Himeji Castle Unlocks Inner Towers

A wave of bear sightings across Japan has forced the cancellation of traditional summer events, while one animal entered a home and came within inches of a sleeping resident's face.

Large numbers of deer are appearing in residential neighborhoods around Nara, raising concerns over traffic accidents, crop damage and the spread of ticks and fleas as the animals move farther beyond Nara Park in search of food.

Plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka have been narrowed from eight proposals to two main options, the Obama-Kyoto route and the Maibara route, as concerns grow over construction costs and the potential impact on Kyoto's groundwater and cultural heritage.

Japan welcomed a record 42.68 million foreign tourists in 2025, while spending by overseas visitors also reached an all-time high of 9.5 trillion yen, according to the 2026 Tourism White Paper approved by the Cabinet on July 10.

A mobile battery in a passenger's carry-on luggage began emitting smoke aboard an international flight before departure from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, delaying the plane by one hour and 40 minutes but causing no injuries.

Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, opened a new exhibition on July 8 that lets visitors experience the worlds of Studio Ghibli films through three-dimensional box displays.

A new top-tier seating category above Green Car will be introduced on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, offering private rooms and semi-private seats with customizable lighting, air conditioning and reclining features.

A new landmark has emerged in Osaka’s rapidly redeveloping city center, with Yodoyabashi Gate Tower, one of the city’s largest mixed-use buildings, completed at the gateway to Midosuji.