On May 4, 2025, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released population estimates that sounded a quiet but dire alarm for the nation’s future.
In March 2023, a Hong Kong student at a Japanese university was arrested for allegedly inciting secession, based on Article 20 and 21 of the Hong Kong national security law, sending shockwaves across Japan and the international community.
On October 13, 2025, the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay was filled with the excitement and emotion of people reluctant to see the six-month festival end. On the final day of the Osaka–Kansai Expo, the venue was packed with visitors eager to etch one last memory before closing.