Some significant changes are coming for tourists to Japan this year, which could make vacations to the country a lot pricier.

Japan’s conservative prime minister Sanae Takaichi has won a landslide victory after she gambled on a high-stakes snap election, exit polls suggest.

The conservative Prime Minister’s gamble seems to have paid off.

Japan is mounting its strongest presence at the Berlin Film Festival in years, with seven films spanning competition, Forum, Panorama and Classics sections. It's a range that mirrors the country’s record-breaking theatrical year in 2025 and signals what producers describe as a genuine renaissance for Japanese cinema.

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — A generation ago, the sight of an Olympic halfpipe podium drenched in red, white and blue was as common as fresh powder on the mountain — a fitting and expected celebration for a sport born and raised in the United States.

The Japanese team also landed third (Ryusei Yamada), fourth and seventh place. Japan now has three gold medals, following wins in the men’s and women’s snowboard big air, and 12 medals overall.

Japan claimed silver and bronze in the men's figure skating final on Friday, but the double podium proved bittersweet for Yuma Kagiyama, who said he was a bit frustrated by an error‑filled skate that fell short of his hopes on Olympic ice.