1. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has instructed Cabinet ministers to eliminate bottlenecks in supply chains for paints, insulation, and other construction materials made from naphtha to ensure they get to companies that need them, including smaller ones.
2. A western Japan city official plans to take maternity leave in what is believed to be a first among incumbent female mayors. Mayor Kawata Shoko of Yawata City, Kyoto Prefecture, told reporters on Thursday that she plans to have time off before and after giving birth in September. The 35-year-old added that she is considering taking childcare leave as well.
3. A major Japanese supermarket chain is changing the way it sells prepared food to customers as it faces rising costs for plastic containers. Prices of the material have gone up about 20 percent amid the Iran conflict. Ito-Yokado normally sells deli items such as tempura and sushi rolls in individual containers.To cut plastic use, it will ask customers to select the amount they want and place it in containers themselves.