OSAKA, Jul 24 (News On Japan) - Osaka is making a renewed effort to host the F1 Grand Prix, with the Osaka Tourism Bureau announcing the establishment of the 'Osaka Motorsports Promotion Council' on July 23.
Entertainer and experienced driver Masahiko Kondo will participate as an expert. Despite a previous failed attempt to bring the event to the Expo site, the council plans to hold its first meeting in August to strategize a new bid.
Source: MBS
Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.
Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.
Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.
Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.
A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.
An amateur sumo tournament was held on the streets of New York, highlighting how Japan’s national sport is gaining new popularity in the United States while evolving in distinctly American ways.
Under blazing sunshine along the clear waters of the Nagara River, competitors faced off in a serious test of stone skipping skill on May 17th in Gifu City, where temperatures climbed to 31.2 degrees Celsius, marking the city’s first midsummer day of the year.
May in football is the moment when everyone’s nerves are already stretched to the limit, and mistakes become incredibly costly.
In modern professional sports, where financial resources and squad depth often determine competitive hierarchy, there are still moments when underdogs disrupt the established order.
An event allowing participants to enjoy rugby while covered in mud took place in pre-planting rice paddies in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, on May 17th.
Japan announced its 26-man squad on May 15th for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with several key selections drawing attention as injuries continue to affect the national team ahead of the tournament.
A 400-meter race in which participants sprinted up a ski jump slope with a maximum incline of 37 degrees and an elevation difference of 130 meters was held on May 16th at the Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium in Sapporo.
Part of the ceiling at 'Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena' in Nagoya's Minato Ward, which is scheduled to host squash events during the upcoming Asian Games, collapsed on May 11th, raising concerns over whether the venue will be ready in time for the international sporting event opening in September.
