Overview
- Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe was arrested and on May 26 offered his resignation, which the club accepted while owner Toshikazu Yamaguchi issued a public apology and promoted offense coach Hideki Hashigami as acting manager.
- The club immediately showed signs of strain as the team lost its opening interleague game and slid into a multi-game losing run with players and coaches reporting low morale.
- Japan Airlines announced on May 26 a commercial service to sell sealed payload slots on ispace’s planned 2028 lunar lander for regional products and cultural items and said orders would begin on May 27.
- The Hajj reached its peak on May 26 with reports of more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and authorities warning of heat risks with forecast highs above 40°C.
- At a Tokyo meeting of the National Shoplifting Prevention Organization on May 26 police and retailers shared tactics against self-checkout theft and described using AI‑equipped cameras plus proposals to add outdoor cameras to trace escape routes.