A foreign social media influencer sparked outrage online after posting a video of himself hanging from a fully bloomed cherry tree and performing a pull-up, a stunt seen by many as a serious disregard for Japanese culture.

The world-class action sports event X Games, featuring competitions in skateboarding and BMX, will be held in Osaka for the first time this June. Ahead of the tournament, participating athletes gathered at a press conference on April 8th at the same venue that will host the Kansai Expo.

Corporate bankruptcies in Japan exceeded 10,000 in fiscal 2024 for the first time in 11 years, driven by inflation and labor shortages, according to Teikoku Databank.

7-Eleven is expanding its lineup of in-store drinks with the introduction of freshly brewed tea, using dedicated machines to serve tea at prices similar to coffee.

Let's have a look at the April Kabuki-za performances!

The 21st Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival concluded Sunday, with walkways and boat trips offering magnificent views of cherry blossoms in full bloom along a 1.3 kilometer stretch of the Oyoko River.

We take a day trip from Tokyo to Yamanashi Prefecture by rental car to explore the base of Mt. Fuji — visiting the towns of Fujiyoshida and Lake Yamanaka. Along the way, we enjoy delicious local food and breathtaking Fuji views, all at our own pace. (TabiEats)

The KK Line expressway running through Tokyo's Ginza district was officially closed on Saturday night, as part of a larger plan to transform the area into a pedestrian-centered public space.

A group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers, including Finance Minister Kato, is preparing to hold a policy study session as early as next week to support the research and development of artificial intelligence in healthcare, according to TV Tokyo.

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average plunged by 2,644 yen in a single day, marking the third-largest one-day drop in its history. The sharp downturn, driven by intensifying trade tensions between the United States and China, has been widely labeled the "Trump Shock" by investors and analysts.

Nintendo has announced that its next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, will be released on June 5th, featuring a larger screen, 4K TV output, a built-in game chat function, and new controller capabilities.

Adult food allergies are on the rise in Japan, with increasing numbers of people reporting symptoms after eating foods they once tolerated without issue. Recent findings reveal an unexpected cause behind many of these cases: hay fever.

A growing number of cases have emerged in Japan involving AI-generated deepfake pornography created using photos from school graduation albums, with some victims targeted through threats to share the material unless payments are made.

As Japan enjoys the economic boost from a surge in foreign tourists, the hot spring town of Atami has introduced a lodging tax in April to tackle overtourism—prompting backlash from Japanese travelers who question why they, too, must pay a fee meant for inbound tourism.

The Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) has suspended the training of new Ranger personnel across most units for the remainder of the current fiscal year, JNN has learned. This is the first long-term nationwide suspension of such training since the program began, marking an unprecedented development.

When the sun sets in the world’s most captivating cities, a different kind of elegance emerges. For the refined traveler who craves more than the ordinary, cities like Tokyo and Dubai transform into luxurious playgrounds where fantasies take flight under the moonlight.

A deepening labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry is beginning to impact homebuyers, with some experiencing delays of more than six months before construction can even begin due to a lack of available carpenters.

The Bank of Japan's March Tankan survey, a key quarterly economic report, showed that business sentiment among large manufacturers has deteriorated for the first time in four quarters.

The Japanese government approved a cabinet ordinance on April 1st to introduce a new pre-screening system for foreign companies investing in Japan. The revised regulation will take effect on May 19th.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

SoftBank Group has announced plans to make an additional investment of up to 40 billion dollars, or approximately 6 trillion yen, in OpenAI, the U.S.-based developer of ChatGPT.

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Tokyo has made it mandatory to install solar panels on newly built houses starting April 1st, as part of its broader effort to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

Japan's national budget for the new fiscal year is now set to pass within the current fiscal term, following an unusual set of deliberations in the Diet on March 28th.