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Japan This Week Podcast | Jan. 31, 2025 Month in Review: BOJ rate hike, Kyoto tourist tax, record heat, Osaka smoking ban & ¥207M tuna buy

2 Comments
By Jeff W. Richards
Image: Japan Today/AP/AFP/Reuters/Kyodo

This week, we’re doing things differently! We’re recapping the biggest news stories from January 2025—from the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike to Kyoto's crackdown on over-tourism, record-breaking heat, a smoking ban ahead of the Osaka Expo and a jaw-dropping tuna auction bid. Plus, some important announcements about the Japan Today YouTube channel.

Timestamps

  • (1:27 - 3-17) BOJ raises interest rates to a 17-year high
  • (3:20 - 5:13) Kyoto increases hotel taxes to curb over-tourism
  • (5:16 - 6:57) Japan logs its hottest year on record — again!
  • (7:00 - 9:00) Osaka expands public smoking bans ahead of Expo 2025
  • (9:03 - 10:56) A massive tuna auction bid kicks off the new year
  • (10:59 - 11:48) Podcast update: What's next for 'Japan This Week'?
  • (11:48 - 13:06)) New shows: 'Japan Today Spotlight' & 'Japan Yesterday'

What do you think about Kyoto's new tourist tax? Is it fair? Let us know in the comments!

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Don’t miss our latest deep dive!

Check out our "Japan Today Spotlight" video covering the Fuji TV-Masahiro Nakai scandal and the fallout shaking Japan’s entertainment industry. Watch here:

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The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Japan Today.


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2 Comments
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Thanks Jeffsan. Would definitely be keen for you guys to cherry pick a few comments to share as that’s the main draw for us devotees here. Shorter or longer? Hey , people do three hour podcasts so knock yourselves out. If you are just rereading the same news again though, we can get someone reading scripts in our Japanese meetings! Would love yaz to go bold and include some of the more contentious topics and veer of the safety road a bit, once again we get enough of safety first in our daily lives in Japan. Take risks, comments are just comments, the great public square forum of which you guys are the main player in town. Would love to hear you guys talk about the inner workings too, the moderation process etc, but that may stay a trade secret for reasons we cannot begin to fathom. Please don’t moderate this good faith , well meaning response to the request for suggestions. All the besto. Look forward to seeing what you guys come up with for JT 2.0.

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How about the freezing weather and snow taller than head height in the north east and up?

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