When you visit Japan, a phenomenon that is definitely bound to hit you at some point of time is Pachinko. These are vertical pinball-like slot machines that a great multitude of Japanese love to play. There are close to 10,600 Pachinko parlours spread all over Japan, with rows and rows of these flashing and colourful machines. (newsonjapan.com)

A remark made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a Group of 20 dinner that the installation of elevators at Osaka Castle was a "big mistake" has been criticized as lacking consideration for disabled people and especially inappropriate ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics next year. (Japan Today)

Japanese meteorological authorities have issued evacuation advisories for more than one million people in the prefectures of Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Ehime. (NHK)

A new Japanese law took effect on Monday to prevent the spread of passive smoke, and bans indoor smoking in public spaces. (NHK)

A 26-year-old man in custody for allegedly dumping the corpse of his wife in Hiratsuka City last week has admitted to mutilating the body beforehand, police have revealed, reports Kyodo News (June 28). (tokyoreporter.com)

With Japan’s revised health promotion law, which includes enhanced measures against secondhand smoke, set to partially take effect at the beginning of July, universities across the country are divided over rules governing smoking. (Japan Times)

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee met in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Sunday to screen 35 new nominations. A group of ancient burial mounds in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan is one of them. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made little headway in resolving a long-standing territorial dispute in talks Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the two agreeing to have their governments continue negotiations. (Japan Today)

Weather officials are calling for caution as continuing heavy rain may cause landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and swollen rivers till midweek. (NHK)

Four years after the landmark Paris deal, international consensus on strong action to tackle climate change risks crumbling, with the issue among the biggest sticking points at the G20 summit. (Japan Today)

Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission, or IWC, on Sunday. The country will resume commercial whaling the next day. (NHK)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that a decades-old security treaty between their countries must be changed, reiterating his criticism of the pact as unfair. (Japan Today)

The G20 summit will be officially underway in Osaka, with leaders kicking off the two-day gathering on Friday. (NHK)

American TV star Kim Kardashian West has sparked controversy by naming her new brand of underwear after the traditional Japanese garment. (NHK)

Line Corp. unveiled new services from credit scoring to an AI-powered robot receptionist, as the operator of Japan’s dominant messaging platform seeks to expand beyond chat. (Japan Times)

The body of a newborn baby, with its umbilical cord still attached, was found in high grass near the bank of the Arakawa River in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward on Thursday. (Japan Today)

Spectators at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games may be allowed to bring their own bottled drinks into event venues, marking a major departure from past security procedures, organizers indicated Thursday. (Japan Today)

Tokyo and surrounding prefectures are bracing for Tropical Storm Sepat. Weather officials are warning of heavy rain and mudslides along their coasts. (NHK)

Japan is a country obsessed with novelty flavored snacks, such as KitKats made with local specialties. It now has another one to boast about: a soft serve ice cream featuring umami flavoring derived from kelp. (Nikkei)

Universities conducting classes in English, intellectual debates between foreign and Japanese students where new ideas are created — these are just some of the things the central government envisions for the nation’s higher education in order to become a magnet for talented researchers and students alike. (Japan Times)

A jogger found the legless body of a woman at a beach in the city of Hiratsuka, southwest of Tokyo, on Thursday morning, police said. (Japan Today)

Japanese officials say a survey shows that a visa system the country uses to benefit highly-skilled foreign workers is not being widely used. They say many of those eligible don't take advantage of it. (NHK)

The Japanese internet is currently abuzz over an unusual sea creature called a “wrinkle ribbon worm” (shiwa himo mushi). This member of a wildly diverse phylum of creatures measures about 70 centimeters (27 inches) long and bears an eerie resemblance to intestines. (soranews24.com)

See what your country and national flag look like as a samurai warrior! (soranews24.com)

Japan has been getting more into the reduction of single-use plastics recently and major izakaya (Japanese pub) chain Watami is gearing up for a big change to follow suit. Starting on Thursday, they will be eliminating plastic straws from their inventory, but more interesting is what they are replacing them with. (Japan Today)