Alarm bells are beginning to sound in Japan due to the recent spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more transmissible than other strains and has even begun to test countries that were widely lauded for their speedy vaccine rollouts. (Japan Times)

Visitors leave their clothes and their worries at the wooden entrance to Inari-yu, a sento, or public bathhouse, in northern Tokyo. (economist.com)

The Japanese Olympic Committee has named sprinter Yamagata Ryota captain of Team Japan for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Table tennis player Ishikawa Kasumi has been named vice-captain. (NHK)

Japan and China’s manufacturing activities are taking the hit from the worldwide shortage of semiconductors, with both countries reporting declines that might compromise their nascent recoveries. (marketwatch.com)

Today we are exploring the beautiful city of Kagoshima in Kyushu, taking a walk from the mountains and somehow ending up on Japan's most Active Volcano, Sakurajima. (Tokyo Lens Explore)

Many foreign Olympic teams are arriving in Japan ahead of the start of the Tokyo Games on July 23. (NHK)

Japan's health minister has expressed concern over an increase in the number of people who are out and about at night in Tokyo amid the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

A seasonal rain front is bringing downpours to eastern and western Japan. Information on heavy rain inundation and landslides has been issued for Tokyo. (NHK)

Low-cost carrier Spring Airlines Japan has become a subsidiary of Japan Airlines. (NHK)

Land prices in Japan fell 0.5% on average in 2021 from a year before, down for the first time in six years due to loss in demand by foreign visitors amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Thursday. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike was discharged Wednesday from hospital following treatment for severe fatigue, the metropolitan government said, less than a month before the opening of the Olympics. (Japan Today)

Coronavirus variants with the L452R mutation that were first detected in India are spreading at a fast pace in Tokyo. (NHK)

AICHI (TR) – A 39-year-old man who is suspected of stealing recorders from female students in Nagoya has been further accused of stalking, police have revealed, reports Fuji News Network. (tokyoreporter.com)

SHIZUOKA (TR) – Shizuoka Prefectural Police are holding custody of a python that was discovered at a residence in Hamamatsu City on Sunday, reports TV Shizuoka (tokyoreporter.com)

A firm created to take over the personal care division of Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido has unveiled its business strategy. (NHK)

Helping Carlos Ghosn escape trial in Japan was a mistake, one that they deeply regret, said the Americans who helped the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman flee the nation to safety in Lebanon. (Japan Times)

Japan will replace red mailboxes with golden ones in locations linked to champions at the upcoming Tokyo Games, in honor of their achievements, the government and Japan Post Co. have said. (Japan Times)

After 15 years of a very focused formula, Zenryokuzaka is making a change. (soranews24.com)

A man who broke out of a quarantine hotel in Osaka City last week was apprehended on Wednesday, police have revealed, reports Kansai TV (June 30). (tokyoreporter.com)

A private jet that landed in Tokyo's Haneda Airport Tuesday afternoon looked perfectly normal on the outside. What made it special was on the inside: fuel made from used cooking oil and a kind of algae. (NHK)

TOKYO (TR) – A popular bar hostess has been accused of stabbing of a male acquaintance in an incident whose sound was live-streamed on the internet, police have revealed, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

A man has admitted consuming alcohol before the truck he was driving was involved in an accident that left two elementary school children dead and three others injured near Tokyo, investigative sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Two elementary school boys were killed and three other pupils were seriously injured Monday when a truck driven by a drunk man crashed into them on a street in Chiba Prefecture, police said. (Japan Today)

A panel of experts advising the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has voiced concern about a possible resurgence of coronavirus cases in the capital, saying the situation could worsen quickly. (NHK)

Japan is backing off a forecast of how many gold medals it will win at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics that are set to open next month. (newindianexpress.com)