Fukushima is more than one story.
From the samurai history of Aizu to robotics in Minamisoma and livelihoods along the Pacific, today’s edition explores a prefecture of striking contrasts. The history and demographics special leads the edition; 15 additional reports examine current developments.
Fukushima at 150: Three Regions, Many Histories, One Future
A special journey through Aizu, Nakadori and Hamadori—history, people, landscape, demographic change and an unfinished recovery.
Read the Sunday lead →Sunday, November 1, 2026 · Japan.co.jp
Four stories to explore
Science, fisheries, heritage and travel
Ten more Fukushima developments
Short, sourced updates beyond the main 15: local enterprise, technology, community life and sport.
Read News Briefs →Business & Economy
2026-11-01 · 3 stories
Fukushima Fishermen Prepare to Reclaim Three More Kilometers of Sea
A planned reduction in the voluntary fishing-restraint zone brings both opportunity and continuing questions for coastal communities.
Aeon Mall Date Is Coming. What Happens to Local Merchants?
The planned November 27 opening promises new shopping options and jobs while raising questions for existing high streets.
Fukushima’s 131,000 Vacant Homes Are Creating a New Service Economy
Aging housing, inheritance and harsh winters are creating demand for care, inspection and reuse.
Science & Technology
2026-11-01 · 3 stories
A Jurassic Giant Left Its Mark on Minamisoma
A roughly 70-centimeter fossil footprint opens a new window onto Fukushima’s Late Jurassic past.
Robot Dogs at Fukushima’s Test Field: From Demonstration to Deployment
Quadruped robotics and simulation-to-reality methods promise inspection advances, but field performance still needs proof.
Fukushima Daiichi Begins Its 25th Treated-Water Release
What the latest discharge and monitoring records show—and what they cannot establish.
Communities
2026-11-01 · 3 stories
Fukushima Reelects Uchibori. The Fourth Term’s Tests Lie Ahead
A sweeping reelection victory does not resolve the prefecture’s demographic and reconstruction challenges.
Iwaki Moves to Close Dangerous Underpasses Before Flooding
After a fatal flooding incident, the city is strengthening warnings and preventive road closures.
Bear Encounters Put Fukushima’s Roads and Communities on Alert
A vehicle collision and separate sightings renew the debate about human–wildlife coexistence.
Sports
2026-11-01 · 3 stories
Soma High School Ends a Four-Year Wait for National Volleyball
Soma won a four-set prefectural final to secure its first national berth in four years.
Koriyama’s Girls Extend Their Spring High Streak to Eleven Years
A straight-set victory secured an eleventh consecutive national qualification—not eleven national championships.
132 Women Meet on the Fairways in Koriyama
The Living Ladies Cup brought 44 teams together, offering a view of community sport beyond elite competition.
Culture
2026-11-01 · 3 stories
Seventeen Folk-Performance Groups Prepare to Gather in Iwaki
An upcoming festival brings regional dances and rituals together, tracing traditions sustained since the 2011 disaster.
The Real Sky of Nihonmatsu: Art, Autumn and Hot Springs
Chieko Takamura’s anniversary, chrysanthemum craft and Dake Onsen reveal a richly layered destination.
Tohoku Culture Day Opens a Window on Fukushima’s Museums
Museums offer exhibitions and hands-on activities, with free-entry dates varying by venue.
Art Choice · Ota Shumin
1884–1950 · Fukushima-born Nihonga painter
Ota Shumin: A Fukushima Painter Between Tradition and Modern Japan
The Fukushima-born artist navigated modern Nihonga while drawing on older pictorial traditions. Featured artwork: a 1942 museum-held painting; this is not an AI-generated artwork.
Explore Art Choice →Art by Ota Shumin; digital reproduction may be subject to separate museum-image conditions.
Six selections from October 31
Previously published, not new today
Sony’s Tiny Image Sensor Points Toward Smaller Endoscopes
A remarkably small imaging component, with clinical adoption still to be established.
How Bacteria Build Their Walls: A Hokkaido University Discovery
Basic findings about cell-wall assembly offer future research questions.
A Laboratory AI That Knows When Evidence Is Missing
A research assistant designed to reference records rather than improvise answers.
Can Japan Keep Invasive Cane Toads Off Iriomote?
Genetic research examines risks from an introduced amphibian.
Does a Three-Ball Count Change Baseball Umpiring?
Large-scale data analysis identifies patterns without proving deliberate bias.
When Old Objects Become Spirits: Japan’s Tsukumogami Tradition
A museum exhibition examines the folklore of animate household objects.
The 15 main-story images are contemporary AI editorial illustrations inspired by Fukushima painter Ota Shumin; they are not documentary photographs. Art Choice displays an original historical work by the artist. Carryover illustrations retain their prior-day provenance.
ADVERTISEMENT
