Headline News for May 28, 2025



It's been 10 years since Asian tea cafe Gong Cha opened its first store in Japan in Harajuku. Over the past decade, the number of stores has expanded due to the tapioca boom that began in 2019, and the chain plans to have 195 stores nationwide by the end of May 2025. The number of annual customers is said to have increased by approximately 1.7 times to 30.12 million people in the five years from 2019 to 2024.

Gong Cha has positioned 2025 as the start of a 'new chapter' for the company, aiming to double the number of customers to 60 million by 2028.

Gong Cha celebrates its 10th anniversary in Japan with a new challenge for 'New Chapter Gong Cha' - Improving brand experience value and maximizing customer satisfaction - Aiming for 60 million annual customers by 2028
(PDF file) https://www.gongcha.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/d8c543a197a483a30ddad376aca75443.pdf

By the way, we published the following article on the same day in the same month in the past.

How giant wild goldfish are threatening the Great Lakes ecosystem - GIGAZINE

What does Lake Biwa's endemic species, the 'Biwa trout,' taste like? I tried making it in various ways, such as sashimi and salt-grilled, to find a good cooking method - GIGAZINE

A 10-year study of 500,000 people found that people who consume a lot of dairy products are more likely to develop cancer - GIGAZINE

I visited the 'Future Convenience Store', which is said to be the most beautiful convenience store in the world, across the Kirigoshi Pass - GIGAZINE

Next-generation Internet communication protocol 'QUIC' replacing TCP officially launched with the announcement of RFC 9000 - GIGAZINE

A major turning point in the adult industry: how will adult videos change in the future? - GIGAZINE

What is the surprising strategy that a scholar who made over 800 million yen in casino roulette discovered? - GIGAZINE

Many browsers that disappeared in the early days of web browsers - GIGAZINE

Why did Leonardo da Vinci's 'lost painting' valued at 1.8 billion yen turn out to be genuine? - GIGAZINE

◆ Material (notes and other miscellaneous items)
British University Research Says Coke and French Fries May Be Effective Against Migraines → People Who Are Getting the Justification for Coke and French Fries Being a Healthy Food - Togetter



















◆Science (science, learning, technology)
Plant discovered that contradicts Darwin's theory: Expert: 'Reproductive strategy in a special environment': Asahi Shimbun

Rapid increase in colon cancer among young people linked to intestinal bacteria in childhood, study | National Geographic Japan website

[Detailed report] The reporter who pursued the 'inflated probability' of the Nankai Trough was also surprised... The proponent of the 80% calculation model himself said 'there is a possibility of error': Tokyo Shimbun Digital

◆ Society, politics, and economy (incidents, world news, business)
Arrest warrant issued for Vietnamese suspect who remotely instructed younger brother in Japan to shoplift | NHK | Incident

Water meter thefts on the rise: Caution advised; bronze meter thefts suspected for resale in Kanagawa | Mainichi Shimbun

Trump: 'Russian President Putin has completely lost his mind!' ... condemns large-scale airstrikes: Yomiuri Shimbun

US soldier arrested on hit-and-run suspicion, 4 elementary school students slightly injured, Okinawa | Kyodo News

We have created a guide for employees and a manual for those in charge of returning to work after long-term sick leave due to mental health issues.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sets up election violation control headquarters and begins crackdown | NHK | Tokyo

'Raising a second Greta' in East Asia: Young people from Japan, Korea and Taiwan discuss solidarity | Mainichi Shimbun

One in 10 cars is uninsured, accident victims say it's 'too unfair' | Mainichi Shimbun

Retail industry: As the number of stores remains flat due to population decline, the use of existing stores is expanding | NHK | Retail industry

Nagoya City Council Vice-Chairman registers 26 people as volunteers for Paralympic Games without permission | NHK | Aichi Prefecture

Pursuit Public Security Investigation: 'The incident was fabricated' - Is the testimony true or false? Investigators vs. Metropolitan Police Department: Where does the conflict lead? | Mainichi Shimbun

What is 'borderline intelligence' that is not a disability? ──Approaching to a prisoner who is working an 'illegal part-time job' 'I wanted money all at once' without thinking about the consequences Difficulties in life are also featured in 'every. Special Feature' (published on May 25, 2025) | NTV NEWS NNN

Investigative authorities indict former administrator for illegally selling corpses for research at Harvard University | Mainichi Shimbun

Democratic Party for the People feels crisis due to falling approval rating... SNS comments on Yamao and others' nomination 'It's becoming a strange trend': Yomiuri Shimbun

President Trump: 'US Steel acquisition plan controlled by US, Nippon Steel partially owned' Details unknown | NHK | Nippon Steel US Steel

Russian forces launch large-scale attack on Ukraine for two consecutive nights, 12 dead | NHK | Ukraine situation

Concerns over Chinese-made solar panels grow amid massive blackout in Spain - Nikkei Newspaper

Horse dies in Fukushima Soma Nomaoi race after colliding with train; rider and passengers uninjured [Fukushima Prefecture]: Asahi Shimbun

Doctor goes to work to save a life, only to find his own child's body in hospital hours later - The reality for Gaza medical workers - CNN.co.jp

Malaysia condemns 'double standards' over Gaza atrocities - International News: AFPBB News

One crisis over, but Trump tariffs... Noto's 'crab sticks' at the mercy of the US and China | Mainichi Shimbun

Nagoya City Vice-Chairman registers 26 citizens as volunteers without permission, lists fictitious birth dates: 'This is probably about right': Chunichi Shimbun Web

Trump: 'Tell us the names of international students' - increasing pressure on Harvard University | Mainichi Shimbun

427 Rohingya refugees killed in two shipwrecks in May, UN reports - 1 photo International News: AFPBB News

Beware of health hazards caused by mold during the rainy season. What are the key points to prevent it? | NHK | News Deep Dive

Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier conducts fighter jet takeoff and landing off the Senkaku Islands, Self-Defense Forces aircraft make emergency takeoff | NHK | Senkaku

Pension Service secretly reassessing disability pensions following reports, denying payment to over 1,000 people | 47NEWS

Man stabbed to death on the street in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki; suspect arrested for mediating dispute | NHK | Incident

Kim Jong Un sends letter to Chongryon executives, encouraging them to visit North Korea 'essential as a patriot'... Japanese government bans re-entry: Yomiuri Shimbun

'We should give up on eradicating chironomids at the Expo,' says Tokyo University professor, explaining why: 'It's probably impossible to do by human hands...' - Entertainment: Nikkan Sports

Russian airstrikes in Ukraine kill at least 12 people, including children - 1 photo International News: AFPBB News

Prime Minister Ishiba visits children's cafeteria and shows his intention to strengthen support | NHK | Tokyo

Despite being a car-oriented society, gas stations are going out of business in Gunma, with some municipalities having none | Mainichi Shimbun

Theft-hit Baltic Museum becomes new photo spot as new items keep coming in | Mainichi Shimbun

Free high school education: 'Is it appropriate to support the super-rich?' LDP research committee summarizes concerns | Mainichi Shimbun

Large-scale attack on Ukraine by 250 drones: Prisoner exchange but no ceasefire in sight: Asahi Shimbun

Faucets and window glass frames stolen from abandoned schools and clinics, total damage exceeds 2 million yen (published on May 23, 2025) | NTV NEWS NNN

[Anger] 'How can they do this to children?' Refund issues in Fukuoka, unable to contact organizer of 'English Camp' (published May 27, 2025) | NTV NEWS NNN

Leak of private information 'highly likely at the instruction of Governor Saito' Governor Saito himself 'not aware of it' [Governor Saito][Leak]: Asahi Shimbun

The 'Party to Create Together' has filed a criminal complaint against the leader of the 'Party to Protect the People from NHK,' Takashi Tachibana, on suspicion of embezzlement in the course of business. The Metropolitan Police Department has accepted the complaint. At least 10 million yen was used to purchase land for a private lodging with a dog run. | TBS NEWS DIG (Page 1)

Night duty doctors can now work at multiple hospitals; Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approves to alleviate manpower shortage - Nikkei Newspaper

[Breaking News] 'It is highly likely that he received instructions from Governor Saito and his vice governor' - Third-party committee concludes that the former general affairs director leaked information and is given a disciplinary punishment of 'three months suspension' (published on May 27, 2025) | YTV NEWS NNN

Ayaka Otsu files criminal complaint against Takashi Tachibana for embezzling 350 million yen from a political party. The Metropolitan Police Department accepts the case: Tokyo Shimbun Digital

'I did it because Governor Saito told me to.' The former general affairs director, who was the 'right-hand man' and 'number three,' reveals that he gave orders to leak private information... He was suspended for three months, and the prefecture 'will not file criminal charges.' The governor says, 'I never gave any orders.' | Shueisha Online | Break down the news seriously

Former German Chancellor Merkel visits Japan: Japan's defense spending 'insufficient' | Kyodo News

High school loses lawsuit over principal's 'don't let students come to school' comment: 'lack of necessary consideration' [Hiroshima Prefecture]: Asahi Shimbun

Trump threatens to impose sanctions on Russia soon, anger at Putin grows - CNN.co.jp

Pursuit of public security investigation: 'That false accusation is a sacrifice' - Metropolitan Police Department's simmering intentions, hidden foreign affairs intensification theory | Mainichi Shimbun

US Secretary of Health and Human Services: 'Remove COVID-19 from recommended vaccination schedule' | NHK | America

Matsuyama thought it was a 'model gun' but bought it, but one bullet accidentally went off | NHK | Ehime Prefecture

Abe shooting: Homemade gun is key to sentence; defense insists on admitting murder: Asahi Shimbun

Trump administration orders temporary suspension of new student visa interviews | NHK | President Trump

Okuya and Ueno are given a 'chairman's warning'; Masuyama and Kishiguchi are considering a resolution of censure and a recommendation to resign; four factions of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly | Society | Kobe Shimbun NEXT

Saito's qualifications as governor called into question: Third-party committee's conclusions as seen by experts | Mainichi Shimbun

Why was race and nationality made public so quickly? A lesson from the Liverpool incident: the spread of misinformation: The Asahi Shimbun

French lower house passes law allowing assisted dying for terminally ill patients, to be debated by the senate in autumn - Nikkei Newspaper

Okawara Chemical Machinery false accusation case: 'illegal investigation' - second trial also orders Tokyo and national government to pay damages | Mainichi Shimbun

Protests at Harvard University in the US: Trump administration calls for withdrawal of student certification cancellation measures At the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University | NHK | Education

Police and prosecutors' 'illegal investigation' again recognized by Tokyo High Court over Okawara Chemical Engineering: Asahi Shimbun

Okawara Chemical Machinery False Accusation Case: Second Civil Trial Orders City and State to Pay Compensation | NHK | Incident

French lower house passes assisted dying bill - 4 photos International News: AFPBB News

New tram stop in front of Matsuyama City Station to open on August 24th, construction plan to be completed next fall [Ehime Prefecture]: Asahi Shimbun

78-year-old woman arrested after son discovers his mother is deceiving him [Fukuoka Prefecture]: Asahi Shimbun

Film director Sion Sono holds press conference to refute sexual assault reports (May 27, 2025) - YouTube


Three years after sexual assault report, Sono Sion holds press conference: 'I just want to be able to make movies again' - Lawyer.com




◆ Lifestyle (life, living, health)
There is a space between two 4000m long tunnels that appears above ground for a moment, which is described as 'creating an alibi'... and the reason for this is explained - Togetter

The Egyptian Pavilion at the Expo had stopped lining up to enter. They were apologizing, 'There's a lot going on right now and there's a lot of arguing inside... sorry,' but what was going on? - Togetter

When I teach Chinese numerals to foreigners working at the World Expo, they smile when they see '1' for 'ichi', '2' for 'ni' and '3' for 'san', but when they see '4' for 'yon' and '5' for 'go', they start to tilt their heads and look distressed. It makes me sad every time I see them. - Togetter

Apparently, Black Thunder is considered a healthy food overseas because it contains not only chocolate but also cookies and biscuits. - Togetter

The reading of 'Aisana' is 'Kirakira Name' - the law change restricts Kirakira Names, the thoughts of the people involved: Asahi Shimbun

Will calling someone 'san' spread around the world? 'Convenient regardless of gender or title' | Kyodo News

Wouldn't it be more economical to use Green Cars on local trains like the Kodama rather than the Nozomi? → Reasons for not using them and reasons for using them - Togetter

I think people who go to the gym or study for qualifications after finishing full-time work have a different natural vitality. 'It's all about whether you can make it a habit' - Togetter

A woman's opinion that 'I have a low income and no career, so I have to consider getting married young as a way to survive in life' has drawn various reactions - Togetter

When drawing nude models at art schools and universities, students were instructed to 'be respectful,' and all the students worked hard. 'Not even one minute late was tolerated.' - Togetter

I remembered the story that the more highly educated a person is, the more they believe that 'education is not important,' the more wealthy they are, the more important things are than money, and the more good-looking people are, the more they believe that 'people aren't about looks,' but macho men believe that 'muscles are everything' - Togetter [Togetter]

The moment that parents were most excited about the 'club relay' at their child's sports day, and that club came in second place, beating out the soccer and basketball clubs - Togetter

Mother says her son, busy preparing for school trip, says 'Well, two pairs of underwear is fine' for three nights - 'That's not good' - Togetter

Some people look at rice fields and say, 'That's a lot of nature,' but that's actually a carbohydrate production plant that was built using machines and chemicals, and took a lot of time and money. - Togetter

◆IT/Gadgets (Internet, software, hardware, mobile)
How to correct people who believe false information? Correct articles alone are not very effective: Asahi Shimbun

Prospector | A homemade dongle device using the cool-looking ZMK - TALPKEYBOARD BLOG

Generative AI is increasingly being used by companies for new employee training, personnel evaluation, and other human resource development | NHK | Generative AI/Artificial Intelligence

Behind the Scenes of 'Understanding SSL/TLS from Scratch' - M3 Tech Blog

What is the 'right' way to transfer data when switching PCs? End of support for Windows 10 is approaching [Initial B] - INTERNET Watch

[Feature] What is the 'microSD Express' adopted in the Nintendo Switch 2? We explained it and checked its performance - PC Watch

The phrase 'press the button' is so common that it seems like an IT idiom that ordinary people don't understand, but when I looked it up, it turned out to be a word that really only has that meaning. 'We use it a lot,' 'It's written in the instruction manual as if it's a given' - Togetter

From May 28, 2025, Niconico will become the new version 'NicoNico (to i)' | Niconico Info

Announcement of 'Niconico' service roadmap for 2025 | Niconico Info

I thought it might be a good idea to use NotebookLM to share the contents of in-house study sessions | DevelopersIO

#864 Self-hosting wildcard DNS 'nip.io' that allows name resolution without record registration | gihyo.jp

When I was volunteering, I fell in love at first sight with the only person who said something encouraging to me, so I tweeted 'I'm waiting for your DMs' and she contacted me, and later I ended up marrying her - Togetter

'Sexual deep fakes' rapidly expanding: Generative AI lowers dangerous hurdles | Mainichi Shimbun

Smartphone app 'Utsurundesu+ (Plus)' launched | Fujifilm [Japan]

◆Anime, games, manga (subculture)
Notice of conclusion of comprehensive license agreement regarding the use of Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd.'s copyrighted material | ANYCOLOR Co., Ltd. press release

Advertisements that deliberately choose unpleasant scenes from manga are apparently more effective, but I feel like they may also have some negative effects - Togetter




Is it true that VR can improve eyesight? Hopes are high for a 'VR game aimed at improving eyesight' 'Through repeated test plays, my eyesight improved from 0.7 0.9 to 2.0 2.0' - Togetter [Togetter]

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN Release Launch Trailer [2025.5] - YouTube




In the main video being distributed this time
Some expressions may differ from those used on TV.



[The Phantom Thief Queen's Elegant Vacation] The opening scene of the film has been released! [Now showing as a huge hit!] - YouTube


'Monster Hunter Wilds' x 'Street Fighter 6' Special Collaboration Celebration - Interview with Director Nakayama! - YouTube


'Starlight Legacy' Trailer | PS5® & PS4® - YouTube


'Badminton Time VR' - Released June 17, 2025! - YouTube


'SHINOBI: Revenge of the Slash' Joe Musashi [Character Introduction] - YouTube


'Crystals of Atlan' Release Trailer 'Rebel' | PS5® - YouTube


Nintendo Switch Online introduction video-YouTube


NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics New Features Added [June 5, 2025] - YouTube


'SHINOBI: Revenge of the Slash' Lord Loose [Character Introduction] - YouTube


'SHINOBI Revenge Slash' Story Trailer - YouTube


PlayStation®5 gives you all the possibilities - YouTube


The Retired Horse Association revised its rules regarding owned horses, and a sentence that said, 'The concept of doujinshi has changed from 'something to distribute' to 'something to sell'' became a hot topic - Togetter [Togetter]

The fictional language in the story, 'Ripaline,' is filled with an insane amount of material and attention to detail, as if to mock those who try to create a language in a fantasy work.

Multiple protests against Katsushika Ward for using 'Kochikame' illustrations in public relations paper, camouflage helicopters, formation flight... 'Reminiscent of war': Tokyo Shimbun Digital










◆Sports, entertainment, music, movies (entertainment)
The head umpire said, 'I couldn't confirm the video of the home run.' He explained why the call on the 'phantom arch' in the 8th inning of the Chunichi Dragons was not overturned: Chunichi Sports, Tokyo Chunichi Sports

Chunichi Dragons manager Inoue protests to umpires after Kawagoe hits ball that looks like a home run → ruling remains unchanged, causing chaos in the stadium | Full-Count

[Sad news] Seiji Kawagoe misses his phantom home run lol: Nanji Stadium @ NanJ Summary

[Chunichi] Despite a request for an explanation of Seiji Kawagoe's 'phantom game-winning home run,' the team responded, 'The decision will not change, and we cannot apologize.' The team will now submit a document expressing its protest: Chunichi Sports, Tokyo Chunichi Sports







Domestic Para-Archery Sports Association to be Disbanded after 'Suspension' | NHK | #ParaArchery

'I was discriminated against when I went to watch F1.' Why is there discrimination against Japanese people in France? - posfie

Sumo wrestler Onosato officially promoted to Yokozuna, speech at the transfer ceremony: 'I aim to be the one and only Yokozuna' [Uncut video of the press conference] | NHK | #Sumo

Seven students take a step towards their dreams at entrance ceremony at Huis Ten Bosch Opera Academy in Sasebo, Nagasaki | NHK | Nagasaki Prefecture

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hits 20th home run in 3 consecutive games, 20 or more home runs for 5 consecutive years, the longest record for a Japanese player against the Guardians | NHK | #ShoheiOhtani

Shampoo causes nausea, fear of death: Former athlete suffers from concussion aftereffects: Asahi Shimbun

◆New products (clothing, food, housing)
Chicken Ramen 'Shirotama Maker' - YouTube


'Cup Noodle Vegetable Cultivation Complete Set' (Limited quantity release on May 28th) | News Release | Nissin Foods Group

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in Headline, Posted by logc_nt