Overview
- Japan’s statutory five-year review of working-style reforms has put caps on hours and consecutive workdays on the table, drawing scrutiny following the prime minister’s call to study easing regulations.
- Hokkaido Police reported 129 traffic deaths in 2025, up 25 from the prior year yet still the fourth-lowest on record for the prefecture.
- An Arctic air mass drove a sharp cold snap in Hokkaido, with Rikubetsu hitting minus 24.7°C and 42 of 174 observation points setting season-low temperatures.
- Venezuela announced the release of 88 people detained after the July 2024 presidential election, the latest in a series of prisoner releases.
- Aoyama Gakuin University won the Hakone Ekiden outbound race for a third straight year, marking its eighth outbound victory.