Japan's Obon travel rush reaches its outbound peak on August 8 with severe disruption continuing in Okinawa, where Typhoon No. 13 has forced widespread flight cancellations and suspended local transportation even as airlines prepare special services to begin clearing stranded passengers later in the day.
Requests for rapidly constructed "instant houses" are growing across areas of Kumamoto Prefecture devastated by the recent earthquake, providing air-conditioned temporary shelter for residents who have been sleeping in tents and vehicles beside their damaged homes.
The Emperor and his family are spending time at the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture as the retreat marks 100 years since its establishment, with the visit coming as debate in the Diet over revisions related to the Imperial House Law enters a critical stage.
Two kappa statues that served as symbols of a bridge in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, have been stolen after being cherished by local residents for 34 years, with police investigating whether the thieves targeted the sculptures for their copper.
A 63-year-old man from Shizuoka Prefecture has been arrested on suspicion of selling 10 stolen metal plaques, including nameplates bearing the names of bridges, to a scrap metal dealer in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture.
A 49-year-old man has been rearrested on suspicion of injuring six people after driving a Bentley into seven vehicles stopped at a traffic light on National Route 16 in Hachioji, western Tokyo, in March.
Japan is one of those countries that people visit once and then return to again and again and again, because it is unlike any other place on the planet.
The rainy season appears to have ended in the Hokuriku region and both southern and northern Tohoku, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on August 5, marking the apparent end of the season across the entire country.
A fire destroyed a wooden reception building at a subtemple within the grounds of Kodaiji in Kyoto on August 3, burning about 60 square meters but leaving no one injured and causing no damage to the temple's main buildings or cultural properties.
The legal speed limit on many residential roads will be lowered from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 kph on September 1, as police urge drivers to recognize that pedestrians should take priority on narrow neighborhood streets.
Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing on August 6 with a peace memorial ceremony at Peace Memorial Park, where Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned of the growing danger that nuclear weapons could be used and called for renewed action toward their abolition.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government formally approved a plan on August 5 to reduce the consumption tax rate on food and nonalcoholic beverages from 8% to 1% for two years beginning in April 2027, setting the stage for a difficult parliamentary battle over how to cover an estimated 10 trillion yen revenue shortfall and whether the politically sensitive tax can be restored afterward.
Japan’s latest defense white paper has sparked controversy by presenting the country’s expanding military buildup not only as a national security necessity but also as a potential engine of economic growth, drawing criticism from China and raising fresh domestic questions over how far Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government is prepared to link defense, industry and fiscal policy.
A proposal to allow children to decide whether to view graphic photographs and other harrowing materials at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has sparked debate as the city marks the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing.
Major sporting goods retailer Alpen is opening Alpen OSAKA, one of the largest sports and lifestyle stores in the Kansai region, at the former Uniqlo site in Osaka's Chayamachi district, with six floors offering everything from running shoes and golf equipment to hands-on product testing.
We explore the streets around Nishiki Market, stroll through Teramachi and Shinkyogoku, take a sweet break, and slow down beside the Kamo River before ending the day with a bowl of ramen that is anything but ordinary.
University students in Shizuoka have designed a future lunar city using the globally popular game Minecraft and educational materials supervised by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, combining programming and spatial design to explore how people could live safely and sustainably on the moon.
Tokyo stocks ended slightly lower on August 7, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,606.71, down 76.55 points, or 0.12%, as selling in chip-related and artificial intelligence-linked shares outweighed solid buying in the broader market and a late recovery led by Fujikura.
Nippon Steel has completed a new production line at its Nagoya Works after investing about 300 billion yen, as Japan's largest steelmaker seeks to expand production of high-performance steel products primarily for automakers.
Hokkaido's minimum wage is expected to rise by 56 yen to a record 1,131 yen per hour in October, entering the 1,100-yen range for the first time, but workers and business owners are concerned that tax and social insurance thresholds could lead employees to limit their hours.
The average summer bonus paid by major Japanese companies rose above 1 million yen for the first time, reaching a record 1,042,537 yen as strong corporate earnings and substantial wage increases lifted employee compensation.