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.

Japan Display (JDI), formed in 2012 through the merger of Hitachi, Toshiba, and Sony’s small and medium-sized LCD panel businesses, was once celebrated as the “Hinamaru LCD” and symbolized Japan’s national pride in the sector. By the fiscal year ending March 2016, its sales neared 1 trillion yen. However, its fortunes soon reversed, and it has now posted losses for eleven consecutive years.

Hoshoryu, who was promoted to the 74th yokozuna after the January Grand Sumo Tournament, held a celebration party on Sunday in Tokyo to mark his official promotion.

Okinawa Prefecture observed its annual Day of Remembrance on June 23rd, commemorating the more than 200,000 Japanese and American lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa during the final stages of the Pacific War.

A joint research team from Sakai City and Kokugakuin University announced on June 19th that they have confirmed the discovery of several burial artifacts from Daisen Kofun, Japan's largest keyhole-shaped tomb, which is managed by the Imperial Household Agency as the mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku.

The Taushubetsu River Bridge, an old arch bridge from the former National Railway Shihoro Line in Kamishihoro, Hokkaido, has once again begun to sink beneath the waters of Lake Nukabira this year.

A ceremonial ritual to carry sacred timber into the Ise Grand Shrine’s Inner Shrine was held on June 9th in preparation for the next Shikinen Sengu in 2033, when the shrine buildings are reconstructed once every 20 years.

To protect workers from customer harassment, such as unreasonable demands from clients or business partners, the revised Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Measures Law and related legislation were passed and enacted in the Upper House on June 4th. The revision mandates that all companies implement measures against so-called "customer harassment" (kasuhara). It also requires the disclosure of data such as the ratio of women in management positions, aiming to promote a society where women can thrive.

Hana Sugisaki appeared at the 62nd Galaxy Awards ceremony held in Tokyo on June 2nd, where she was honored with the Individual Award in the television category. The accolade, presented by the Broadcast Critics Association, recognized her performances in the dramas "Unmet: A Neurosurgeon's Diary" and "Diamond Sleeping in the Sea."

Shigeo Nagashima, one of Japan’s most iconic postwar figures and known as "Mr. Pro Baseball," has died at the age of 89, it was learned on June 3rd. A native of Chiba Prefecture, Nagashima helped define an era of professional baseball and became a national hero.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on June 2nd unveiled its new unmanned cargo spacecraft, the HTV-X, at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. Designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), the HTV-X is undergoing final preparations for launch within fiscal 2025.

The National Day of Palestine was celebrated at Expo 2025 in Osaka on June 1st with a vibrant performance by a traditional dance troupe from the West Bank, earning a standing ovation from the audience.

A grand maritime parade featuring the iconic Japanese tall ship Nippon Maru and around 50 small yachts took place in Osaka Bay on May 31st near Yumeshima, the man-made island hosting the Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is once again accusing Japan of deliberately weakening the yen to boost its exports, claiming the government is guiding the currency downward in a move reminiscent of the 1985 Plaza Accord.

The Japanese government will begin selling its stockpile of rice directly to major retailers, aiming to put 5-kilogram bags on supermarket shelves for around 2,000 yen (before tax) as early as early June, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on Monday.

The second day of the Soma Nomaoi festival—designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government—featured its most anticipated spectacles: the armored horse race and the sacred flag competition, held on May 25th at the Hibarigahara festival grounds in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture.

Actress Masami Nagasawa appeared at the Japan premiere of her latest film Doll House on May 21st in Tokyo. The horror-thriller, set to be released nationwide on June 13th, features Nagasawa in the lead role, with co-stars Koji Seto and Tetsushi Tanaka also present at the event.

Agriculture Minister Taketaka Eto of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party stated during a speech in Saga City on May 18th that he has never purchased rice, explaining, "I receive a lot from supporters—enough that I could practically sell it. That's how much is in my household pantry."

A peace march calling for the reduction of the burden caused by U.S. military bases was held in Okinawa on May 17th, marking 53 years since the prefecture's reversion to Japan.

The Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo, a signature early-summer tradition of the downtown area, reached its peak on Saturday as groups of local carried mikoshi through the streets in the main 'Rengo Togyo' procession despite the rain.

The revised Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, passed by Japan's Upper House on May 14th, will allow over-the-counter drugs to be sold at convenience stores if consumers first receive online guidance from licensed pharmacists or other qualified professionals.

A civic group based in Usa City, Oita Prefecture, that collects and analyzes footage from the Pacific War, released 15 pieces of rare video to the press on May 10th. The footage includes scenes of kamikaze aircraft crashing into a U.S. aircraft carrier, as well as aerial shots of Japanese villages attacked by American forces.

A stolen Buddhist statue from Tsushima was returned to Japan on May 10th, marking a significant step toward resolving a diplomatic dispute that has strained Japan-South Korea relations for over a decade.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who is set to retire in June, gave an interview in Tokyo on May 8th, where he expressed a positive stance toward Japan’s potential bid to host future Olympic Games, saying such a move would be "highly welcomed" if the conditions are right.

The Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture has begun preparations for its next shikinen sengu, the ceremonial reconstruction of its shrine buildings and transfer of deities held once every 20 years. The process officially commenced on May 2nd with the Yamaguchi Festival, the first in a series of sacred rites.