Jun 22 (NHK) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is continuing to increase. It hit a new record for the month of May.
The Japan Tourism Organization estimated that nearly 2.3 million foreigners visited in the month. That's up 21 percent from May last year.
South Korea topped the list.
The number of visitors from the country increased by 85 percent as more direct flights were added. Tourists also returned to Kumamoto, one year after a strong earthquake there.
The new leader of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party has officially announced his executive lineup. LDP President Ishiba Shigeru is set to become prime minister on Tuesday. (NHK)
Japanese weather officials say that over the next few days Typhoon Krathon will likely approach the southwestern islands of Okinawa Prefecture. (NHK)
Autumn foliage is advancing early in the Tateyama region of the Northern Alps in Toyama Prefecture, with vibrant red and yellow hues starting to appear.
The Hakamada case, a decades-long legal struggle, ended with an acquittal for Iwao Hakamada (88), who, along with his sister Hideko, fought for 58 years. Hakamada was suspected of the 1966 murder of a miso company executive’s family.
A Japanese government information-gathering satellite has successfully been put into a planned orbit around Earth. (NHK)
A tragic accident occurred in Saitama Prefecture when an 18-year-old, allegedly driving under the influence, collided with a passenger car at high speed.
A large dog was caught on camera running down a road in Yoshioka, Gunma Prefecture, with police officers wielding nets in hot pusuit.
A 17-year-old girl was found dead in a hotel in Osaka on Saturday at around 11 p.m., when a hotel employee reported, 'A woman is wrapped in bedding and not breathing.'
Three men broke into the Paris home of renowned chef Kei Kobayashi, 47, who has earned three Michelin stars, on September 26th, assaulting Kobayashi's wife who suffered severe injuries. Kobayashi commented, saying, 'This is unforgivable.'
Four Japanese men have been caught at an Australian airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a large amount of cigarettes into the country. (NHK)
The Hakamada case, a decades-long legal struggle, ended with an acquittal for Iwao Hakamada (88), who, along with his sister Hideko, fought for 58 years. Hakamada was suspected of the 1966 murder of a miso company executive’s family.
Japan's National Police Agency is introducing new patrol cars equipped with red lights designed to assist people with hearing impairments, flashing differently depending on whether the vehicle is on an emergency run or a routine patrol.
The former representative of the martial arts event company 'Breaking Down,' Yugo Itagaki, along with two other individuals, has been arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on charges of defrauding a company executive out of 80 million yen.
