Tokyo’s life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba will be removed at the end of this August; The iconic 19,7 meter mecha outside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza was installed in 2017 and features transformations from "Unicorn" to "Destroy" mode at set times

Rruling Liberal Democratic Party proposed reducing the consumption tax rate on food and beverages from the current 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2027; in the last general election campaign it pledged cutting it to zero

The company making "Monster Wolf" - an animatronic scarecrow with flashing eyes that howls and growls to scare away wild animals - is submersed by orders of the ferocious-looking robot after record numbers of fatal bear attacks on humans last summer

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