The death toll from the powerful Kumamoto earthquake rose to 30 as of 12:30 p.m. on July 30, including people whose deaths were still being investigated for a possible connection to the disaster, while rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings and other damaged sites.
Five people have been confirmed dead, one person remains in cardiopulmonary arrest and another person is being rescued after a powerful explosion devastated Aeon Mall Kumamoto following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28.
A metal screw about 1.5 centimeters long was found inside the mouth of a 4-year-old child having lunch at a kindergarten in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, city officials said.
An elderly woman was rescued from a collapsed home by five Vietnamese workers as the death toll from the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake rose to 34 on July 30, while severe water shortages disrupted daily life and hampered firefighting across the disaster zone.
A 41-year-old doctor has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a high school girl's gym uniform from her bag on a train in Hyogo Prefecture, marking his third arrest over alleged offenses involving female students' clothing.
Japan's Japanese-national population fell below 120 million as the country recorded its largest annual decline since comparable data began, according to a survey released Wednesday.
Junglia Okinawa will mark its first anniversary on July 25 after generating an estimated 32.2 billion yen in economic activity during its first six months, drawing more tourists to northern Okinawa and expanding business with local companies, although the benefits have varied widely across the region.
Thomas the Tank Engine and Percy appeared side by side at Oigawa Railway's retro-style Shin-Kanaya Station in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, drawing cheers from passengers and children who packed the platform for the dream pairing.
Wildfires continued to burn across southwestern France, spreading closer to Bordeaux and disrupting tourism as a Japanese winemaker in the renowned wine-producing region reported fewer visitors and tour cancellations.
A powerful earthquake that registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7 in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 caused stone walls to collapse at 28 locations within Kumamoto Castle, reviving painful memories among residents who experienced the devastating earthquakes a decade ago.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi moved on July 30 to turn food-tax relief from a campaign promise into government policy, instructing the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to proceed with a temporary cut in the sales tax on food as the Bank of Japan began a policy meeting that could shape the next phase of Japan’s currency, inflation and fiscal debate.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi moved closer on July 29 to adopting a sharp temporary cut in Japan’s food sales tax, turning cost-of-living relief into the next major political test for her government as markets remained uneasy over the weak yen, rising bond yields and the administration’s expansionary fiscal agenda.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government moved on July 28 to reassure investors that it respects the Bank of Japan’s independence, as Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said relations between the government and the central bank remain smooth despite market concern over rising bond yields, yen weakness and the administration’s growth-oriented fiscal agenda.
A plan to open an international school at a former elementary school in Sapporo has been scrapped after the company selected as the preferred buyer withdrew, citing risks posed by misinformation and protest activity.
Sapporo TV Tower tested the countdown display that will signal the start of the Hokkaido Marathon, with about one month remaining before the race on August 30.
Cosplayers representing 10 countries and regions visited Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa on July 29 ahead of the World Cosplay Summit, one of the world's largest cosplay events, which opens in Nagoya on July 31.
The powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 was caused by essentially the same mechanism as the devastating earthquakes that hit the region 10 years ago, according to a leading seismologist, who warned residents to prepare for strong aftershocks and take precautions against heatstroke even during the night.
The Bank of Japan is expected to keep its policy interest rate unchanged at around 1.0% at its monetary policy meeting concluding July 31 as it assesses the effects of last month's rate increase on the economy and prices.
A consortium formed by Hitachi and Toshiba shipped a new high-speed train to Taiwan on July 30, marking the first delivery under a 124 billion yen order placed to meet growing passenger demand on the island's high-speed rail network.
The yen surged nearly 5 yen against the dollar late on July 30, briefly reaching the upper 157 range and prompting speculation that the Japanese government and Bank of Japan had intervened in the foreign exchange market.
The magnitude 7-level earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 has disrupted operations at semiconductor-related facilities across one of Japan's most important chipmaking centers, raising concerns about possible delays in equipment shipments and their impact on the global industry.