Typhoon No. 13 (Dolphin) was moving west-northwest at violent strength as of 9 p.m. on July 31 and is expected to approach and pass near the Ogasawara Islands from August 3 through August 4 while remaining a very strong or strong typhoon.
Kyushu Shinkansen services between Hakata and Kumamoto resumed on a reduced schedule on July 31 after a three-day suspension caused by the earthquake, while extensive rail damage has left no timetable for reopening the section south to Kagoshima-Chuo.
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.
A doctor who evaluated the man accused of leading a fatal group assault on a university student in Hokkaido testified that feelings of rejection had developed into a destructive cycle of anger and violence.
A fraud group accused of causing about 650 million yen in losses nationwide allegedly purchased popular social media accounts, impersonated their former influencer owners and used the trust built with followers to sell fraudulent side-job programs.
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.
International flight bookings for Japan's Obon holiday period have lost momentum for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with airlines pointing to global uncertainty and the weak yen as factors discouraging overseas travel.
Universal Studios Japan launched its annual One Piece Premier Summer event on July 30, offering live battle performances and new festival-themed food inspired by the popular anime series.
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.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that Japan will cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1% from April 2027, pledging to secure the necessary funding without relying on deficit-financing bonds and to restore the rate to 8% after two years.
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.
The proportion of working men in Japan taking parental leave rose to a record 50.9% in the last fiscal year, exceeding 50% for the first time, according to a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey.
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 Kego Fault Zone running through central Fukuoka could produce an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7, leaving 1,800 people dead, 800 disaster-related deaths and 319,000 evacuees, according to prefectural damage estimates, as experts warn that an unruptured section may remain under stress.
The yen surged in foreign exchange trading on July 30, briefly strengthening into the 157 range against the dollar, as Japan's top currency official declined to rule out the possibility of coordinated intervention with the United States.
The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate unchanged at around 1.0% on July 31, warning that higher crude oil costs and the weaker yen could push up prices across a broad range of consumer goods.
Oriental Land, the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, posted record net profit for the April-June quarter as Tokyo DisneySea's 25th anniversary event increased attendance and sales of paid priority access services.
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.