Imperial Succession Overhaul: Japan’s Diet approved a revised Imperial House Law, allowing adoption of male heirs from former branch families and letting women keep imperial status after marrying commoners—while still blocking female emperors, leaving Princess Aiko ineligible. Flag Desecration Law: Parliament also enacted a bill criminalizing national-flag vandalism, with penalties up to two years in prison or a 200,000 yen fine, drawing fresh free-speech criticism. Retrial System Reform: A separate law revision limits prosecutors’ ability to appeal court decisions granting retrials, aiming to speed up justice while still allowing appeals in exceptional cases. Markets & Energy Shock: Tokyo led a tech selloff as investors worried about overheating in semiconductors and AI, while oil jumped on renewed US-Iran attacks and Strait of Hormuz risk. BoJ Climate Lending Scrutiny: A thinktank warned the BoJ’s climate lending facility could enable greenwashing without tighter safeguards. Crypto & Finance: EQT raised its Kakaku.com buyout offer to 3,450 yen/share, and SBI completed a controlling stake purchase of Singapore’s Coinhako. Cyber & Consumer Impact: Nichirei resumed operations after a cyberattack disrupted frozen-food supply chains. Japan-India Rail Push: Japan and India agreed to start the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor with an Indian high-speed train before Japan’s E10 Shinkansen arrives in the early 2030s.