The day was dominated by the US military's retaliatory strikes on Iran after an American helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz. From late afternoon, NHK, TBS, and Yomiuri reported Trump's warning of a necessary response, followed by breaking news of the attack's commencement and completion. The story evolved through the night with details on targets and Iranian counterclaims. Earlier, the imperial succession debate reached a milestone as both houses of parliament agreed on a 'legislative consensus' to allow female royals to retain status after marriage and to adopt male-line heirs, though the core succession issue was postponed. The death of former Speaker Yohei Kono, author of the 1993 Kono Statement, was announced in the evening, prompting tributes. Other stories included a bear captured in Utsunomiya after school closures, a stabbing in an Osaka underground mall, and a Nikkei sell-off driven by AI and semiconductor stocks.
