Part of Kumamoto Castle opened for blossom viewing

A large dog was caught on camera running down a road in Yoshioka, Gunma Prefecture, as police officers wielding nets were 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.

Strange incidents involving a woman placing black tape on outlets have been occurring around zoos in the Izu area of Shizuoka Prefecture.