A man has been questioned by police for possessing a vessel containing what appeared to be homemade gunpowder near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo earlier this week, investigative sources said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

In Major League Baseball, Japanese two-way star Ohtani Shohei has become the first player in 104 years to achieve double-digit wins and home runs in a single season -- a feat not seen since Babe Ruth. (NHK)

Unification Church followers in Japan and their families have faced harassment and death threats since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the organization's Japanese branch said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Resale prices of some Toyota models have topped what new ones sell for as Japan's top automaker keeps car buyers waiting. (Nikkei)

Six members of two apparently unrelated families were found dead in Aichi and Saitama prefectures on Tuesday and Wednesday, with local police investigating the deaths as suspected cases of murder and family suicide, respectively. (Japan Today)

Japan's population declined to 125.93 million as of Jan. 1, down by 726,342 in its biggest drop since comparable data became available in 2013, as deaths again outnumbered births and COVID-19 border restrictions kept foreign resident numbers low, government data showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Japanese designer Issey Miyake, famed for his pleated style of clothing that never wrinkles, has died aged 84, according to media reports in the country. (Al Jazeera)

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has removed ministers associated with the Unification church in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving his fortunes amid a public outcry over his party’s ties to the religious movement. (theguardian.com)

Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, have arrested a man on suspicion of violating the anti-stalking law after he mailed his female target a GPS tracker to find her new home address. (Japan Today)

The rainy season may be over, but the scorching heat of summer in Tokyo has Shizuka seeking places to chill out and cool down. Join us as we dive into the water-themed restaurants of Tokyo. (Japan by Food)

Top Japanese lender MUFG Bank has won approval from Chinese authorities to conduct fund transfers out of the country for select clients in a way that reduces scrutiny by Beijing and slashes paperwork. (Nikkei)

Police in Osaka have arrested a 22-year-old police officer on suspicion of unlawful entry after he was trespassing in a shipping company’s distribution center on Sunday. (Japan Today)

Heavy downpours will continue into Wednesday in the northern and northeastern regions of Japan due to a stationary rain front. (NHK)

Japanese technology company SoftBank Group posted a USD 23.4 billion loss in the April-June quarter as the value of its investments sank amid global worries about inflation and interest rates. (dailyexcelsior.com)

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. But even then it's not free from scams. We explore two of the worst. ( Abroad in Japan)

The Moscow Exchange suspended trading in Japanese yen on Monday. (china.org.cn)

People in Japan are remembering the victims of one of history's most catastrophic wartime attacks. Tuesday marks 77 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki during World War Two. (NHK)

Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida slid to the lowest level since he took office last October, with voters questioning his decision to hold a state funeral for former premier Shinzo Abe, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday. (brecorder.com)

A Japanese sailor has been stabbed at Bloody Ridge in Solomon Islands during a World War II remembrance ceremony in Honiara. (rnz.co.nz)

Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios ended a three-year title drought by claiming the trophy at the site of his last triumph, saving the only break point he faced in the Citi Open final Sunday along the way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Yoshihito Nishioka. (Japan Today)

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Japanese weather officials are urging people to take precautions against heatstroke, as sweltering heat is expected in many parts of the country in the coming days. (NHK)

I'm going to travel to Shirakawa-go, one of the most famous historical villages in Japan. It's known for Gassho-style house. ( Solo Travel Japan)

Powdered matcha green tea can improve the quality of sleep and partially enhance cognitive function, results from a Japanese clinical trial suggest. (Nikkei)

Japan plunged 60 places to 90th in the latest edition of Nikkei's COVID-19 Recovery Index, as the omicron subvariant known as BA.5 has saddled the country with more daily cases than anywhere else. (Nikkei)