Scorching heat hit Japan on Sunday. The temperature shot up to over 39 degrees Celsius in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. That's a national record high for May. (NHK)

In sumo, rank-and-file wrestler Asanoyama has clinched his first tournament title. (NHK)

Japan's top trade negotiator with the United States has said both sides continue to differ on negotiations for a trade deal, adding that they need to work further to narrow the gap. (NHK)

Temperatures rose across Japan on Saturday to highs usually not seen until the height of summer, causing hundreds of people to be taken to hospitals and prompting the weather agency to issue heatstroke warnings. (Japan Today)

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to spend a full day with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, ahead of their summit on Monday. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways debuted flights of a double-decker Airbus A380 from Narita Airport north of Tokyo, bound for Hawaii on Friday. (NHK)

A male Canadian national employed at a day care facility in Kitakyushu City who was caught abusing a child on video has had his contract canceled by the facility, reports Fuji News Network (May 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to start a four-day state visit to Japan on Saturday, a historic event that will make him the first foreign leader to meet with new Emperor Naruhito. (Kyodo)

Police in Japan are stepping up security for an upcoming visit by US President Donald Trump. (NHK)

Many parts of Japan saw the mercury top 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Weather officials are warning of unseasonal high temperatures over the weekend. (NHK)

Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 23-year-old male Australian national who is suspected of scrawling graffiti in dozens of locations in Kyoto City, reports Fuji News Network (May 22). (tokyoreporter.com)

The International Olympic Committee says boxing is set to maintain its place in the 2020 Tokyo Games, but that the sport's international association should be excluded from organizing the events due to a number of problems. (NHK)

Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of Japanese boy band KAT-TUN, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of possessing marijuana, the Narcotics Control Department said. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Electric Power Company has put on hold its plans to hire foreigners under a new type of work visa in decommissioning work at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK)

It's a spring morning as seven food trucks pitch up by an office building in Ginza, where a few curious workers are already nosing around for lunch options. Run by husband-and-wife duo Naoya and Rieko Shibutani, the Pieni Kissa van is a big hit and queues quickly form to take advantage of its best-selling taco rice. (Nikkei)

Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Tuesday he plans to ask overseas media outlets to write Japanese names with the family name first, as is customary in the Japanese language. (Kyodo)

The Supreme Court and other legal professionals in Japan have hosted a symposium to mark the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the country's lay judge system. (NHK)

Tokyo DisneySea has begun its largest expansion project ever. (NHK)

This year's pass ratio of female applicants for admission to the scandal-tainted Tokyo Medical University, which had discriminated against women for more than a decade, was slightly higher than that of male applicants, figures released by the university have shown. (Japan Times)

Japanese Emperor Naruhito transplanted rice seedlings in a paddy at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Monday. (NHK)

The Cultural Affairs Agency on Monday announced 16 additions to its Japan Heritage list of tangible and intangible cultural properties that have been preserved based on unique regional histories and traditions, including narratives. (Japan Times)

A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of threatening to kill a member of a sister group of the popular girl band AKB48, police said. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to sign an agreement on joint lunar exploration and other space-related projects when they meet here May 27, seeking to stay a step ahead of China and other rivals. (Nikkei)

Japanese authorities raised the volcanic alert level for Mt Hakone on Sunday and warned people not to approach the crater, as seismic activity has been increasing in the popular hot-spring resort area near Tokyo. (Japan Today)

Imagine you are a Chinese tourist visiting Japan for the first time. Your travels take you to Osaka and the 40-story Umeda Sky Building, with its fine views of the city. After awhile, you look for the exit and are confronted with the following sign in Chinese: "Ni tui chu." ("You get out of here.") (Nikkei)