Toyota Motor will suspend production at 13 domestic factories on June 3rd as Typhoon No. 6 approaches Japan, with the company prioritizing the safety of employees and contractors as severe weather is expected to affect a wide area from western to eastern Japan.

[updated 13:30 p.m.] Typhoon No. 6 is expected to move close to southern Kyushu on June 2nd before tracking near the Pacific coast from western to eastern Japan on June 3rd, bringing the risk of severe weather, torrential rain, powerful winds, and dangerous waves. Forecasters warn that some areas could receive an entire month's worth of rainfall within a short period, raising concerns over landslides, flooding, and swollen rivers.

The latest film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Sheep in the Box, opened in Japan on May 29th after being screened in the Competition section at the Cannes Film Festival, bringing to the screen a near-future story about a grieving couple who welcome into their home a humanoid modeled on their deceased seven-year-old son.

Emperor Naruhito visited the Iwabuchi Floodgate on Tokyo's Arakawa River by boat on June 1st, inspecting one of the capital's most important flood control facilities.

Former XG producer SIMON, whose real name is Junho Sakai, received a suspended prison sentence on June 1st after being convicted of using cocaine.

ENEOS Holdings, Japan's largest oil refiner, is accelerating its push overseas as it seeks to raise the share of revenue generated outside Japan from roughly 20% today to 50% in the future, according to President Tomohide Miyata, who outlined the company's growth strategy in an extended interview that was not fully aired on TV Tokyo's World Business Satellite (WBS).

The Japan Housing Finance Agency announced on June 1st the interest rates that will apply in June for Flat 35, Japan’s long-term fixed-rate housing loan program.

A black-and-white version of Calbee's popular Kappa Ebisen snack has appeared on supermarket shelves in Tokyo as concerns over the supply of printing materials linked to Middle East tensions ripple through Japan's food industry, while more than 1,000 food products are set to become more expensive in June.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on June 1st, urging Iran to demonstrate maximum flexibility in its ongoing discussions with the United States and expressing hope that an agreement on the nuclear issue can be reached as soon as possible.

More than 400 flights were canceled across Japan on June 1st as Typhoon No. 6 battered Okinawa, shutting down airports, suspending public transportation, and prompting warnings that rail and air travel disruptions could spread to western Japan in the coming days. More than 130 cancellations have already been announced by JAL and ANA for June 2nd.

An Indonesian bus driver working in Tokyo says language barriers and differences in communication styles remain among the biggest challenges facing foreign workers in Japan, highlighting the importance of support from employers and colleagues as the country increasingly relies on overseas labor.

As Japan grapples with rising energy costs linked to the prolonged crisis in the Middle East, the government is urging businesses and households to improve energy efficiency, placing renewed attention on a futuristic manufacturing model known as the "dark factory."

Japan's restaurant industry is facing growing uncertainty after the government suspended the acceptance of new foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker visa program for the food service sector, a move that is affecting businesses, language schools, and students who had hoped to build careers in Japan.

A Japan Airlines passenger aircraft that made an emergency landing after suffering a tire malfunction has prompted the discovery of runway damage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, with authorities now investigating whether the two incidents are connected.

Former Digital Minister Masaaki Taira, who oversees cybersecurity and artificial intelligence policy within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Japan still has opportunities to compete in the rapidly evolving AI sector, despite the dominance of major U.S. and Chinese developers.

SoftBank Group announced on May 31st that it will build a data center in France dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), with total investment potentially reaching approximately 14 trillion yen.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed her determination to resolve the long-standing abduction issue involving North Korea on May 30th, declaring her willingness to pursue a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as families of the victims gathered in Tokyo to demand the return of their loved ones.

This week, the explore Kawatake Mokuami's 1881 sewamono drama Kiwametsuki Banzui Chōbē ("The Renowned Banzui Chōbē"), revised in 1891 by his student, Kawatake Shinshichi III. (Kabuki In-Depth)

As soaring valuations in AI and semiconductor stocks prompt concerns about concentration risk, market analysts are increasingly pointing to energy shares as a potential alternative investment theme in an inflationary environment.

More than 1,000 food products and other consumer goods will see price increases from June, with the effects of instability in the Middle East now reaching supermarket shelves in unexpected ways, including the appearance of black-and-white potato chip packages.

Cosplayers gathered in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district on May 30th to promote environmental conservation by taking part in a large-scale cleanup campaign aimed at reducing marine plastic waste and other litter.

Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life, helping people with everything from studying and work-related tasks to choosing travel destinations and seeking relationship advice, raising questions about how society should engage with a technology that is evolving faster than ever.

Japan's Defense Minister Shinji Koizumi held the first-ever trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, where the three sides exchanged views on defense cooperation, including the potential export of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's latest frigate design.

The Japanese government revealed on May 29th that U.S.-based OpenAI has granted access to its latest artificial intelligence technology to a select group of major financial institutions in Japan.

A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.