Three former members of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual indecency against a female subordinate in 2021 during their trial's first hearing on Thursday. (Kyodo)

The chief of the Bank of Japan on Wednesday defended its policy of continuing with monetary easing as the yen briefly fell to a seven-and-a-half month low against the U.S. dollar in New York the same day. (Kyodo)

Volcanic ash at the bottom of Lake Yamanaka near Mt. Fuji emanated from six eruptions around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, according to a new study.

Police in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, have arrested a 45-year-old woman on suspicion of killing her 75-year-old mother with whom she lived. (Japan Today)

A man accused of attempted murder and arson in a 2021 attack on a Tokyo train while dressed in a Joker's costume admitted Monday to trying to kill a man he stabbed and starting a fire onboard, but his defense team denied the fire was intended to kill other passengers. (Kyodo)

East Japan Railway Co. said Saturday it was temporarily hit by a system failure, with its Mobile Suica app users left unable to charge electric money to their smartphones, while passengers also could not make credit card payments at stations. (Kyodo)

An 81-year-old man drove his car into a koban (police box) in Yachimata, Chiba Prefecture, on Friday, injuring two officers. (Japan Today)

Former Japanese lawmaker and YouTuber GaaSyy was indicted Friday over online threats he allegedly made against individuals, including a celebrity, prosecutors said. (Kyodo)

An unprecedented number of 18,709 individuals with dementia or suspected dementia was reported missing in Japan during the year 2022, according to the latest police data released on Thursday. (aa.com.tr)

The Sapporo High Court on Thursday partially overturned a lower court ruling for the Hokkaido government to pay two hecklers damages over their removal by police from the site of a 2019 election stump speech by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Kyodo)

Japan's education ministry plans to implement new guidelines allowing elementary, junior high and high schools limited use of generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, to help formulate ideas to facilitate classroom discussions, among other uses, sources close to the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)

As the climbing season for Mt. Fuji approaches, local governments in surrounding areas are warning against "bullet climbing," the practice of ascending to the peak of one of Japan's most iconic landmarks without taking a sleep break at night. (Kyodo)

The streets of Tokyo will host Japan's first ever race event in the all-electric Formula E world championship in March next year, the metropolitan government said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

A fashion show was held in a train in Osaka on Saturday to promote the understanding of sexual minorities. (NOJ)

Japan's parliament on Friday enacted a law to create a pool of funds to cover part of a substantial increase in defense spending to protect the country against security threats from its neighbors. (Kyodo)

Farmers in northern Japan have put premium watermelons up for the season's first auctions, with one of them selling for 700,000 yen, or around 5,000 dollars. (NHK)

French Open mixed doubles champion Miyu Kato said Thursday an appeal to have her prize money and tour points reinstated was rejected by tournament organizers following a controversial incident in which she was defaulted for accidentally hitting a ball kid with a ball. (Kyodo)

Japan’s lower house on Tuesday approved proposed legislation aimed at “promoting understanding” of LGBTQ issues but campaigners criticised the bill for its watered-down language. (straitstimes.com)

A Nagasaki prefectural government official was arrested Tuesday after paper cranes symbolizing peace were found burned at a Nagasaki park commemorating the victims of the atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city in 1945. (Kyodo)

Police in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, say a 26-year-old man who was arrested after robbing a watch store in Kawasaki on Sunday said he applied for the job on a social networking site. (Japan Today)

Japan's more powerful lower house passed a contentious bill on Tuesday to promote understanding of sexual minorities, paving the way for enacting the legislation by the end of the current parliamentary session through next week. (Kyodo)

The rainy season has officially begun across Japan, with the northeast and parts of central areas of the nation joining other regions already experiencing soggy weather, the weather agency said Sunday. (Kyodo)

A 26-year-old woman was stabbed by a man in Tokyo’s Koto Ward late Friday. Police said the suspect, who was in his 30s, died after having apparently jumped from a nearby apartment building where he lived. (Japan Today)

Four Chinese nationals have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling about 700 kilograms of illegal stimulants from the United Arab Emirates, police and customs officials said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Thirteen percent of elementary to high school students in Japan had depressive tendencies warranting medical attention last October due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, a recent study by a medical institute said. (Kyodo)