Toyota Industries Corporation announced on Monday that it has developed a two-wheeled transport robot capable of moving autonomously in narrow spaces where workers are present.

Director Mamoru Hosoda’s new anime film Endless Scarlet was officially screened at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 4th, where it received thunderous applause from the audience.

A steam locomotive derailed during a test run on the JR Joetsu Line in Gunma Prefecture late on Thursday morning.

As summer vacation ends, absenteeism among schoolchildren is on the rise, with the number of cases reaching record levels. The impact extends beyond children, with parents increasingly being forced to leave their jobs to care for them.

The 97th National Fireworks Competition, known as "Omagari no Hanabi," was held on August 30 at the Omagari no Hanabi Park along the Omono River in Daisen, Akita Prefecture. About 18,000 shells were launched, sending great rings of light across the night sky.

A glider crashed on land near the Menuma Glider Airfield along the Tone River in Kumagaya, Saitama, at about 11:55 a.m. on August 31, and the pilot, a woman believed to be in her 20s, was confirmed dead.

Toyota Arena Tokyo, the new home stadium for B1 B-League Division 1 (B1) team Alvark Tokyo, completed in Aomi, Tokyo, was unveiled to the press on the 28th.

At the Sone Manufacturing Plant in Kitakyushu, where the former Imperial Japanese Army produced poison gas shells, a newly uncovered report shows that workers suffered a series of accidents resulting in injuries.

Nissan Motor announced on Friday that it will fully redesign and launch its Roox minicar this fall, marking the first new domestic model in about three years. The new Roox is the first Nissan minicar to feature a 3D surround-view system that allows drivers to confirm their surroundings in a three-dimensional display, enhancing safety functions.

Aichi prefectural police arrested 29 Japanese men and women on Wednesday on suspicion of attempted fraud, following their detention at a facility in Cambodia believed to be a hub for organized scams.

The Akita Kanto Festival, one of the Tohoku region’s major summer events and designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by the national government, opened on August 3rd.

Miyu Yamashita, 24, secured her first major championship on August 3rd at the AIG Women’s British Open, held at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in West Wales. The course, a par 72, tested the world’s best, but Yamashita prevailed to become the first Japanese golfer to win the tournament since Hinako Shibuno’s victory in 2019.

The long-running Marunouchi TOEI movie theater in Tokyo’s Ginza district, a beloved venue directly operated by major film studio Toei since its opening in 1960, closed its doors on Sunday.

A Guinness World Record was set on July 26th at the outdoor arena of the Osaka Kansai Expo site, where thousands came together to perform Bon Odori in a display of international unity. According to the official Guinness adjudicator, 3,946 participants from 62 countries took part, setting a new record for the largest Bon Odori dance with the most nationalities involved.

The theme park "Junglia Okinawa" opened on July 25th in Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture. Set amidst lush natural surroundings, the park offers a sense of openness and adventure, featuring 22 attractions including the "Dinosaur Safari," where visitors can ride through the jungle while being chased by dinosaurs.

A procession of elaborately decorated yamahoko floats took place on July 24th in central Kyoto as part of the latter half of the Gion Festival, known as the Ato-matsuri. The parade featured 11 floats, each adorned with luxurious decorations, making their way through the streets on a route opposite to that of the earlier procession held on July 17th.

Japan's Environment Ministry on July 19th transported soil generated during decontamination efforts in Fukushima Prefecture—following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster—to the front garden of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo's Nagatacho district.

For the first time in 27 years, since the 118th prize in 1998, both the Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize were left without a recipient, marking only the sixth instance in the prize’s history that such a decision has been made.

The Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed its first V-22 Osprey to a newly opened base in Saga, with all 17 aircraft to be relocated from Chiba by mid-August as part of Japan’s shift to strengthen defense in the southwest region.

A pod of sperm whales was observed sleeping in an upright position near Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, with their heads pointing toward the surface in what appeared to be vertical rest. The sighting was made on June 23rd by Amami Marine Life Research Group chairman Katsuki Okoshi, who captured the rare moment about 15 kilometers west of the island.

The Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji (3,776 meters) officially opened to climbers on July 1st. Under clear skies, hikers welcomed the season with cheers as the rising sun cast a glowing orange hue through the summit clouds.

Japan’s land values have risen nationwide for the fourth consecutive year, with the National Tax Agency releasing new roadside land prices on July 1st that show a continued upward trend driven by suburbanization and redevelopment.

A man convicted of murdering nine people in one of Japan's most disturbing serial killing cases was executed on June 27th. Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, had been sentenced to death for robbery, rape, and murder in a case that came to light in October 2017 after police discovered nine dismembered bodies stored in coolers in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. It marks the first execution under the Ishiba administration, following an order by Justice Minister Keishu Suzuki.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet, one of the United Kingdom's leading ballet companies, performed on an outdoor stage at the Osaka-Kansai Expo on June 25th, captivating the large audience with its graceful ballet.

A court in Japan has sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa last year.