Heavy rain is expected across a wide area of Japan this weekend, with western Japan facing cloudy and rainy conditions on June 19 and Kyushu likely to see torrential rain and thunderstorms before rain clouds move eastward toward eastern Japan and Tohoku through June 21.
The eruption alert level for Mount Tokachidake in Hokkaido was raised to Level 2 on June 18 for the first time in 12 years, prompting authorities to restrict entry within 1.5 kilometers of the crater and close parts of hiking trails just days before the mountain’s official opening for the summer climbing season.
Nara Prefectural Police have arrested the mother of a man accused of leading a group that allegedly confined the 19-year-old son of a company executive, expanding an investigation that has already led to the arrests of the victim's father and six others.
A suspect has surrendered to police in connection with the theft of about 800 agricultural containers in Gyokuto, Kumamoto Prefecture, a case that caused losses estimated at around 1 million yen and left the victimized company struggling to replace the stolen equipment.
A Japanese man suspected of serving as a key coordinator for a Cambodia-based fraud syndicate that allegedly caused losses totaling billions of yen was arrested by Japanese authorities after being deported from Thailand on June 16.
A 37-year-old man previously arrested for allegedly attempting to set fire to a company and residence operated by a Pakistani national in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, has been rearrested on suspicion of setting a blaze that destroyed a mosque building used as an Islamic place of worship.
Kyoto's Myoshin-ji Temple, one of Japan's largest Zen temple complexes, is facing a growing problem that temple officials warn could eventually lead to costly restoration work and even pose safety risks to visitors.
A long-abandoned sightseeing boat that has sat tilted in a canal in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, for nearly eight years is finally being removed by city authorities after officials determined the deteriorating vessel posed a serious safety risk.
JR Central and JR West on June 17 announced pricing and service details for the new private-room seating that will be introduced on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen from October, creating a new top-tier class above the existing Green Car service.
Nara Prefecture has conducted a promotional tour for ambassadors and diplomats from member states of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to showcase the Asuka and Fujiwara Palace Sites as the property moves toward formal inscription as a World Cultural Heritage site.
Powerful gathering at the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains as President Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Sanae Takaichi, Mark Carney, Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attend a high-level working lunch.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced new agreements on supply chain resilience and space cooperation following a summit meeting in Italy on June 15th, as the two countries pledged closer coordination on economic security and international affairs ahead of the G7 Summit.
Harvesting began on June 18 for Densuke watermelons, a specialty of Toma in Hokkaido known for their glossy black rind, crisp texture and rich sweetness, with the season’s first auctions scheduled for June 19 at markets in Sapporo and Asahikawa.
A certification exam testing knowledge and skills related to ninjas was held in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, a city known as one of Japan's historic ninja centers.
New cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in Fukuoka Prefecture remained at alert level for the third consecutive week, prompting the prefectural government to urge residents to take preventive measures against the infection, which spreads through droplets and physical contact.
Japan's national soccer team arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, after holding a mostly closed training session near Nashville, Tennessee, on June 18 as it prepares for a key Group F match against Tunisia on June 20 local time, or June 21 in Japan, at Monterrey Stadium.
The global oil market could face a major supply surplus in 2027 if the United States and Iran maintain an agreement aimed at ending hostilities, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly report released on June 17.
Calbee's potato chips in black-and-white packaging appeared on convenience store shelves in Tokyo on June 17, reflecting the company's response to concerns over the stability of printing ink supplies derived from naphtha as tensions in the Middle East disrupted procurement.
Japan's trade balance fell into the red for the first time in four months in May, as soaring crude oil procurement costs linked to tensions in the Middle East pushed import prices to record levels despite a sharp decline in import volumes.
A Japanese-linked vessel anchored in the Persian Gulf sustained damage to part of its hull, but remained capable of sailing under its own power and no crew members were injured, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Kaneko said.
The Nikkei Stock Average surged past 71000 on Thursday, closing at a record high for the fourth straight session, as easing tensions in the Middle East lifted investor sentiment while the yen weakened to a nearly two-year low against the dollar.
Nissan Motor announced that it will launch the fully redesigned Kicks compact SUV on June 18, marking the model's first full overhaul in six years as the automaker seeks to strengthen its position in Japan's highly competitive small SUV market.
Japan's return to a world of higher interest rates is reshaping household finances, with a growing number of young homebuyers turning to 40- and 50-year mortgages to afford rapidly rising apartment prices, according to a discussion aired on BS-TBS's Report 1930 on June 17.
Japan's Fair Trade Commission has conducted on-site inspections of six major food manufacturers over suspicions they formed a cartel to coordinate ice cream prices, with authorities investigating whether the companies exchanged information and unfairly adjusted planned retail price increases in response to rising costs.