Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visited Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture on Monday, paying respects at the shrine ahead of her first viewing of a traditional timber-hauling ceremony.
Two female employees who died in the explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto were ordered by their company to return to the building after initially evacuating following the earthquake so they could place sales proceeds in a safe, company executives said on August 2.
A woman in her 60s suffered an ear injury requiring about 10 stitches after a deformed bullet smashed through the rear window of her light truck while she was driving in Happo, Akita Prefecture, shortly after a monkey crossed the road.
Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Mie Prefecture on August 1 to attend a traditional event connected with the periodic rebuilding of Ise Jingu.
A former gang member believed to have held a senior position in Tokyo's illegal drug trade has been arrested on suspicion of selling about 10 grams of methamphetamine to a customer for 150,000 yen.
Police searched the Sapporo office of a Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated crime syndicate on July 31 after nine people, including gang members, were arrested on suspicion of illegally harvesting sea cucumbers off Wakkanai in northern Hokkaido.