Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a tamagushi ritual offering at his own expense to Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday, the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War II. (the-japan-news.com)

In telephone talks held Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed their cooperation to deal with a possible North Korean missile launch that might travel over Japan toward waters off Guam. (the-japan-news.com)

A high-level Japanese government official denounced a Korean bus company Tuesday for putting "comfort woman" statues on its five buses running in Seoul, urging the Korean government to take "appropriate measures." (koreatimes.co.kr)

Japan's cautious consumers are starting to loosen up, spending more on cars and home appliances and offering hope that domestic demand - and not just exports - will be strong enough to reflate an economy that has been sluggish for many years. (Japan Today)

Hideki Matsuyama announced on Monday that he has been married since January and is now a father, news that caught Japanese media and fans by surprise. (Japan Times)

Citizens in Japan have been observing the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War Two. August 15th is the day Japan commemorates the end of the war. (NHK)

Japanese seafood distributor Kyokuyo will begin shipping fully farmed Pacific bluefin tuna to stores and restaurants in November, aiming to offer a sustainable alternative to a fish whose natural stock is threatened by rising consumption. (Nikkei)

Torrential rain exceeding 100 mm per hour hit Kyushu early Tuesday morning, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue warnings for landslides and floods, NHK reported Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Legoland Japan is struggling to dispel the notion that its admission fees are too expensive. (Japan Times)

Japanese supermarket chains are trying to lure elderly shoppers, by offering mahjong parlors, health counseling, and other services specifically for these customers. (NHK)

A small aircraft crashed in a mountainous area of Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on Monday afternoon. (NHK)

The government has drafted legislation for regulating passive smoking that will ban smoking basically at all frequently used public spaces, but left undecided how small restaurants should be for the exception to the rule, sources close to the matter said Sunday. (Japan Times)

Shinnosuke Abe, a key member on seven pennant-winning Yomiuri Giants teams and the Central League's 2012 MVP, reached Japan's iconic 2,000-hit milestone on Sunday. (Japan Times)

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after he beat a 55-year-old man unconsciousness following a dispute outside JR Kameido Station in Tokyo's Koto Ward. (Japan Today)

Nine people died and around 30 sustained injuries while engaging in leisure activities at sea, on mountains or at other spots Sunday, when people were taking advantage of the Bon holiday season, according to a tally compiled by Kyodo News. (Japan Times)

One man was killed and another was seriously injured over the weekend when they were hit by a roller coaster that was being tested at Kijima Kogen Park in Oita Prefecture, the police said. (Japan Times)

Three workmen fell to their deaths at a building construction site in Tokyo's Marunouchi district on Friday. (Japan Today)

The bodies of a father and his 7-year-old son were found Saturday at a beach in Fukuoka Prefecture after they were swept out to sea with another boy and their would-be rescuer a day earlier, police said. (Japan Times)

The planned launch of a rocket carrying the navigation satellite Michibiki No. 3 has been postponed. (NHK)

Police in Izumi, Osaka Prefecture, are looking for a man who stole a bag from a 69-year-old woman in a wheelchair in an elevator at the woman's municipal apartment building. (Japan Today)

China's Mobike will start a bicycle-sharing service in Sapporo in late August, becoming the first major player in the rapidly expanding Chinese industry to set foot in Japan. (the-japan-news.com)

Over a million performers and spectators will flock to a western Japanese city this weekend for one of the country's largest dance festivals, after organizers stepped up efforts to accommodate foreign visitors. (Japan Today)

Japan is deploying missile interceptor units in western parts of the country in response to North Korea's plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam. (NHK)

The Justice Ministry intends to introduce a videophone-based interpretation system for foreign nationals in prisons and detention centers. (the-japan-news.com)

Japan posted surpluses in its public pension accounts in fiscal 2016, which ended in March, thanks to large investment returns, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Thursday. (the-japan-news.com)