Japan’s Imperial Reform: A Diet push is advancing to revise the Imperial Household Law, aiming to secure stable succession by letting female royals keep status after marriage and using adoption from former branch houses—though the opposition rejects the adoption plan. Energy Security at G7: PM Sanae Takaichi will propose three principles at the G7—free and transparent energy trade, bigger strategic oil reserves, and tighter cooperation between oil producers and consumers—as Middle East tensions raise supply risks. Nuclear Power Plan: METI is floating a phased rebuild of 2–5 reactors by the 2040s and 11–14 by the 2050s to meet rising demand and cut fuel import costs. AI in Finance: NEC, Anthropic and major Japanese financial institutions launched an AI collaboration to improve security, reliability and accuracy in financial services. Data-Center Tech Deal: TDK agreed to buy US firm Fabric8Labs for up to $400m to expand data-centre technology. Markets & Rates: Japan bond yields eased as investors digest US strikes on Iran and BOJ Governor Ueda’s hospitalization ahead of the June meeting; risk sentiment also weighed on regional equities. Japan-Asia Energy Tie-Up: Japan and Malaysia signed a 20-year LNG deal via Petronas/JERA, reinforcing Malaysia as a key “middle power” energy partner. Corporate/Consumer Watch: Starbucks Japan is reportedly exploring options including a stake sale or IPO; Japan’s Asics plans to spin off Onitsuka Tiger. Business Innovation: Netflix published guidelines for safe generative AI use in content production, emphasizing creator-led workflows.