Temperatures soared above 30C in northern Japan and northern Kyushu on Sunday, marking a true summer day, while weather conditions in western and eastern Japan worsened. In Tokyo, the early summer spectacle, the Asakusa Sanja Festival, reached its climax.

A next-generation vertical take-off and landing aircraft took to the skies of Tokyo for the first time on Friday. (NHK)

The Umeda area in Osaka is seeing a surge in high-rise apartment construction, including a 49-story residential skyscraper south of JR Osaka Station.

An estimated 68,000 elderly people die alone in Japan each year, according to recent data. From January to March this year, about 17,000 people aged 65 and over were found deceased in their homes.

Asakusa's Sanja Festival, heralding the arrival of early summer in Tokyo, has commenced. On its first day, May 17, a grand parade took place for the first time in five years.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three leaders of the political group 'Tsubasa Party' on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act by disrupting the speeches of other candidates during a House of Representatives by-election in Tokyo's 15th district. Investigators view this as a "challenge to democracy" and plan to pursue a thorough investigation.

Japan's National Police Agency revealed on May 16 that the amount of money lost to impersonation investment scams on social media totaled 21.9 billion yen in just three months from January to March this year.

An event allowing visitors to experience life in 2050 has launched in Tokyo, including an elevator which enables transportation to space via a cable extending from a satellite to Earth.

The Akihabara game store frequented by foreign visitors is not targeting the latest releases, but rather old game software. The soaring secondhand game market suggests that treasures might be hidden in your home.

Japanese workers are tightening their belts when it comes to expenditure on weekday lunches, as more people become conscious of saving money due to rising prices.

A revised Civil Code introducing 'joint custody' for children after divorce has been passed by the Diet. This marks the first time in 77 years that Japan has reviewed the approach to post-divorce custody.

A ranking of the 'most livable places' in the Tokyo metropolitan area has been announced. While the top three remained unchanged from last year, Katase-Enoshima Station made its debut at fourth place in this year's survey.

In the era of AI, SoftBank aims to be a leading company in various aspects. Yoshimitsu Goto, CFO of SoftBank Group, expressed their intention to further strengthen their position in the AI field during the earnings announcement on May 13.

In the vicinity of Kawaguchiko Station in Yamanashi Prefecture, taxis engaging in questionable practices such as soliciting passengers and parking illegally have become a rampant issue.

Have you ever experienced the sudden disappearance of your local sushi shop? Amid the success of major conveyor belt sushi chains, 'neighborhood sushi shops' are now facing an existential crisis.

A protest was held at the University of Tokyo on Thursday, coinciding with "Nakba Day" on May 15, with about 500 students advocating for Palestinian liberation and condemning Israel's actions as "massacres."

The race to develop advanced AI technology is intensifying, with companies like OpenAI and Google unveiling models packed with the latest innovations. These new AI systems can engage in conversations with human-like smoothness and generate high-quality videos from a single command. While this evolution shows no signs of slowing down, it also brings the alarming potential for the spread of fake information.

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has issued a warning about the dangers of consuming alcohol and energy drinks together.

Japan's real GDP growth rate for the first quarter of this year, from January to March, was announced by the Cabinet Office to be an annualized minus 2.0%.

'Shine, Stardust' follows the journey of a young girl named Aoi, who dreams of becoming a renowned astronomer.

Last month, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan exceeded 3 million for the second consecutive month. Among them, some are flocking to lesser-known spots that even many Japanese are unaware of.

Japan’s pension system is under review, and a key focus is on the "spousal pension" benefits. For homemakers, this is a pressing concern.

As the Japanese government begins discussions on the basic policies for its energy strategy, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has constructed a new substation and other infrastructure in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, to address the increasing power consumption of data centers.

The president and seven employees of The Grand Shield, previously featured in Japanese media due to financial troubles with dental braces, have been arrested for selling high-yield bonds without registration, promising annual returns of 20%. It is believed that two women among the suspects collected 4.6 billion yen alone.

Police in Tochigi Prefecture have arrested two Vietnamese men. They are investigating whether the two men were involved in a series of robberies that have taken place over the past month in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, and the nearby prefectures of Nagano, Gunma and Fukushima. (NHK)