Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Honda will launch a new compact electric vehicle in Japan as it seeks to expand EV sales and rebuild its four-wheel business following its first annual loss since listing.

An advanced artificial intelligence model developed by U.S.-based AI startup Anthropic is raising alarm worldwide over the growing threat of AI-powered cyberattacks, with experts warning that financial systems and critical infrastructure could become targets if the technology falls into the wrong hands.

A safety alert is expected to be issued as early as May 21st over Tavneos, a drug used to treat vasculitis, after 20 patients who took the medication died from serious liver dysfunction, according to people familiar with the matter.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has released an assessment of passive exposure to heated tobacco products, saying that while harmful substances in the air increase when such products are used indoors, the link with cancer risk cannot be determined at this stage.

Japan’s imports of crude oil from the Middle East plunged 67.2% in April from a year earlier, as the impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz began to ripple through the country’s trade and energy supply chains.

The impact of tensions in the Middle East is spreading to familiar snacks in Japan, with Morinaga & Co. temporarily suspending sales of some caramel products, including its long-selling Hi-Soft brand, after difficulties emerged in securing certain raw materials.

The Nikkei Stock Average rebounded sharply on May 21st after falling below 60,000 at the previous day's close, briefly rising more than 2,200 points as hopes grew for progress in talks toward ending the fighting between the United States and Iran, while SoftBank Group gave the market a major boost following reports that OpenAI was preparing to file for an initial public offering.

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Nikkei Stock Average surged by more than 2,100 points at one stage in trading on May 21st, with the benchmark index continuing to trade above the 61,000 level in the Tokyo stock market.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met on May 19th and agreed to strengthen cooperation in both economic and security fields, highlighting growing alignment between the two countries as instability spreads across the Middle East and uncertainty deepens over the future direction of U.S.-China relations.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department held a review ceremony for its riot police units at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo on May 20th, with around 1,700 officers marching in formation as part of a large-scale demonstration of security preparedness.

The Japanese government has released a set of guidelines titled "Six Rules to Avoid Encountering Bears" as bear sightings across the country continue to rise sharply compared to the same period in previous years.

Actors Kentarō Ito and Natsuki Deguchi have become the focus of intense speculation after the pair were reportedly seen together late at night in the parking area of an apartment complex.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Toshiba announced on May 20th that they had jointly developed a new stock index utilizing quantum technology.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

Two intruders claiming to be Americans climbed into Punch the monkey's compound on Sunday morning, one wearing a yellow costume while the other filmed, causing a disturbing scene at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba.

Hitachi announced on May 19th that it has entered into a partnership with U.S.-based startup Anthropic to develop AI systems for a broad range of sectors including electricity and transportation.

Getting consistent Japanese speaking practice has historically meant enrolling in a class, hiring a tutor, or finding a native speaker willing to meet on a regular schedule.

Japan’s GDP, or gross domestic product, expanded at an annualized rate of 2.1% from January to March 2026, marking a second consecutive quarter of positive growth as exports and consumer spending supported the economy.

Japan’s food delivery industry is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with major operators locked in a prolonged battle over pricing and market share while profitability remains elusive, raising concerns about the future of domestic player Demae-can, whose stock has plunged roughly 97% from its pandemic-era peak.

A bear sighting in a residential area of Hachioji, western Tokyo, at the end of April has heightened concerns among local residents as encounters involving bears continue to increase across Japan.

A 78-year-old man who drove off a brown bear by punching it in the nose has recounted the terrifying ordeal, as an unusual surge in spring bear sightings continues across Japan, including in the Kanto region and Tokyo.

The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted yen-buying intervention since the end of last month in an effort to slow the currency’s decline, though the broader trend of yen weakness has shown little sign of reversing.

The government will hold a cross-ministerial meeting on May 18th to discuss measures to address risks associated with high-performance artificial intelligence (AI).