Cool Biz campaign begins across Japan

The Japanese government has announced a draft strategy to promote the manufacture of cars that are heavily controlled by software rather than hardware. These are known as so-called "software-defined vehicles", or SDVs. (NHK)

A survey of major Japanese firms showed they offered their highest monthly wage increases in 32 years at over 5 percent in the spring wage negotiations, as many sought to respond to elevated prices while trying to avoid brain drains, the country's biggest business lobby said Monday. (Kyodo)

Japan's Economic Minister Yasutoshi Saito visited Hokkaido on Sunday to inspect the construction site of Rapidus's factory, which aims to mass-produce next-generation semiconductors.

The Umeda area in Osaka is seeing a surge in high-rise apartment construction, including a 49-story residential skyscraper south of JR Osaka Station.

Japan's National Police Agency revealed on May 16 that the amount of money lost to impersonation investment scams on social media totaled 21.9 billion yen in just three months from January to March this year.

The president and seven employees of The Grand Shield, previously featured in Japanese media due to financial troubles with dental braces, have been arrested for selling high-yield bonds without registration, promising annual returns of 20%. It is believed that two women among the suspects collected 4.6 billion yen alone.

Japan's real GDP growth rate for the first quarter of this year, from January to March, was announced by the Cabinet Office to be an annualized minus 2.0%.

Businessman Yusaku Maezawa has filed a lawsuit against Meta, the company operating Facebook, seeking 1 yen in damages in response to a series of investment scams involving impersonation of famous personalities on social media.