Honda, Nissan, and potentially Mitsubishi Motors announced formal merger talks, aiming to create the world's third-largest automaker by August 2026. Honda's leadership role became clear during the 5 PM press conference, with its president explicitly denying this was a rescue operation for Nissan. The merger talks follow months of speculation and preliminary discussions reported in previous weeks.
A former Nagano prefectural assemblyman received a 19-year sentence for his wife's murder, based on circumstantial evidence. Japan Post filed a ¥12 billion lawsuit against Yamato Transport over delivery contract disputes, escalating tensions in the logistics sector.
Weather forecasts warned of approaching heavy snowfall along the Sea of Japan coast, continuing the winter storm pattern from previous days. Tourism reports indicated domestic travel declined amid increasing foreign visitors, while overseas travel remained constrained by the weak yen.