A late-summer heat wave pushed central Tokyo to its 10th consecutive day meeting the 'extremely hot' threshold of 35°C on August 27, updating the all-time records both for the longest streak and for the annual count of such days. By 2 p.m., the city had reached 36.0°C as crowds moved under parasols and sought shade in Shibuya despite the month drawing to a close.

The Japan Department Stores Association said July nationwide sales totaled 468.3 billion yen, down 6.2% from a year earlier, marking a sixth consecutive monthly decline.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it will postpone both the launch and start of operations for the Himawari-10 weather satellite by about a year.

As poverty deepens in Japan, more children are eating alone and food inequality is widening, eroding the simple pleasure of dining out. In response, “children’s cafeterias” that provide meals and safe places to spend time are spreading nationwide; their number topped 10,000 last year, exceeding the count of public junior high schools.

A new wave of gyaru fashion is surging in the Reiwa era, and this time the center of the boom is elementary school children.

The most effective option when you encounter a bear and are about to be attacked is bear spray. Using capsaicin, it is expected to slow the animal’s movements and help avert an attack.

A man arrested on suspicion of killing a resident in a Kobe apartment had tailed her for more than 30 minutes before the attack, including boarding the same train, according to investigators.

Yamato Transport has begun a demonstration of autonomous delivery robots at a large condominium complex in the Tokyo metropolitan area, aiming to reduce driver workloads and bring the system into practical use in 2026.

SBI Holdings announced the establishment of a new company to convert shares into digital assets and trade them on a dedicated platform.

This time we visited Yakiniku Like — a yakiniku chain where you can enjoy a solo barbecue experience at very reasonable prices. What makes it even more amazing is that you can try Japanese wagyu beef at a surprisingly affordable cost. (TabiEats)

Tokyo has released its first computer-generated video simulating the potential impact of a major eruption of Mount Fuji, showing how volcanic ash could paralyze the capital’s functions.

The yield on the new 10 year Japanese government bond, a key benchmark for long term interest rates, rose to 1.61 percent on August 22nd. This marked the highest level in about 16 years and 10 months, since October 2008.

Prime Minister Ishiba announced at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which opened in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, that Japan will train 30,000 professionals in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa over the next three years.

McDonald’s Japan announced that it will postpone the launch of its planned "One Piece Card Game" Happy Meal campaign, originally scheduled to begin next Friday, in response to recent controversy over its Pokémon card distribution.

Nissan Motor announced on Friday that it will fully redesign and launch its Roox minicar this fall, marking the first new domestic model in about three years. The new Roox is the first Nissan minicar to feature a 3D surround-view system that allows drivers to confirm their surroundings in a three-dimensional display, enhancing safety functions.

Mitsui Fudosan Group has renovated a 250-year-old traditional Japanese house in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward to make it earthquake resistant and opened it to the public on August 19th. The small residence, built in the late Edo period, has been preserved with much of its original character intact.

Japan recorded a trade deficit of 117.5 billion yen in July as exports to the United States fell by more than 10 percent, marking a fourth consecutive monthly decline and underscoring the impact of so-called Trump tariffs.

Mercari, Japan’s leading flea market app, has banned the sale of empty cartridges from July after a request from the National Police Agency, citing concerns that they could be reused to make live ammunition.

Prime Minister Ishiba held a 30-minute meeting with Microsoft founder and global philanthropist Bill Gates at the Prime Minister’s Office on August 19th, where the two exchanged views on global health issues.

Japan's Imperial Household Agency began Monday sharing updates on Princess Aiko’s solo duties and the activities of the Akishino family and other imperial members on its official Instagram account.

Rakuten Group and Amazon.com are preparing to enter Japan’s satellite communications market as early as 2026. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has begun discussions on frequency bands, transmission power, and other regulatory frameworks necessary for new entrants.

SoftBank Group announced it will invest about 300 billion yen in U.S. semiconductor giant Intel, which has been struggling in the competitive chip industry.

Despite record heat, foreign tourists are immersing themselves in Japan’s summer traditions. From local festivals and cosplay events to waterfall training, visitors are experiencing the season in full.

With the AI development race intensifying and Meta announcing a trillion-yen investment, data centers are gaining increasing attention.

The entrepreneurs who continue to challenge themselves to change the world are now attracting even greater attention as they push into the unknown frontiers of quantum computing.