The rainy season may be in effect for much of the archipelago but temperatures are in mid-summer form. (tokyoreporter.com)

A man who was confirmed with rabies, the first case in Japan in 14 years, has died of the disease. (NHK)

Temperatures soared across many parts of Japan on Monday, with the mercury hitting 35 degrees Celsius in portions of the Kanto region. (NHK)

Officials in Tokyo are working on preventive measures to prepare for another possible surge of coronavirus infections. They've set up a team of experts amid a recent daily spike in confirmed cases. (NHK)

My favorite view of Tokyo Tower is here. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Asia’s largest retailer is betting that it has the right product at the right time: a Uniqlo face mask. (Japan Times)

A 15-year-old girl was hit and killed by a train in an apparent suicide in Fujimi, Saitama Prefecture, on Saturday. According to police, the incident occurred at around 10 a.m. between Tsuruse and Mizuhodai stations on the Tobu Tojo Line, Sankei Shimbun reported. (Japan Today)

The Black Lives Matter movement found a foothold in Tokyo as thousands of protesters marched in the capital on Sunday to protest racism and police brutality, and spread awareness of racial discrimination in Japan amid a wave of demonstrations worldwide following the killing of George Floyd in the United States. (Japan Times)

What are the odds COVID-19 patients with no symptoms could later develop them? (Japan Times)

An explosion at a Honda Motor Co. plant in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, seriously injured two men on Sunday, police said. (Japan Times)

Japanese weather officials are warning of localized heavy rains in wide areas of western to northeastern Japan by Monday morning. (NHK)

A rocket developed by a Japanese venture firm has failed to reach space. (NHK)

Kenki Fukuoka, who starred for Japan at last autumn's Rugby World Cup, said Sunday he won't compete in next year's postponed Tokyo Olympics in order to stay on course for a future in medicine. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Sunday reported 47 new coronavirus infections in the capital, with 18 of them confirmed through a group examination newly initiated in the Kabukicho entertainment district in Shinjuku Ward, Gov. Yuriko Koike said. (Japan Times)

This weekend, shopping streets liek this one in Ginza reopened. Tokyo is back -- but, with conditions. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Health authorities in Japan's northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido, have reported dozens of coronavirus infections at cafes where people perform karaoke. (NHK)

If you think your life has been a little difficult of late, spare a thought for the parents who have needed to prepare three meals a day for hungry children who have been forced to spend time at home following the school closures since March. A number of mothers, in particular, have taken to social media in recent weeks to vent their frustrations. (Japan Times)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 rattled southwestern Japan on early Sunday but no tsunami warning was issued, the weather agency said. (Kyodo)

Karaoke fans in Tokyo got a taste of the “new normal” on Friday, the first day after business closure requests for such establishments were lifted following a fall in new coronavirus cases. (Japan Times)

A citizens’ group has filed a criminal complaint against former head Tokyo prosecutor Hiromu Kurokawa, who resigned after a weekly magazine reported he had played mahjong for money, which is an illegal act. (Japan Times)

A scenic train in Kyoto, western Japan, is running again after suspending services in early April due to the coronavirus. (NHK)

Members of Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party speculate that some officials are poising themselves to become the next party leader. (NHK)

A Japanese railway company has invited members of the media to test-ride a new Shinkansen bullet train model, the N700S series. . (NHK)

Tokyo is the third most expensive city for expats, according to a U.S. consulting firm’s cost of living survey, down from second last year and trailing top-ranked Hong Kong for the third consecutive year. (Japan Times)

Narita is — quiet. More staff than passengers!! Walk with us through the Departures today and the airport shopping area. (ONLY in JAPAN)