Time’s Arrow, Japan’s Industries, and the People Shaping What Comes Next
A quantum-physics investigation leads a balanced edition covering business, science, communities, sports and culture. Discover the original TMMY interview, daily briefs and an artist profile of Hasegawa Settan, plus six clearly marked stories from November 5.
Why Entropy Cannot Simply Run Backward: Japan’s Quantum Proof
A Japanese theoretical result links quantum physics and thermodynamics, sharpening the puzzle of time’s arrow without claiming to solve every aspect of it.
Read the lead story →Saturday, November 7, 2026 · JAPAN.co.jp
Four Stories to Explore
Business · Communities · Sports · Culture
News Briefs: Twelve More Developments Worth Knowing
Twelve additional verified developments across industry, science, communities, sport and culture, each with context and a source link.
Read the News Briefs →Business & Economy
Nov. 7 · 3 reports
Toshiba Moves to Unite Nuclear and Thermal Power Operations
A planned 2027 consolidation brings engineering, construction and maintenance into focus as Japan rethinks energy security.
Toyota’s Hybrid Earnings Test: Currency and Global Competition
Hybrid demand, currency swings and competitive pressure shape the automaker’s profitability and strategic choices.
Japan Begins Setting Rules for Buildings’ Whole-Life Carbon
Japan moves toward measuring emissions from materials and construction through operation and demolition.
Science & Technology
Nov. 7 · 3 reportsWhy Entropy Cannot Simply Run Backward: Japan’s Quantum Proof
A Japanese theoretical result links quantum physics and thermodynamics, sharpening the puzzle of time’s arrow without claiming to solve every aspect of it.
Waseda’s Isolator-Free Optical Transmitter Targets a Smaller Future
A photonics demonstration points toward more compact optical links, while system-level power savings still require proof.
The AI Chip That Wakes in 65.7 Milliseconds
A prototype integrating nonvolatile memory slashes startup delay and data movement for edge intelligence.
Communities
Nov. 7 · 3 reports
Can a City Prevent Heart Attacks? Sendai Joins CARDIO4Cities
Sendai, Tohoku University and the Novartis Foundation launch a city-scale effort to improve cardiovascular prevention.
After the Earthquake: Kumamoto’s Search for Reliable Local Transport
Two municipalities pursue transport studies as aging, sparse services and disaster disruption threaten access to daily essentials.
When the Rivers Run Low: The Kiso Basin Rethinks Water Security
A basin-wide review examines drought resilience, aging infrastructure and the needs of communities and industry.
Sports
Nov. 7 · 3 reports
Japan Names 28 for Brazil and Paraguay
A new squad, two South American opponents and questions about tactics and the next generation of Japanese football.
Three Leads, No Victory: Gamba Osaka’s 3–3 Drama
A six-goal match in Pohang exposed the difference between creating leads and defending them.
Japan’s U-17 Champions Prepare for the World Cup in Qatar
Japan’s next generation carries an Asian title into a global test, shaped by academies and school football.
Culture
Nov. 7 · 3 reports
A Two-Week Encounter With a Genji National Treasure
A time-limited display of the Hashihime scroll illuminates a millennium of literature and courtly visual culture.
Takayuki Goto’s 45 Years of Drawing Anime
An exhibition’s final weekend puts the animator’s drawings, production processes and long career in the spotlight.
The Art of Leaving Color Out: Picture Books With More to Say
An exhibition explores how restrained palettes bring movement, mystery and emotion to children’s stories.
Original Interview · TMMY
Bonus feature
The Economics of Slow Fashion: TMMY’s Tomoya Matsuda and 60 Hours of Handwork
An original interview about hand-sewn sashiko, regional textiles, fabric remnants and making an independent label economically sustainable.
Read the interview →The lead is TMMY’s original photograph (TMMY_Frame_1475.jpg); the article also showcases additional photographs supplied by TMMY.
Art Choice · Hasegawa Settan
1778–1843 · Edo Meisho Zue
Hasegawa Settan: The Forgotten Artist Who Illustrated Everyday Life in Edo
An illustrated journey through Edo’s shops, temples, streets and everyday people—and the three-generation publishing project behind Edo Meisho Zue.
Read the artist feature →Lead artwork is an AI-generated editorial interpretation inspired by Settan, distinct from the historical book illustrations featured inside.
Six More Stories From November 5
Previously published; not new November 7 reports.
SBI and Fuji Media’s New Entertainment-Finance Alliance
A proposed joint venture seeks to connect fan communities, content investment and financial services.
TDK’s ¥100 Billion Bet on Magnetic Sensors in Niigata
A new factory investment seeks to make sensing technologies central to the era of physical AI.
When Tactile Paving Begins to Talk
A Kinshicho accessibility project adds digital information to Japan’s familiar guidance blocks.
Ryunosuke Nakata Wins Japan’s Kendo Championship on His Debut
The 23-year-old newcomer defeats former champions on the way to the national title.
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Receives Japan’s Order of Culture
The award recognizes video games as a creative field that has transformed global culture.
Himiko’s Hundred Mirrors: A New Exhibition Revisits an Ancient Mystery
Kyushu National Museum explores the mirrors and the unresolved history of ancient Yamatai.
Lead illustrations for the 15 main reports and Art Choice are AI-generated interpretations inspired by Hasegawa Settan, not documentary photographs or authentic Settan prints. The TMMY photograph is original and supplied by the designer. The six carryovers are from November 5.
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