Man Dies After Being Caught in Garbage Truck

Tokyo police have arrested four more suspects in connection with an extortion scheme that used a matchmaking app designed for people with disabilities to lure victims to a bar and demand excessive payments.

In the town of Tobe in Ehime Prefecture, a woman was caught on camera shouting loudly, "What’s your problem? Come out! Come out now!" while throwing an object into her neighbor's yard. A man living next door has filed a complaint, saying the harassment has been ongoing for two years.

An 850-year-old sacred tree with ties to Ryoma Sakamoto has collapsed at Takenobu Inari Shrine in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, damaging parts of the shrine's main and auxiliary buildings. No injuries were reported.

At night, Kego Park in central Fukuoka becomes a gathering place for youth with nowhere else to go—teenagers and young adults who have lost their footing at home or in school. The area has come to be known as "the Kego scene."

An unauthorized drone flight that came dangerously close to Tokyo Skytree has drawn sharp public criticism and is now under review by authorities for potential violations of Japan's aviation laws.

Emojis have evolved into a shared shorthand for emotion and intent, shaping not only how people text, but how they relate to one another online. Now, as NTT Docomo prepares to retire its original emoji set after 26 years, it marks the end of a uniquely Japanese chapter in the global story of digital expression.

Children increasingly face exposure to inappropriate online ads even when accessing seemingly harmless websites such as cooking or game guides. In one notable case reported in March, users who opened a recipe site to cook with their children were startled by sudden sexually suggestive advertisements.

Japan has been struggling to cope with a combination of anaemic economic growth and a shrinking population for over 30 years. 2025 marks the tipping point when the rising costs outstrip the country's capacity to pay for them. (Financial Times)