Proof of proficiency in Japanese will be required to apply for a working visa for engineering, humanities or international services; policy will be revised tightening screening after workers entered Japan under a specialized job visa but do unskilled jobs

The cherry blossom season officially began in Japan with the traditional opening of the Imperial Palace street to the public; an online survey estimates average budget for cherry blossom viewing at -13,8% this year amid consumer concern over inflation

Fifteen years after earthquake and Fukushima disaster, Japan presents plans to reshape the area with F-REI, a hub to study environmental recovery and radiation science and reminds of the importance of memorizing the toll-free disaster phone number

A reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant was shut down as an alarm was triggered during control rod withdrawal operations five hours and 25 minutes after it was restarted - first one to resume operation since the 2011 Fukushima disaster