Japan in March 2026: the most important developments in society
Japan marked 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2026. Memorials were held in Miyagi and Iwate, where more than 2,500 people remain missing and 26,000 are still displaced. Police in Miyagi launched a new search for victims, using divers and sonar along coasts and river mouths. National housing support for survivors ends this month for residents in 15 municipalities. On the Fukushima Daiichi site, Japan began its 18th release of treated wastewater into the ocean, which the government and the UN nuclear watchdog say is safe, and fishermen's associations in Fukushima Prefecture decided to sharply reduce their voluntary radiation testing of seafood after more than a decade without detected contamination.
Immigration and gender policy were the main government themes. Japan raised immigration fees for its roughly 4 million foreign residents by the largest margin in over four decades, and it moved to introduce pre-entry immigration checks, with a proposed visa fee cap rising more than tenfold. Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan fell for a third consecutive month. The government approved a new gender equality plan that includes measures to promote the use of maiden names, and it moved to cover childbirth costs fully through public health insurance. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said women's active participation should drive economic growth. Thousands rallied in Tokyo against her policies, and protesters also opposed an attempt to revise the constitution.
Other items drew public attention. Unidentified foam near U.S. military bases in Okinawa raised concerns about PFAS contamination, and authorities began tests to determine its composition and origin. The government warned of measles outbreaks in Tokyo and other major cities. Wakayama Prefecture raised its tsunami height and damage estimates for a potential Nankai Trough earthquake. Evacuees from the Middle East arrived on chartered flights from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. New rules making helmets mandatory for cyclists took effect, and Japan removed the red-crowned crane from the endangered group of its national Red List.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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