In this week’s news roundup we report on Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, including the 24% levy which will be imposed on all goods from Japan. Nintendo finally announces the release date of the Switch 2. A third-party panel concludes that former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai sexually assaulted a female announcer at Fuji TV. Mie Prefectural Assembly member Ayaka Yoshida is sent 8,000 threatening messages after posting about menstrual care on X. Sukiya closes almost all its stores for a few days due to hygiene concerns. And a live rat is discovered in a Demae-Can food delivery bag.
Donald Trump, Akie Abe and Melania Trump
Trump Reveals Reciprocal Tariffs: 24% on Japan
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced a new round of sweeping tariffs. A minimum baseline levy of 10% will be enforced on all countries. Some nations, though, have been harder hit, including Japan, which has been slapped with 24% reciprocal tariffs. Holding a board displaying the new rates being charged, Trump spoke about countries ripping the US off before he started reminiscing about Japan’s former leader, Shinzo Abe. “Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo, was — Shinzo Abe — he was a fantastic man. He was unfortunately taken from us. Assassination.
“But I went to him, and I said, ‘Shinzo, we have to do something,'” continued Trump. “The trade is not fair, and he said, ‘I know that. I know that.’ And he was a gentleman. He was a fantastic man, but he understood immediately what I was talking about.” Japan’s current prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, who doesn’t have such a close relationship with Trump, was shocked by the announcement. “It is extremely regrettable and disappointing that the US has decided to impose tariffs despite our efforts to request reconsideration,” he said.
Nintendo To Sell Cheaper Japanese-Only Version of Switch 2
Also on Wednesday, it was announced that the Nintendo Switch 2, the much-anticipated successor to one of the best-selling consoles in history, will be released on June 5. In an hour-long Nintendo Direct YouTube presentation, the company also revealed that it will be releasing two versions of the hardware within Japan. The Japanese-language system will be priced at ¥49,980 (around $330), while the multi-language equivalent will cost ¥69,980 (approximately $470). Customers can only purchase the latter through the My Nintendo online shop and not at retail stores.
The original Switch has the option to set the system language to Japanese, English, or several other languages. This time, though, Nintendo has decided to do things differently. The reason is likely down to the company’s fears that the depreciating yen will hurt domestic sales. It’s also possibly an attempt to combat foreign resellers looking to take advantage of Japan’s weak currency. Around the world, prices will vary in different markets. In the US, the Switch 2 will retail for $449.99, while in the UK it will cost £395.
Masahiro Nakai Sexually Assaulted Fuji TV Announcer, Says Panel
At a press conference on Monday, a third-party panel investigating Fuji TV’s handling of the scandal involving Masahiro Nakai announced that it had come to the conclusion that the former SMAP member did sexually assault a female announcer at the station. The committee, made up of three lawyers, conducted hearings with both Nakai and the woman involved. This was done within the bounds of the confidentiality agreement. Akira Takeuchi, who headed the panel, said they weren’t in a position to say whether Nakai’s actions constituted a criminal case.
According to the 300-page report, the unnamed woman was hospitalized for two months after meeting with Nakai in June 2023. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she eventually left Fuji TV 14 months after the incident. While she was in hospital, Nakai allegedly asked a Fuji TV employee to pay her ¥1 million in compensation. She refused. This offer, the report said, “could be evaluated as a form of secondary abuse.” Takeuchi also stated that there was a “persistent culture of sexual harassment at Fuji TV.”
Japanese Politician Receives Death Threats Over Menstrual Care Post
On March 25, Mie Prefectural Assembly member, Ayaka Yoshida, 27, posted a seemingly innocuous message on her X account. “I was caught off guard by my period and was in trouble, as there were no sanitary napkins in the restroom at Tsu City Hall,” wrote the politician. “I couldn’t deal with it properly until I got home. This kind of thing happens even at the age of 27.” She added, “I hope menstrual pads can be provided everywhere, like toilet paper.” It didn’t seem too controversial.
One person, however, seemingly took great offense to the message. Between Friday, March 28, and Monday, March 31, the Japanese Communist Party member received around 8,000 emails all from the same address. The subject line in the emails was “I will kill assembly member Ayaka Yoshida, who doesn’t bring emergency napkins with her while being old enough to know better!” As part of the text, the person added, “If we kill her before even one yen of tax money is spent on this idiot, the problem will be solved.”
Sukiya Temporarily Closes Almost All Stores After Rat and Cockroach Infestation
It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Sukiya. On March 22, Japan’s largest beef bowl chain restaurant made a public apology after admitting that one of its stores in Tottori served a customer miso soup with a rat in it in January. Then on Friday, a customer reportedly found a portion of a cockroach in a take-out dish ordered from an outlet near JR Akishima Station in Western Tokyo. The following day, the fast-food chain announced that it was temporarily closing almost all of its outlets in Japan.
From 9 a.m. on Monday, March 31, to 9 a.m. on Friday, April 4, the vast majority of Sukiya’s approximately 2,000 nationwide stores were closed in order “to prevent external intrusion and internal infestation of pests and vermin.” According to the company’s statement, certain outlets in shopping malls were excluded from the closure. Sukiya apologized for the “distress and inconvenience caused to the customer who reported the incident” about the cockroach last Friday. It also said sorry to all its “customers who regularly use the store.”
Live Rat Discovered in Demae-Can Food Delivery Bag, Company Apologizes
In another recent food-related rodent incident in Japan, the delivery company Demae-Can this week confirmed that a “foreign object,” believed to be a live rat, was discovered in one of its bags that was delivered to a customer. On Saturday, March 29, a customer reported that something inside a food bag was moving. After inspection, it was revealed that the object was a rat, which was captured on the spot. Demae-Can promised to ensure that delivery staff thoroughly check the products when they receive them in the future.
“We are currently unsure of how the object got into the bag, but we will continue to work with experts to address the issue,” read the company’s statement. It added, “We deeply apologize to our customers and affiliated stores for the inconvenience and concern this may have caused.” Some have questioned why the delivery company is taking the blame, and not the store where the food came from. Others have suggested that the rat may have entered the bag after the food arrived at the customer’s doorstep.
