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)

A 64-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly kidnapping a teenage girl near Tokyo and demanding ¥20 million (about $186,500) in ransom, police said. (Japan Times)

The Yoshida trail, the most popular of the four routes taken to climb Mount Fuji, will open Monday for the climbing season, but climbers using the trail won’t yet be able to reach the summit. (Japan Times)

Japan's tax revenue for the fiscal year that ended in March hit an all-time high of over 560 billion dollars. (NHK)

Japanese weather officials warn that a tropical depression south of Okinawa will strengthen as it heads north. They say it could reach eastern Japan on Friday. (NHK)

US President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure over his country's defense agreement with Japan, one of America's key allies. (NHK)

Graffiti was found Tuesday morning on a stone wall that surrounds the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo, where Emperor Naruhito and his family reside, police said. (Japan Times)

Japan's space agency says it will try to have the Hayabusa2 space probe make a second landing on the asteroid Ryugu next month. (NHK)

Ibaraki Prefecture said Monday it would start issuing partnership certificates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples from July 1. (Japan Today)

Japan aims to make a computer terminal available to every school student by around fiscal 2025, the education ministry said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was voted down Tuesday in the lower house, with the ruling bloc fending off opposition camp criticism about the government's handling of a pension report before an upper house election. (Japan Today)

Pope Francis is set to make a four-day trip to Japan this November. It will be the first papal visit to the country since John Paul II came in 1981. (NHK)

Little over 150 years ago, on May 11, 1869, the first year of the Meiji Era, Hijikata Toshizo, charismatic vice commander of the storied Shinsengumi -- Japan's last samurai -- met his end in battle defending the group's final stronghold on Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido. (Kyodo)

The US State Department has denied a media report that President Donald Trump privately mentioned pulling his country out of a security pact with Japan. (NHK)

Talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. on Monday announced the suspension of 11 comedians for participating in a party held by so-called “anti-social forces” group without prior clearance from the agency, reports TV Asahi (June 24). (tokyoreporter.com)

A slug has been blamed for a power outage that halted dozens of trains and delayed 12,000 passengers in the Kyushu region, operator Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) has said. (Japan Times)

Japan's main opposition party unveiled on Monday a set of pledges for this summer's upper house election focusing on improving the country's social welfare system to help people receive medical and nursing care services with a sense of security. (Japan Today)

While Japan's popular cherry blossom season delights many with its gorgeous once-a-year scenery and bounty of sakura-flavored goods, Hydrangea (ajisai in Japanese) can be every bit as beautiful. (Japan Today)

Police in Japan are implementing the highest-level security measures for the G20 Osaka Summit, which starts on Friday. (NHK)

A Japanese man convicted of assault and theft was arrested Sunday in Yokosuka, near Tokyo, four days after he escaped attempts to take him into custody. (Japan Today)

Former Empress Michiko has undergone cataract surgery on both of her eyes, the Imperial Household Agency said Sunday. (Japan Today)

Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa has held a ceremony to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the end of a fierce ground battle during the final stages of World War Two. (NHK)

Foreign tourist spending in rural parts of Japan is surging faster than it is nationwide. (Nikkei)