In this week’s news roundup, we report on Lawson’s new ¥297 bento and what they say about changing consumer habits in Japan. Sanae Takaichi reshuffles her Cabinet. Japan moves up one place to 117th in the annual Global Gender Gap Report. Three companies are teaming up to introduce fully driverless robotaxis in Tokyo by 2027. Italy’s water polo team, Pro Recco, makes a splash at Shibuya’s famous crossing. And we pay our respects to Yuri Nakamura and Hana Kuraki.

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Lawson Introduces New ¥297 Bento With Only One Topping

Lawson announced this week that it will begin selling ¥297 bentos featuring rice and just one main topping. Options include grilled corn, salted salmon and spicy keema curry. The stripped-back meals are part of the convenience store chain’s response to increasingly cost-conscious consumers, with Lawson saying the pared-down approach allows it to cut prices by up to 50%. In a country where food prices have risen sharply in recent years, could this be a sign of the times?

There’s some evidence to support the idea. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ July household expenditure survey, real consumption expenditure among households of two or more people fell year on year for the eighth consecutive month, while food spending declined 1.3%. Lawson, however, is seeing another side: strong sales of higher-priced alcohol and sweets, which it calls “reward consumption.” The new range reflects both trends, from a ¥297 salted-salmon bento to a ¥797 seafood pescatore.

Takaichi Replaces Hayashi in First Cabinet Reshuffle 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reshuffled her Cabinet for the first time on Thursday, ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session starting in October. She retained almost all of her key ministers and rivals from the 2025 LDP leadership race. The major exception was Yoshimasa Hayashi, whom she replaced with Hisayaki Fujii as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Hayashi represented the LDP’s liberal wing, contrasting with Takaichi’s staunchly conservative politics and policy approach.

Commenting on his departure, Hayashi said he felt “a twinge of sadness” after working with the other Cabinet ministers for nearly a year. He added that he had worked with a strong desire to understand local circumstances and listen to various voices while advancing policies. Hayashi is widely viewed as a potential successor to Takaichi. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, both rivals in last year’s leadership election, were retained in their posts.

Image by Victoria Bennett

Japan Rises One Place in Global Gender Gap Rankings

On Wednesday, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its annual Global Gender Gap Report. Japan ranked 117th out of 145 nations, up just one place from 2025. The Gender Gap Index measures gender equality in four areas: politics, the economy, education and health. In educational attainment and health and survival, Japan remained unchanged from the previous year, scoring 0.994 and 0.973, respectively. A score of 1 indicates full gender parity.

In the political empowerment category, Japan’s score improved by 0.02 to 0.105. It reflects the proportion of women in parliament and ministerial positions. In economic participation and opportunity, the nation’s score fell to 0.609 from 0.613. Iceland topped the list for the 17th consecutive year, ahead of Finland and Norway. Namibia and the United Kingdom completed the top five. At the other end of the table, Chad finished at the bottom, behind Iran and Pakistan.

Japanese Entertainment World Mourns Yuri Nakamura and Hana Kuraki

Japanese-Korean actress Yuri Nakamura has died at 44 after battling rectal cancer, her agency announced Monday. Nakamura had previously battled cancer 13 years ago but kept her diagnosis private before returning to acting after entering remission. The cancer was detected again in January 2025, and although surgery was successful, metastasis was later discovered. Two months ago, she developed an intestinal obstruction and withdrew from the NHK drama Dangerous. She was best known internationally for Netflix’s Romantics Anonymous.

Meanwhile, popular JAV actress Hana Kuraki was found dead in an apartment in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district on Saturday night. She was 25. Her agency confirmed her death Monday, expressing heartbreak over how deeply she had suffered and anger regarding what it called a “series of actions.” The agency declined to provide further details, citing respect for her family. Host-club owner and BreakingDown fighter Sakito said Kuraki had previously discussed relationship problems involving host and former idol Shota Taira.

Interior of a Waymo driverless Jaguar “I-PACE” vehicle. Planned for Tokyo, they currently operate in 15 US cities | Image: Shutterstock

Tokyo Could See Fully Driverless Robotaxis by 2027

Tokyo could soon see robotaxis operating on its streets. Go, Waymo and Nihon Kotsu have agreed to work together to commercialize fully driverless Level 4 taxis in the capital, targeting a launch next year. If successful, the project would make Japan’s capital one of the world’s largest cities to introduce autonomous taxis at a commercial scale. It could also provide a potential new solution to the city’s worsening shortage of taxi drivers.

The three companies have been conducting public-road tests in seven wards of Tokyo since 2025, adapting Waymo’s autonomous driving technology while preparing for commercial operations. Currently, autonomous driving tests with Nihon Kotsu drivers on board are progressing smoothly. Building on this progress, they have agreed to move into a new phase. With safety as their top priority, the three companies aim to gradually deploy around 100 robotaxis in Tokyo by 2027.

Image via Instagram / @prorecco

Italian Water Polo Team Pro Recco Make a Splash at Shibuya Crossing

On Tuesday, amid the crowds at Shibuya Crossing, a handful of figures stood out, dressed for the pool rather than the pavement. They were the players of Italian water-polo powerhouse Pro Recco, who crossed the famous Tokyo intersection barefoot in their competition swimsuits and caps. The stunt was part of the club’s promotional tour of Japan and China, during which Pro Recco also showcased their sporting credentials, including a 16–11 victory over Japan’s national team.

The most successful club in men’s water polo, Pro Recco boast a record 57 domestic trophies, including 38 Serie A1 titles and 19 Coppa Italia wins. Their dominance extends to Europe, where they have collected 21 trophies, including a record 11 European Aquatics Champions League titles and nine European Aquatics Super Cups. For a club with that kind of pedigree, seeing their players strolling barefoot through one of Tokyo’s busiest intersections was certainly an unusual sight.

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Updated On September 24, 2026