ニュースアーカイブ
これまでの学習者向け記事。
- travel
Japan's Budget Rail Pass 'Seishun 18 Kippu' Kicks Off Its Summer 2026 Run
JR has released the 2026 summer edition of the Seishun 18 Kippu, a discount ticket for unlimited rides on ordinary and rapid trains nationwide. It's valid July 18 to September 8, sold as a 3-day (10,000 yen) or 5-day (12,050 yen) version that must be used on consecutive days, with the same price for adults and children. It doesn't cover the shinkansen or limited express trains, but it remains a popular, budget-friendly way for students and travelers to explore Japan by local rail this summer.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan's 2026 typhoon season: August looks like the peak — prepare now
Private weather forecasters say Japan's 2026 typhoon season will likely be busier than an average year: the number of storms should slightly exceed normal, and roughly 14 could approach Japan. August is expected to bring the highest approach risk, especially in eastern Japan, and forecasters warn that autumn storms may be strong, with a large El Nino influencing the season. Now is a good time to prepare: stock drinking water and food, secure or bring in loose items on balconies, and, if you are traveling for Obon in mid-August, check the latest track and intensity forecasts often.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Summer Koshien opens August 5: 49 school teams, a new DH rule, and a heat-reshaped schedule
Japan's summer high school baseball championship — the 108th National High School Baseball Championship, known to everyone simply as "Koshien" — runs from August 5 to 22 at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Through July, prefectural qualifying tournaments involving more than 3,300 schools are narrowing the field down to 49 representative teams, most of which are settled by the end of the month; the bracket is then drawn online before play begins. This year the tournament adds a designated hitter rule and video review, and a woman will serve as an umpire at the summer championship for the first time. Because of the extreme heat, the two-part daily schedule has been rebalanced from two morning and two afternoon games to one in the morning and three in the afternoon, and extra innings switch to a tiebreak from the 10th. For people living in Japan it is an easy national event to follow: the games are shown free on public television, and the local qualifying finals happening right now are close enough to watch in person.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan adds 'kokushobi': a new weather word for 40°C days
Japan's Meteorological Agency has added a new forecast term, 'kokushobi' (酷暑日), for days when the day's highest temperature reaches 40°C or above. It joins the existing scale of natsubi (25°C+), manatsubi (30°C+) and moshobi (35°C+), which previously had no name for 40-degree days. The agency chose the word in April from a public vote of about 478,000 responses, and forecasters are using it from this summer. The change comes as 40°C days grow more common: Kuwana in Mie Prefecture hit a record 40.6°C on July 22. On a kokushobi day, avoid long spells outdoors, drink water and take salt regularly, and use air conditioning.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Shochu-mimai: Japan's summer greeting cards and when to send them
Shochu-mimai are Japanese summer greeting cards sent during the hottest weeks to ask after someone's health. By custom they should reach the recipient between around July 7 (the solar term Shosho) and the day before Risshu, the first day of autumn — August 7 in 2026. What counts is the arrival date, not the postmark: anything arriving on or after August 7 should instead be sent as a zansho-mimai (late-summer greeting), which runs through the end of August. For foreign residents in Japan, a short card to a teacher, host family, or colleague is a simple, well-received gesture.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Mosquitoes emerge early in Japan — experts warn of a possible summer outbreak
Experts in Japan are warning that mosquitoes have emerged earlier than usual this summer, raising the risk of a large outbreak. A warm May and repeated light rain — without heavy downpours to wash larvae away — left standing water where mosquitoes could breed, so numbers may climb sharply in the coming weeks. Because mosquitoes can carry diseases such as dengue fever, residents are advised to use insect repellent, cover exposed skin, and remove standing water around their homes.
N5N4N3N2N1 - government
Japan plans to tie permanent residency to a new Japanese language and daily-life program
The Immigration Services Agency says it plans to make a new "Japanese Language and Lifestyle Learning Program" (working title) a requirement when it reviews applications for permanent residency and for very long stays in Japan. Alongside Japanese study, the program is expected to cover practical everyday knowledge such as sorting rubbish, local community manners, disaster preparedness and city-hall procedures, with online study possible before and after arriving in Japan. A JLPT N2-level target has been floated but nothing is fixed yet. The government will set up an expert panel this summer, draft the rules and a system for tracking completion in fiscal 2027, and aim for a trial run in fiscal 2028. Nothing changes for current applicants today, but anyone thinking about permanent residency in Japan should keep studying Japanese and watch for the official rules.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Beat the heat for free: Japan's 'cooling shelters' now cover 1,400+ cities
As Japan endures record summer heat, more than 1,400 municipalities have designated "cooling shelters" (shitei shonetsu hinan shisetsu) — air-conditioned public spaces such as libraries, community centers and shopping facilities where anyone can rest for free. Under the revised Climate Change Adaptation Act, these shelters open to residents when a Heatstroke Special Alert is issued. Opening hours and locations vary by city, so check what your own local government offers and know where your nearest shelter is before the heat turns dangerous.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Summer vacation begins: radio calisthenics in the park
As schools across Japan start their summer vacation in mid-to-late July, many neighborhoods hold early-morning "radio taiso" (radio calisthenics) in local parks and open spaces. Around 6:30 a.m., children and adults gather to do about ten minutes of light exercise to music broadcast on NHK radio, and children collect a stamp on a card for each session they attend. First aired in 1928, radio taiso is a long-standing summer tradition that encourages early rising, healthy routines, and neighborly exchange. If you live in Japan, look for a notice in your local park in the morning — anyone can usually join for free.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Tokyo's Sumida River Fireworks Return July 25 — and Every Seat Is Already Gone
Tokyo's Sumida River Fireworks Festival, now in its 49th edition, is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 7 p.m. along the river in Sumida and Taito wards. Two launch sites — one downstream of Sakurabashi bridge, one downstream of Komagatabashi bridge — will send up roughly 20,000 shells. Organisers stress that the only seated viewing is the paid 'citizen sponsorship' seating, and sales for that closed in early July, so everyone else watches standing. Around 930,000 people attended last year, which means wide road closures, packed stations and long waits to get home. Practical advice: take the train rather than a car, arrive early, carry water in the summer heat, and check the official site before you leave — the show can be called off in bad weather.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Obon travel: every Nozomi shinkansen is reserved-seats-only from Aug 7-16
During the Obon holiday travel rush, JR Central and JR West will run every Nozomi train on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen as reserved-seats-only from August 7 to 16, 2026. There are no non-reserved cars during this period, so a passenger without a seat reservation can only stand in the deck area, and even that is not guaranteed on the busiest days. Reserved seats can be booked from 10 a.m. one month before your travel date, and popular sections sell out quickly. If you plan to take the shinkansen around Obon, book your seat as early as you can.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Summer is peak season for food poisoning — Japan's home-kitchen rules
Summer's heat and humidity make it the peak season for bacterial food poisoning in Japan, and government data shows cases cluster from June to August. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promotes a simple home-kitchen framework built on three principles: don't let bacteria attach, don't let them multiply, and kill them. In practice that means washing your hands and utensils and keeping raw meat and fish separate; refrigerating food promptly (fridge below 10°C, freezer below −15°C) and buying chilled items last; and heating food thoroughly to a center temperature of about 75°C for at least one minute. Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers, reheat them well, and when something seems off, throw it out without tasting. August is Japan's Food Sanitation Month, so the reminder is especially timely.
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