The New Consul-General of Japan in Chicago, Masashi Mizobuchi, arrived in Chicago and assumed his new post on May 10, 2025. A welcome reception was held by the Chicago Japanese American Council (CJAC) at the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC), and 150 members of Japanese and Japanese American organizations under the CJAC welcomed Consul-General Mizobuchi.

   A group of five social workers from Osaka City visited Chicago to see social welfare facilities in the city. They also participated in the 2024 Social Services Conference and gave presentations on their social welfare situations, activities, and exchanged opinions with social workers from eight other countries. The Chicago Shimpo interviewed three social workers from Japan.

   The 46th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon, one of the world's six major marathons, was held under clear fall skies on October 13. This year's race saw 52,150 finishers, breaking last year's record of 48,472.

   Five Japanese elite athletes and four wheelchair elite athletes participated in the event. Chicago Shimpo interviews their spirits, experiences, future plans, and their stories.

   The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Kikkoman Foods plant was held on June 12 in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, and the company was enthusiastically welcomed by the local people. Tokyo-based Kikkoman Corporation will invest $560 million (about 80 billion yen) over 10 years in the construction of a new Jefferson plant. The company also plans to expand its Walworth plant, bringing the total investment to $800 million.