister, though is not known for progressive views on women’s equality.
Tensions Between Japan and China Escalate
Two weeks after being sworn in as prime minister, Takaichi told legislators that if China ever uses force against Taiwan, the move would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. She added, “The situation regarding Taiwan has become serious. We must assume the worst-case scenario.” Following Takaichi’s remarks, Xue Jian, China’s consul general in Osaka, allegedly wrote on X, “We have no choice but to cut off that dirty neck that has lunged at us without a moment’s hesitation. Are you ready?” The Japanese government lodged a strong protest, and the post was deleted.
China’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to refrain from visiting Japan, while the nation’s Ministry of Education issued an official warning advising Chinese nationals to “cautiously consider” whether they should study in this country. Several Japan-related concerts and cultural events were also canceled in China, including shows by high-profile artists such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Hiromi Uehara and the pop rock duo Yuzu. Maki Otsuki was just coming to the end of her One Piece track “Memories” in Shanghai at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 when the music suddenly cut and the stage lights dropped, ending the show.
Aonishiki’s Rapid Rise
In November, Danylo Yavhusishyn became the first Ukrainian and fourth European to win a top-division title in sumo. The 21-year-old, who goes by the ring name of Aonishiki, was promoted to the second-highest rank of ozeki following his triumph at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. He only moved to Japan in 2022 after his home country was invaded by Russia. Just over three years on, his aim now is to become the 76th yokozuna. Mongolian Hoshoryu became the 74th in January, followed by Japanese star Onosato five months later. The latter reached the exalted rank in record time.
In other sports news, Shohei Ohtani enjoyed another memorable year for the Los Angeles Dodgers as he returned to the mound. The two-way superstar won his fourth MVP award as the Dodgers retained the World Series title, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3. However, it was his Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto who was named the World Series MVP following a pitching masterclass in Games 2, 6 and 7. The third Japanese player on the Dodgers roster was relief pitcher Roki Sasaki. On the domestic front, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeated the Hanshin Tigers 4-1 to win the Japan Series.
More From This Series
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- Legendary Figures From Osaka
