[August 2025] Current Affairs Quiz

15%

In August 2025, President Trump announced a 15% tariff on imports from Japan as part of the United States’ economic policy. It was initially announced as 25%, but following negotiations it was settled at 15%.

warriors' procession

At the 2025 Gion Festival’s Mikoshi Togyo, a procession of warriors in samurai attire was revived for the first time in 51 years. The warrior procession features armored samurai leading the portable shrines.

1,118 yen

In the 2025 minimum wage revision, the national average will exceed 1,100 yen for the first time, and the government has decided on a policy of setting it at 1,118 yen or higher. In each prefecture, wage increases of 60 yen or more are anticipated.

Microsoft

In June 2024, Microsoft, following NVIDIA, surpassed the major milestone of a $4 trillion market capitalization, becoming the second in the world. Its growth in generative AI and cloud businesses is being recognized.

8th

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle (The Movie) surpassed 10 billion yen at the box office just eight days after its release, attracting attention as the fastest record in history. There is growing interest in how far its final box office gross will climb.

Izumi Taku

Motoki Omori of Mrs. GREEN APPLE plays Iseda Takuya in “Anpan,” a character modeled after Izumi Taku, one of the Showa era’s representative composers. He created numerous masterpieces, including “Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o” (Look Up at the Stars at Night), and had a profound impact on Japan’s music scene.

No applicable works were found.

Both the 173rd Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize had no winners. This is highly unusual and drew attention as the first such occurrence in 14 years for the Akutagawa Prize and 18 years for the Naoki Prize.