[updated 10:50 p.m.] Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6) continued to disrupt transport across eastern Japan late on June 3rd, although many major rail and air services began shifting into recovery mode after the storm moved away into the Pacific, with nearly 900 flights canceled during the day, several regional railway lines still suspended, and operators warning that delays and reduced services could linger into June 4th.
As Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6) struck Wakayama Prefecture on June 3rd, the storm became the first major test of Japan's newly introduced disaster weather warning system, revealing both the benefits of earlier evacuation calls and the challenges local authorities faced in helping residents understand and respond to the new alerts.
Japan's total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, fell to a record low of 1.14 in 2025, underscoring the country's deepening demographic challenges.
A senior member of a Sumiyoshi-kai affiliated organization and two other suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of approximately 420 million yen in cash from a street in Tokyo's Ueno district in January 2026, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 10.
A court has issued an interim ruling that the charge of robbery resulting in death applies in the case of a university student who died after a group assault in Ebetsu, Hokkaido.
A fire has destroyed Sasamasamune Brewery, a historic sake producer in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, leaving the future of the nearly 200-year-old business uncertain after large quantities of sake and brewing rice were lost in the blaze.
Bear-related incidents have occurred in quick succession in Fukushima and Akita prefectures, leaving four people injured in Fukushima while authorities in Akita are investigating a suspected fatal bear attack involving a woman in her 70s.
One of Kyushu's most distinctive dining destinations, the underwater restaurant Manbo in Yobuko, Saga Prefecture, has temporarily closed after 43 years in operation as construction advances on a new and modernized replacement scheduled to open this autumn.
A veteran hunter with 42 years of experience has become the first person hired by Hokkaido as a "Government Hunter," a newly created role aimed at strengthening bear control measures and improving public safety.
Kansai Airport has completed its first large-scale renovation since opening, 24 additional stores, including a Universal Studios Japan outlet, marking the theme park's first airport store in Japan.
The Japanese government approved a supplementary budget proposal exceeding 3 trillion yen on June 3rd, including the creation of a new contingency reserve aimed at responding to developments in the Middle East and addressing rising energy prices.
The leader of the Democratic Party for the People, Yuichiro Tamaki, suggested on June 2nd that his party may oppose a bill drafted by the Liberal Democratic Party to establish a new criminal offense for desecrating the national flag, arguing that it could unduly restrict freedom of expression.
World-renowned musician YOSHIKI is betting on Hokkaido wine as Japan's next global export success story, joining a growing list of international figures and industry leaders who see the island as one of the world's most promising emerging wine regions.
As Japan's shrinking youth population continues to reshape the education sector, a girls' high school in Kyoto has announced plans to become coeducational beginning next academic year.
Netflix has unveiled a diverse lineup of anime for June 2026, ranging from action-packed martial arts battles and supernatural adventures to offbeat sci-fi comedies and traditional Japanese storytelling.
The annual Gatalympics festival was held on the mudflats of the Ariake Sea in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, drawing about 1,400 participants from 13 countries and regions who battled through a series of unique mud-based events while becoming thoroughly covered in mud.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on June 2nd that the government will significantly strengthen supplies of paint thinner and other chemical products by allowing raw materials to be supplied directly from petroleum refiners, a measure expected to support supply capacity equivalent to 1.8 times normal annual demand as Japan continues to monitor the impact of tensions in the Middle East on domestic supply chains.
Food price increases in Japan are accelerating, with the number of products subject to higher prices this year potentially reaching 20,000 items as rising costs linked to tensions in the Middle East spread through supply chains and place additional pressure on household budgets.
Mr. Akazawa Ryosei, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), said after a Cabinet meeting on June 2nd that Japan expects to secure the crude oil it needs in June through alternative procurement and previously approved reserve releases, without deciding on a third round of state oil reserve releases in May, while also stressing that naphtha supply is expected to remain at levels close to a normal year.
A black-and-white version of Calbee's popular Kappa Ebisen snack has appeared on supermarket shelves in Tokyo as concerns over the supply of printing materials linked to Middle East tensions ripple through Japan's food industry, while more than 1,000 food products are set to become more expensive in June.
As labor shortages deepen across Japan, more companies in Okinawa are turning to foreign workers not only to fill vacancies but also to build long-term careers, creating support systems that help employees settle into local communities and remain in the workforce.
Quantum computing is attracting growing attention from investors as governments around the world increase support for the technology, raising expectations that it could become the next major investment theme after artificial intelligence.
Toyota Motor will suspend production at 13 domestic factories on June 3rd as Typhoon No. 6 approaches Japan, with the company prioritizing the safety of employees and contractors as severe weather is expected to affect a wide area from western to eastern Japan.
The Japan Housing Finance Agency announced on June 1st the interest rates that will apply in June for Flat 35, Japan’s long-term fixed-rate housing loan program.