With just about two months to go before the Rugby World Cup kicks off in Japan for the first time, excitement is in the air in Higashiosaka, where the holy land of Japanese rugby -- Hanazono Rugby Stadium -- is located. (Kyodo)

A 54-year-old man died after he was hit by a float while taking part in a Gion Festival parade in Usuki, Oita Prefecture, on Friday night. (Japan Today)

A Kumamoto man who was wanted for injuring several police officers by car during a drug raid on his home earlier this week was arrested Sunday after turning himself in. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday offered an apology to family members of leprosy patients for their suffering, after the government decided not to appeal a court ruling ordering the state to pay compensation. (Japan Times)

Japanese cryptocurrency exchange operator Bitpoint has lost 3.5 billion yen ($32 million) in a hacking attack, parent company Remixpoint announced on Friday. (Nikkei)

Police in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, said Friday they have arrested a 27-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of killing his 30-year-old brother in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, on Thursday. (Japan Today)

Princess Mako paid a visit to Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra on Thursday in Lima during her trip to mark the 120th anniversary of the start of Japanese immigration to the South American country. (Japan Times)

The aroma of vanilla extract can help to ease muscle pain and tension and may eventually factor into a treatment for stress headaches, a team of Japanese researchers has concluded. (Japan Today)

The highly-anticipated new film by Makoto Shinkai, director of the 2016 smash-hit animation "Kimi no Na wa" (your name), is set to open in theaters across Japan on July 19. (Japan Today)

Premium travelers on Japan's All Nippon Airways will soon have the option of reclining in their own personal, closed-off space during international flights. (Nikkei)

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Thursday by a 69-year-old man convicted of killing five neighbors in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 2013 in revenge for what he believed to be harassment, leading his death sentence to be finalized. (Japan Times)

Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of male idol group Kat-tun, pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing marijuana in the first hearing of his trial at the Tokyo District Court. (Japan Times)

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe made a "perfect" touchdown Thursday on a distant asteroid, collecting samples from beneath the surface in an unprecedented mission that could shed light on the origins of the solar system. (Japan Today)

Japan's national mint has begun making the first coins featuring the new era name Reiwa. (NHK)

Seoul has pointed to its interceptions of illegally exported sensitive materials to discredit Japan's claim that South Korea lacks a proper monitoring regime, prompting an immediate rebuttal from Tokyo, as bilateral relations appear to plumb another low. (Nikkei)

Japan has a new way to attract foreign tourists -- overnight castle stays. (Nikkei)

A train in southwestern Japan sustained damage when it came into contact with a drill used in a geological boring survey that pierced through the ceiling of a railway tunnel Thursday morning, a railway construction group said. (Japan Today)

The population of Japanese nationals has fallen for the 10th straight year, while the ratio of foreign residents topped 2 percent for the first time. (NHK)

Numerous plastic bags were found in the stomachs of more than half of the 14 wild deer that have died in Nara Park in western Japan since March, prompting the local government to take action to protect them. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that the government will not file an appeal against a recent court ruling in Kumamoto awarding damages to former leprosy patients’ kin. (Japan Times)

Japan's three biggest online brokerages are in a race to lower trading fees, opting to eliminate minimum charges levied on U.S. stock trades. (Nikkei)

Johnny Kitagawa, the founder and president of major Japanese talent agency Johnny and Associates, has died at the age of 87. (NHK)

Princess Mako left Japan on Tuesday for Peru and Bolivia, where she will attend ceremonies marking the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants. It is the first time for the princess to visit the two South American countries. (NHK)

South Korea has criticized Japan at a meeting of the World Trade Organization over Tokyo's tighter export requirements for some high-tech materials. (NHK)

The tourism ministry said Tuesday it plans to provide a 3,000-yen ($28) discount from July 19 to tourists staying in northwestern Japan areas hit by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake last month to support the local tourist industry. (Kyodo)