Japan lowered passport application fees from July 1, drawing large crowds to application counters such as the one in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, although applicants are being warned that issuance could take as long as about one month.
Tokyo will introduce a 3% accommodation tax on hotel and other lodging stays from April 2027, formally replacing its current flat-rate system and extending the levy to private lodging services.
A 59-year-old worker died after apparently falling about 11 meters into Lake Biwa while helping set up the runway for the Birdman Contest in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture.
A temple in Yamagata, Gifu Prefecture, reported the theft of 11 Buddhist statues and other items on the morning of July 6, prompting police to investigate the case as a burglary.
A senior figure believed to be one of the top executives of the Prince Group, described as one of Asia’s largest criminal organizations, has been rearrested in Tokyo on suspicion of violating Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act by unlawfully handing over his residence card to others, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
The growing abuse of over-the-counter drugs among young people in Japan reflects not only easy access to medicines but also loneliness, social media influence and a shortage of places where troubled youths can be safely seen and heard, according to a discussion among an addiction specialist, a former overdose user and a recovery worker with experience of drug and alcohol dependence.
A good connection matters in Japan because so much of the trip depends on your phone working smoothly. You may need it for station directions, translation, booking confirmations, digital tickets, or finding the right exit in a large city.
A hiking trail on Mount Rausu in Shiretoko, Hokkaido, reopened on July 5 after being closed since last August following a fatal brown bear attack on a climber.
Oiso Long Beach, a popular summer destination in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, opened its pools for the season on July 4, drawing about 1,300 visitors as the facility strengthened heatstroke prevention measures.
A bear was seen walking openly through a residential street in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the morning of July 3, appearing in a popular hot spring area with a history of 1,200 years that attracts many tourists.
Peru's election authorities formally announced on July 3 that Keiko Fujimori, the Japanese-descended eldest daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, had won the country's presidential runoff election.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s political agenda faced pressure on several fronts on July 3, as the government kept open the possibility of currency intervention to support the yen, opposition parties continued to challenge the ruling bloc’s management of the Diet, and Japan moved to extend its security diplomacy through India and NATO-related talks.
Wasabi, a food ingredient native to Japan, has long been valued not only for enhancing the flavor of other foods but also for its reported antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it an essential part of the Japanese table.
Job hunting for high school students due to graduate next spring has entered full swing, with 84 companies and about 400 students taking part in a joint corporate briefing session in Osaka as employers intensify efforts to secure young workers.
Shonan Galleon, a 210 million yen colt by Flightline, made a striking debut at Hakodate Racecourse on Sunday, July 5, winning the fifth race over 1,800 meters on turf in record time for a 2-year-old on the course.
Today we have a look at the 1753 jidaimono play Ranpei Monogurui ("Ranpei's Madness"), originally from the puppet theatre drama Yamatogana Ariwara Keizu, written by the playwrights Asada Icchō, Namiki Senryū II and Toyotake Jinroku.
Internet communication through smartphones and computers has become indispensable to daily life, and the facilities known as data centers that support ordinary actions such as watching videos online and sending messages are now expanding rapidly as demand for artificial intelligence grows.
The yen has weakened to the 162 range against the dollar for the first time in about 40 years, but the latest market environment differs sharply from the period four decades ago, when Japan was still climbing toward the height of its economic power.
Japan is seeking to turn economic security into diplomatic leverage as the United States deepens its America First approach, with policymakers focusing on semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, shipbuilding and advanced technology as areas where Japan can make itself indispensable to Washington.
Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund said its investment operations for fiscal 2025 generated a surplus of more than 41 trillion yen, lifted by gains in domestic and overseas stock markets.