The rainy season appears to have begun in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, the Meteorological Agency announced Monday.
The start of the rainy season in these regions came eight days earlier than the average and 23 days earlier than last year, the agency said.
The areas covered include Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita and Kumamoto prefectures in Kyushu, as well as part of Yamaguchi Prefecture on Honshu, it added.
Southern Kyushu and Okinawa entered the rainy season earlier this month.
The Imperial Household Agency has announced that Princess Kako, the second daughter of the Akishino family, is scheduled to visit Greece in late May to promote international goodwill.
The Taiji Town Whale Museum in Wakayama Prefecture conducted a memorial service on Tuesday for marine mammals and fish that have died in captivity.
A startling projection has been unveiled, suggesting that if current trends continue, every Japanese person might eventually be named 'Sato'.
Four men have been arrested by Tokyo police for allegedly recruiting women for prostitution in the United States via a website, promising encounters with affluent clients and high earnings.
For the first time in 73 years, Japan has unveiled a newly constructed whaling mother ship, equipped with drone technology for whaling operations in the Antarctic Sea.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara Prefecture has disciplined its former Youth Division Chief following a controversial dance party incident.
Residents of Japan's oldest student dormitory, self-managed for over 100 years, are digging in as Kyoto University attempts to evict them from the premises.
A Japan Airlines flight en route from Melbourne to Narita Airport encountered sudden severe turbulence on April 1, causing injuries to several cabin crew, including a broken leg.
