On December 17, 2025, Japan’s tourism industry reached an unprecedented historical turning point. According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Japan Tourism Agency, the estimated cumulative number of inbound foreign visitors from January to November 2025 reached 39,065,600, surpassing the previous all-time annual record set in 2024 (36.87 million) with more than a month still remaining.
A critical announcement determining the fate of “independence” and “commercialization” in Japan’s private space development has been made. Space One Co., Ltd., a space startup headquartered in Tokyo, officially announced on December 15, 2025, that it will launch the third vehicle of its small solid-fuel rocket, KAIROS, on February 25, 2026.