Morning coverage centered on the Fair Trade Commission's raids on Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo over suspected price-fixing of beer and happoshu shipments. Outlets described alleged back-channel meetings of section chiefs after industry gatherings, including in Ginza, and noted criminal prosecution was in view in what was called the first cartel probe of brewers.
Attention shifted in the evening to Stockholm's award of the chemistry prize to Tokyo University of Science emeritus Kenso Soai and Henri Kagan for nonlinear effects and asymmetric autocatalysis, the so-called Soai reaction linked to the origins of life. Reports followed his press conference and hometown reaction.
Farm minister Kazuo Yan again refused to resign over his road-budget remarks while Prime Minister Takaichi defended him, and Okinawa's governor protested to Takaichi and ministers over the Naha killing as U.S. forces began a two-day stand-down.