A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Nikkei Stock Average surged by more than 2,100 points at one stage in trading on May 21st, with the benchmark index continuing to trade above the 61,000 level in the Tokyo stock market.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met on May 19th and agreed to strengthen cooperation in both economic and security fields, highlighting growing alignment between the two countries as instability spreads across the Middle East and uncertainty deepens over the future direction of U.S.-China relations.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department held a review ceremony for its riot police units at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo on May 20th, with around 1,700 officers marching in formation as part of a large-scale demonstration of security preparedness.

The Japanese government has released a set of guidelines titled "Six Rules to Avoid Encountering Bears" as bear sightings across the country continue to rise sharply compared to the same period in previous years.

Actors Kentarō Ito and Natsuki Deguchi have become the focus of intense speculation after the pair were reportedly seen together late at night in the parking area of an apartment complex.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Toshiba announced on May 20th that they had jointly developed a new stock index utilizing quantum technology.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

Two intruders claiming to be Americans climbed into Punch the monkey's compound on Sunday morning, one wearing a yellow costume while the other filmed, causing a disturbing scene at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba.

Hitachi announced on May 19th that it has entered into a partnership with U.S.-based startup Anthropic to develop AI systems for a broad range of sectors including electricity and transportation.

Getting consistent Japanese speaking practice has historically meant enrolling in a class, hiring a tutor, or finding a native speaker willing to meet on a regular schedule.

Japan’s GDP, or gross domestic product, expanded at an annualized rate of 2.1% from January to March 2026, marking a second consecutive quarter of positive growth as exports and consumer spending supported the economy.

Japan’s food delivery industry is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with major operators locked in a prolonged battle over pricing and market share while profitability remains elusive, raising concerns about the future of domestic player Demae-can, whose stock has plunged roughly 97% from its pandemic-era peak.

A bear sighting in a residential area of Hachioji, western Tokyo, at the end of April has heightened concerns among local residents as encounters involving bears continue to increase across Japan.

A 78-year-old man who drove off a brown bear by punching it in the nose has recounted the terrifying ordeal, as an unusual surge in spring bear sightings continues across Japan, including in the Kanto region and Tokyo.

The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted yen-buying intervention since the end of last month in an effort to slow the currency’s decline, though the broader trend of yen weakness has shown little sign of reversing.

The government will hold a cross-ministerial meeting on May 18th to discuss measures to address risks associated with high-performance artificial intelligence (AI).

As competition intensifies over AI-powered autonomous driving technology, Nissan unveiled a new premium minivan equipped with its latest systems, highlighting the automaker’s push to regain momentum in Japan’s struggling domestic market.

Toyota has begun selling vehicles produced in the United States and "reverse-imported" into Japan following Japan-U.S. negotiations over the Trump administration's tariffs.

Japan’s financial markets continued to suffer a so-called “triple decline” on May 18th, with stocks, the yen and government bonds all falling sharply amid growing concerns over worsening fiscal conditions and rising geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran.

The University of Tokyo's annual campus festival, known as the May Festival, resumed suspended events on May 17th after disruptions caused by a bomb threat the previous day, with long lines forming outside the main gate as visitors underwent newly introduced baggage inspections.

Complaints are mounting across a wide range of industries over shortages of naphtha-related materials, but the government insists the issue is not a lack of overall supply, describing it instead as a “bottleneck” in distribution and processing. So what exactly is happening behind the scenes?

A Russian man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a bear while hiking on Mount Mutsuishi in Okutama Town, western Tokyo, at around 12:10 p.m. on May 17th, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo Fire Department.

Rising interest rates are emerging as a major threat to the AI-driven stock market rally, with growing concern centered on the financial health of AI-related companies that have increasingly relied on private credit markets to fund rapid expansion.

Executives from U.S.-based AI company Anthropic, which developed the artificial intelligence system "Claude Mythos" that has raised concerns over potential misuse in cyberattacks, visited the headquarters of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on May 16th for discussions on possible cooperation.