Overview
- Iran and Oman held talks in Muscat about a “safe navigation” framework for the Strait of Hormuz and discussed creating an international monitoring committee to observe ship movements and reduce risks to transit.
- Sources reported that all Japan‑related crude oil tankers have now passed through the Strait of Hormuz and exited the Persian Gulf, which reduces Japan’s near‑term exposure to supply disruption.
- Economy Minister Akazawa said the government is considering an investigation into payment‑processing firms after the bankruptcy of card processor Zen Tōshin, noting that many intermediaries fall outside existing consumer‑credit oversight and that any new rules could raise merchants’ costs.
- Osaka police have sent charging documents to prosecutors accusing a former restaurant employee of gross‑negligence arson in the Dotonbori building fire; investigators found a cigarette butt at the suspected ignition site and two firefighters died during last year’s blaze.
- High‑profile domestic developments include a second Sapporo hearing in the Ebetsu group assault‑death case where a defendant will testify, the election of 31‑year‑old Urano as Tagawa mayor after a social‑media campaign, and reports that former PM Yoshihide Suga has opened an office in Tokyo to maintain political ties.