Residents across earthquake-stricken Kumamoto Prefecture are enduring extreme heat without water, electricity or air conditioning as rescue teams continue searching collapsed buildings following the powerful earthquake that registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7.
Three women have been confirmed dead and four employees remain unaccounted for after a powerful explosion tore through Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the region on July 28.
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.
A Tokyo prosecutor who played a leading role in a major political funds investigation has been dismissed for having a sexual relationship with a female suspect before her criminal case was resolved and accepting electronic money from her.
Authorities in Laos have detained 51 foreign nationals, including five Japanese men and women, on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud operation selling furniture and home appliances.
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.
Flights at Kumamoto Airport were gradually returning to normal on July 29 after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7 forced the cancellation of all domestic services at the airport the previous day.
A section of the Ken-O Expressway being extended in Chiba Prefecture to improve access to Narita Airport has been opened to the media ahead of its scheduled completion.
UNESCO has formally added the Asuka-Fujiwara capital sites in Nara Prefecture to its World Cultural Heritage list, bringing the number of World Heritage properties in Japan to 27.
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.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi entered the final week of July facing the sharpest political test of her administration so far, as a fall in public support exposed growing unease over the weak yen, rising living costs and doubts about whether her growth strategy can reassure both households and financial markets.
Artificial intelligence could bring changes equal to or greater than the Industrial Revolution, reshaping the role of government, society and policymaking, Mirai party leader Takahiro Anno said in an interview broadcast on July 26.
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.
An 88-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman based in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, have been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest professional singing duo.
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.
Japan's national average minimum wage is set to rise by 55 yen, or 4.9%, to 1,176 yen per hour in fiscal 2026 after a labor ministry panel agreed on guidelines for this year's increase.
The Nikkei Stock Average plunged 2,566.27 yen, or 3.9%, to close at 62,364.92 on July 28 as a sharp fall in South Korean stocks and growing concerns over intensifying competition in the global semiconductor industry triggered heavy selling in artificial intelligence and chip-related shares.
Japan is unlikely to end its heavy reliance on Middle East crude oil, even as geopolitical tensions expose the risks of depending on the region for more than 90% of its imports, leaving the country to pursue a gradual mix of diversification, electrification, renewable energy and technological innovation.
Tokyo stocks rebounded on July 27, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,931.19, up 320.04 points, or 0.50%, as easing concern over the Middle East conflict supported broad buying across domestic-demand and value shares, although semiconductor weakness continued to cap the market’s recovery.