Trump's formal signing of 25% steel tariffs dominated morning coverage, marking a sharp turn from last week's diplomatic breakthrough with Ishiba. The media's attention shifted by mid-morning to the Yashio sinkhole crisis, where authorities located what appears to be a person in the truck's cabin, 30 meters downstream in the sewage pipe. The rescue operation's three-month timeline generated significant coverage.
Chinese tourists doubled their Lunar New Year bookings to Japan, while BYD overtook Volkswagen as China's top car seller. The Defense Ministry revealed plans to send a Mogami-class frigate to Australia, part of a trillion-yen export strategy.
Evening coverage returned to trade tensions as nations began positioning for exemption negotiations, with Australia emerging as a likely first candidate for exclusion from the new tariffs.