A Tokyo startup that failed to launch its small “Kairos No. 2” rocket from a site in Wakayama Prefecture has disclosed that a malfunctioning sensor was to blame.

Ministop, a major Japanese convenience store chain, is under scrutiny following revelations of tampered expiry dates on in-store food items. President Masatsugu Hotta held a press conference at 4 p.m. on September 1st, formally apologizing again for the issue that came to light on August 18th.

If you run a small hotel in Japan—a family ryokan in Hakone, a six-room machiya in Kyoto, a compact business hotel near a Shinkansen stop—you already know busy seasons can feel like controlled chaos.

An 18-year-old high school student from Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, has been arrested for attempting to murder his uncle by lacing his miso soup with poisonous plant leaves in July.

Japanese women are marrying later than ever. In 2023, the average age at first marriage hit 29.7 for women and 31.1 for men. Many young adults aren't dating at all. Only 53.7% of 20-year-olds reported having dated someone in 2025, the lowest rate since 2016.

The Tokyo Toy Show opened on August 28, spotlighting “nostalgic yet new” products even as the latest releases filled the exhibition halls. One standout was the revival of the Showa-era “supercar bicycle,” updated for today.

Toyota Arena Tokyo, the new home stadium for B1 B-League Division 1 (B1) team Alvark Tokyo, completed in Aomi, Tokyo, was unveiled to the press on the 28th.

A consortium of 12 Japanese companies, including Mitsui & Co., Mitsubishi Corporation, and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, has invested in U.S. startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is working to commercialize fusion power. The investment is believed to total several billion yen.

The Tokyo Toy Show opened in Tokyo on August 28, with about 210 companies from Japan and overseas exhibiting roughly 35,000 products. Japan’s toy market reached 1 trillion yen for the first time in fiscal 2023 and continues to expand despite the declining birthrate.

Online flea-market operator Mercari has announced that, effective September 1, fetal ultrasound photos will removed in an effort to thwart 'papa-katsu' scammers.

JR Central and other operators announced they will launch on October 4 a service that allows passengers to reserve Shinkansen tickets through the LINE app. The service will cover the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines, spanning the corridor from Tokyo to Kagoshima-Chuo.

Japan’s consumer-electronics leaders, long associated with engineering prowess, face a radically altered global landscape. Once-defining products—Sharp’s all-transistor calculators and wall-mounted TVs, Sony’s Walkman, Panasonic’s image-stabilized camcorders and keep-warm rice cookers—are now symbols of a past era as companies pivot and rivals surge.

Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino, will ride a 112-year-old restored ceremonial carriage at his coming-of-age ceremony in September.

Cutting-edge technologies and services—including drones and robots—lined the venue as the Japan Startup Awards held its ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office on August 26.

Travel publishers Rurubu and Jalan News have highlighted two remote islands as standout summer destinations: Shodoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, set in the Seto Inland Sea, and Fukue Island in the Goto Islands of Nagasaki Prefecture.

City halls in Japan are fielding a barrage of phone calls after rumors spread online that 'an influx of African immigrants will begin, crime will rise, and public safety will deteriorate,' following the designation of four Japanese municipalities as home towns for partner countries in Africa.

JPYC, a fintech company, said it will begin issuing a yen-pegged stablecoin as early as September. Stablecoins are a form of digital money designed to maintain a stable value by being backed by assets such as legal tender.

The car long dubbed a 'wolf in sheep’s clothing' is going back to sleep. Nissan’s GT-R saw its final unit completed on Tuesday, drawing a curtain on an 18-year run for the current model.

A late-summer heat wave pushed central Tokyo to its 10th consecutive day meeting the 'extremely hot' threshold of 35°C on August 27, updating the all-time records both for the longest streak and for the annual count of such days. By 2 p.m., the city had reached 36.0°C as crowds moved under parasols and sought shade in Shibuya despite the month drawing to a close.

The Japan Department Stores Association said July nationwide sales totaled 468.3 billion yen, down 6.2% from a year earlier, marking a sixth consecutive monthly decline.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it will postpone both the launch and start of operations for the Himawari-10 weather satellite by about a year.

As poverty deepens in Japan, more children are eating alone and food inequality is widening, eroding the simple pleasure of dining out. In response, “children’s cafeterias” that provide meals and safe places to spend time are spreading nationwide; their number topped 10,000 last year, exceeding the count of public junior high schools.

A new wave of gyaru fashion is surging in the Reiwa era, and this time the center of the boom is elementary school children.

The most effective option when you encounter a bear and are about to be attacked is bear spray. Using capsaicin, it is expected to slow the animal’s movements and help avert an attack.

A man arrested on suspicion of killing a resident in a Kobe apartment had tailed her for more than 30 minutes before the attack, including boarding the same train, according to investigators.