Police in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday arrested a former member of KAT-TUN, an all-male idol group, on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Law, just nine days after he was convicted and given a suspended sentence for a similar crime earlier this year. (Japan Today)

Many parts of Japan had another sweltering day on Thursday, with temperatures rising dangerously close to 40 degrees Celsius in some places. The ongoing heatwave is raising the risk of heatstroke. (NHK)

Betting is extremely popular in Japan, with more and more people following the latest MLB picks to bet on the MBL, and more. (newsonjapan.com)

Business sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers cooled for the second straight quarter amid economic headwinds, including the war in Ukraine, the extended lockdown in China, and global supply shortages and inflation, the Bank of Japan's latest Tankan survey showed Friday. (Nikkei)

Japan’s energy “interests must not be undermined”, Tokyo said Friday, after Moscow issued a decree transferring operations of a key oil and gas project to a new Russian company. (The Sun daily )

Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) reported on Friday an investment loss of $16 billion in January-March, the first quarterly negative return in two years, as higher U.S. interest rates and the war in Ukraine rattled financial markets. (channelnewsasia.com)

The average land price in Japan as of Jan. 1 was up 0.5 percent from a year earlier, the National Tax Agency said Friday, rebounding from a fall in 2021 as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

The highest temperatures in at least 147 years have scorched much of eastern Japan for a week as of Friday, with the government asking citizens to cut power use as much as possible, while still running air conditioners to stay safe. (Reuters)

Today's numerous data releases, from inflation to labour to business surveys, suggest a positive outlook for Japan in the near term. The overall picture is still mixed and the figures aren't good enough to change the central bank's current stance (think.ing)

Japanese drinks giant Kirin said Monday it will withdraw from Myanmar, after a failed bid to disentangle its operations from a joint venture with a junta-owned company after last year's coup. (france24.com)

Scorching heat continued across Japan on Friday, with daytime highs exceeding 40 degrees Celsius at a record six locations. (NHK)

The Nikko Maizokin Bento is Y216,000 or $1,580. Comes with Nikko trout sushi & yuba, Tochigi wagyu steak, Hokkaido king crab, Kyushu prawns, Russian caviar, Japanese karasumi, pickles etc, and a carved, lacquered box with chopsticks. (Tokyotronic)

Gambling is one of the popular ways to pass the time and earn extra cash. (newsonjapan.com)

In Japan, gay marriage is not legal. The national government has maintained that only a man and a woman can be wedded, a position backed as recently as last month by a court in Osaka. (VICE)

Leading Japanese pay TV broadcaster Wowow has greenlit a live-action TV series spin-off of the legendary anime series Yatterman. (hollywoodreporter.com)

There are few places in the world that get quite as much curiosity pointed at their ways of doing things than Japan. (The Fancy Banana)

Elite boarding schools with superb facilities are mushrooming across Japan. The second-generation wealthy from China is the target of these prestigious international schools as they try to attract students from Asian households. (Spotlight on China)

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 3,803 new coronavirus cases, up 1,209 from Tuesday and up 1,474 from last Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Hawaiian Gov. David Ige says there are some promising developments in bringing more Japanese visitors to Hawaii, and also easing restrictions for Hawaii residents traveling to Japan. (KHON2 News)

Japan’s electricity grid creaked on Thursday under the strain of Tokyo’s hottest June since records began, with the unexpected shutdown of a power plant raising fears that tens of millions of people could be deprived of power on another scorching day. (Sun Daily)

Kanagawaw, Aushi Beach, June 2022. Temp: 33 C (Japan explorer)

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his government and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will work out a new document on their cooperation. (NHK)

We are going to Hokkaido by ferry today and stay in the ferry suite. The ferry departs from Maizura. (Shiba Travel)

Shares of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc. surged Wednesday as a heat wave in Japan boosted power demand in the capital. (marketwatch.com)

Japan is a country which has gone through many phases of power and decline. Here are the last (and future) 5 of those phases. Why does Japan go through these, and what will happen in its future? (h0ser)