Japan's transport ministry is considering raising the leasing fees paid by Japan Railways group companies for some shinkansen facilities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/24/japan/shinkansen-leasing-fee-hike/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #shinkansen #mlit #jrwest #jreast #jr #rail

The land ministry said Friday that it has been looking into whether local governments nationwide are aware of the nationalities of residents living in public housing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/23/japan/public-housing-residents-nationality/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #housing #nationality #surveys #mlit #localgovernment

Japan saw a record 40 million tourists visit last year, new figures have shown, as simmering tensions with China fail to put a damper on the numbers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/20/japan/japan-foreign-visitor-number-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #tourism #mlit #yasushikaneko

Taxis in Tokyo’s 23 wards and its cities will increase their fares, partly to raise income for taxi drivers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/15/tokyo-taxi-price-hike/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #mlit #taxis #tourism

Japan's next-generation ETC records and visualizes the driving histories of vehicles equipped with onboard units, and the government aims to harness this large-scale data for a variety of public and economic purposes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/17/japan/etc-data-use/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #expressways #driving #mlit #tourism #localgovernment #disasterpreparedness

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have decided to reconsider the route of the planned Hokuriku Shinkansen section. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/16/japan/hokuriku-shinkansen-route-change/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #hokurikushinkansen #bullettrains #rail #fukui #osaka #kyoto #ldp #nipponishinnokai #environment

The transport ministry will likely delay starting work to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line to link Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka Prefecture, sources said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/09/japan/hokuriku-shinkansen-extension-delay/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #hokurikushinkansen #bullettrains #rail #fukui #osaka #kyoto #ldp #nipponishinnokai #environment

Overseas buyers accounted for 3.5% of newly built condos purchased in Tokyo’s 23 wards in the first half of 2025, a sizeable increase from last year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/japan/foreign-condo-buyers-survey/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #realestate #mlit #surveys #tokyo #osaka

Plans to extend the runway at Sapporo’s Okadama Airport are moving forward to boost commercial flight capacity, attract more business jets and facilitate medevac flights at the city’s smaller airport. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/17/japan/okadama-airport-extension/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #okadamaairport #hokkaido #sapporo #airports #airlines #tourism #mlit

Toyota Motor has introduced a five-stage internal qualification system for maintaining quality at vehicle certification test sites and developing related human resources. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/10/companies/toyota-qualification-fraud/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #mlit #toyota #carmakers #fraud

Japan's transport ministry ordered light commercial vehicles around 100 post offices run by Japan Post be suspended due to failures to perform alcohol checks on the drivers, among other problems found. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/03/japan/japan-post-vehicles/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japanpost #driving #postalservices #mlit #delivery

The transport ministry will investigate what it describes as a 'serious incident' after a passenger plane operated by Japan's All Nippon Airways landed on a runway in Hokkaido where a work vehicle was operating. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/22/japan/ana-serious-incident/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #hokkaido #ana #airlines

The transport ministry will test the feasibility of transporting goods on so-called autoflow roads, dedicated highways for autonomous freight vehicles, from November through February 2026. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/01/japan/autoflow-roads-test/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #driving #expressways

Japan's infrastructure ministry is aiming to replace utility poles on emergency transport routes in urban areas with underground power cables by fiscal 2030. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/07/japan/eliminating-utility-poles/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #utilities #electricity #mlit #disasterpreparedness

Japan’s transport ministry has announced new air safety regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/03/japan/mobile-battery-airplane/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #airlines #aviation #batteries #mlit

The transport ministry revoked Japan Post's general truck transport business license on Wednesday, in response to the company's improper roll calls to conduct alcohol and other checks on its drivers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/25/japan/japan-post-stripped-of-truck-license/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japanpost #trucks #mlit

Japan Post may have its general cargo vehicle license revoked, the transport ministry has said, following revelations of the company's widespread failures in conducting mandatory alcohol and health checks for drivers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/05/japan/society/japan-post-license-revoke/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #mlit #japanpost #alcohol #health #delivery #postalservices #corporategovernance

The transport ministry is considering abolishing monochromatic versions of "gotochi" special vehicle registration plates designed by local governments, it was learned. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/05/25/japan/license-plates-monochrome-stop/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #mlit #carparts #cars #localgovernment

The transport ministry plans to increase the number of train station platforms with safety doors nationwide to 4,000 by fiscal 2030 through March 2031, setting a new target to make travel safer for passengers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/05/20/japan/society/station-platform-doors/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #mlit #rail #disability #barrierfree #travel

Eye-catching manhole covers adorned with unique designs that showcase local tourist spots and specialties have become valuable tourism assets in Japan, drawing many visitors to municipalities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/05/04/japan/manhole-designs-tourism/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #manholes #mlit