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1. Japanese industrial giant Hitachi says it has been granted access to Claude Mythos Preview, the latest AI model developed by US startup Anthropic. Hitachi announced on Friday that it had agreed to join Project Glasswing. The project uses Mythos for defensive purposes to help prepare for cyberattacks. Participants include US tech and financial firms. Hitachi plans to use the AI model to identify and fix flaws in software it develops for railway and energy infrastructure systems.

2. Japan’s largest home appliance chain operator and the fifth-largest say they have basically agreed to start talks to integrate their business. Yamada Holdings and Edion announced on Friday that they will talk about establishing a holding company and becoming its wholly owned subsidiaries. The plan is for the business integration to take place on October 1 next year, and that the two companies’ brands will be maintained. Once the deal is complete, the new group will have more than 9,900 stores across Japan with combined annual sales of roughly 2.5 trillion yen, or more than 15 billion dollars.

3. A Nepali Sherpa guide has been found alive after going about a week on Mount Everest without food or water, and with almost no oxygen supplies. Dawa Sherpa, who is in his 50s, was found crawling down the snowy slopes to the base camp on Thursday morning. He was last seen on May 29, when he was descending the mountain with his client, a Polish climber. Dawa then went missing, and his client reached the base camp without him.

1. Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo has suggested that the policy interest rate could be raised this month despite the unclear Middle East situation.

2. The latest survey by the US Federal Reserve shows most parts of America are seeing higher inflation. The central bank’s report on economic conditions says prices increased at a moderate to strong pace overall.

3. Cuba’s government quoted former leader Raul Castro as saying, “the war was won by avoiding it,” as he marked his 95th birthday on Wednesday. The presidential office posted the remark on social media, saying, “Raul has always bet on peace.” He has not appeared in public.

1. Severe tropical storm Jangmi is passing near Japan’s Kanto region. People in the area are urged to be alert for landslides and flooding, as well as strong winds. Jangmi is traveling over waters south of Chiba Prefecture. It was moving east-northeast at 45 kilometers per hour as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
2. The number of babies born to Japanese nationals dropped to a record low in 2025. Japan’s health ministry says the number of births fell by 14,937 from the year before to 671,236. The figure has been declining for 10 consecutive years, and is now the lowest since record-keeping began in 1899.
3. The UN’s weather agency says there is an 80 percent chance that the climatic condition known as El Nino will occur from June through August. It warns that most parts of the world could see higher temperatures, heavy rains and other extreme weather conditions. El Nino conditions develop when the Pacific seawater off Peru becomes warmer than regular years. The phenomenon is believed to affect climates around the world.

1. Weather officials are warning that bands of heavy rain clouds may form in Japan’s southern Kyushu, Shikoku, Kinki and Tokai regions as severe tropical storm Jangmi approaches. Officials are calling for extra vigilance against landslides and flooding of rivers and low-lying areas.
2. Japan’s tally of measles cases so far this year has topped 500. This marks the second-fastest pace of increase since 2019, which saw the most cases in the past decade. The Japan Institute for Health Security says 11 new cases were reported in the week through May 24, bringing this year’s total to 511.
3. Japanese crested ibises have been released into the wild in Ishikawa Prefecture in the first event of its kind on the country’s main island of Honshu. Designated as a special natural monument, the birds used to inhabit nearly all parts of the country but the last wild crested ibis on Honshu was captured in 1970.

1. Prices for more than 1,000 food items in Japan will rise in June, further pressuring consumers. That is partly due to higher packaging costs, as turmoil continues in the Middle East. A survey by private research firm Teikoku Databank found that 1,078 items are set for price hikes this month. They include 450 seasoning products and 304 processed foods such as instant noodles.
2. People who litter on streets or in parks and other places are to be fined in a central Tokyo ward as part of its campaign to clean up the area. Shibuya Ward started imposing a fine of 2,000 yen, or about 12.5 dollars, for littering on Monday. The administrative penalty applies to the entire ward. The ward revised a relevant ordinance last year to levy the fine as littering has become a persistent problem.
3. Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi* is approaching Okinawa’s main island and bringing extremely strong winds. Weather officials are warning people in affected areas to take precautions against intense winds, high waves and landslides. *台風6号

1. Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors has announced it is going ahead with a plan to produce vehicles at factories owned by Nissan Motor in the US.

2. Japan’s Diet has enacted revised immigration-related legislation, including the introduction of a new electronic travel authorization system designed to streamline and strengthen prearrival screening for visitors from overseas.

3. The Japanese government says it will send four Self-Defense Force personnel to the NATO mission that provides assistance for Ukraine’s armed forces.

1. Japan enacted a law on Wednesday to create a national intelligence bureau, a bid to strengthen its intelligence-gathering capabilities. But the move has sparked growing concerns about privacy, meaning the government will have to tread a fine line between gaining information and intrusion.

2. As Japan heads into another busy tourist season, bus companies across the country are struggling to keep the wheels turning with driver shortages forcing route cuts and service reductions.　Increasingly, they are turning to foreign recruits who can come to Japan on skilled worker visas. The new arrivals undergo comprehensive training to eventually qualify as full-fledged drivers capable of operating safely and communicating with passengers.

3. Retail giant Aeon says it will begin trial sales on Friday of Japanese eels fully farmed from eggs. According to the company, this will be the world’s first sale of such eels.　Aeon said on Thursday that it will sell more than 500 eels raised by an eel farming company in the Kyushu region through its online store. Each eel will cost around 5,000 yen, or about 30 dollars.　Most eels sold in Japan are raised from glass eels caught in the wild. The Fisheries Agency and private companies have been developing full-life cycle farming technology in which eggs laid by farm-raised eels are hatched.

1. Japan’s government and the food industry are discussing ways to address the impact of the Iran situation. Some food makers have changed their packaging as they face supply disruptions for ink and other materials derived from naphtha.
2. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Philippines. The presidential couple are on a state visit to Japan.
3. US tech startup Anthropic says its new artificial-intelligence model, Claude Mythos, has helped find more than 10,000 software vulnerabilities. Anthropic announced last month that about 50 partners, including major IT companies and financial institutions, would try Claude Mythos as part of a cybersecurity initiative.

1. Japan is allocating billions of dollars to ease household energy costs this summer. The policy reflects a jump in fuel prices due to the Iran conflict.The government approved the move at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. It will spend about 510 billion yen, or 3.2 billion dollars, to help pay for electricity and gas bills from July to September.
2. Okamoto Tao, the first Japanese to win the Award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, has said after returning to Japan that she still cannot believe it. Okamoto and Virginie Efira shared the award for their roles in “All of a Sudden,” directed by Japan’s Hamaguchi Ryusuke.
3. The manager of Japanese professional baseball team the Yomiuri Giants has resigned after his arrest on Monday for allegedly assaulting his daughter. Abe Shinnosuke was later released and held a press conference to apologize. Abe said: “Because of a personal family matter of mine, I have caused great concern and trouble to many baseball fans, to people involved in professional baseball, and to the organization. I have also tarnished the title of manager of the proud and storied Giants club. I would like to offer my sincerest apology. I am truly sorry.”

1. Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has said the government plans to ask for a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget to help fight surging energy prices. She said she hopes to submit a draft budget totaling over 3 trillion yen, or 18.8 billion dollars, to the Diet as early as next week.

2.Former president of Seven-Eleven Japan Suzuki Toshifumi has died. He is widely credited with bringing convenience stores to Japan. Suzuki most recently served as honorary advisor for Seven & i Holdings. He was 93 years old. Suzuki became president of Seven-Eleven Japan in 1978. Over the course of the next few decades, he nurtured the company into a global chain.

3. Sumo wrestler Wakatakakage said he is glad he has not given up sumo one day after winning a grand tournament for the second time. Wakatakakage beat a higher-ranked wrestler, Kirishima, in a playoff on Sunday, the last day of the 15-day May Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. They had been tied with 12 wins and three losses.