A series of false bear sighting reports posted to an online alert system operated by Aomori Prefecture has disrupted schools, prompted a police investigation, and raised concerns about the growing impact of misinformation on public safety.
A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.
A major transformation is underway in Osaka's Juso district, where the area's first large-scale tower condominium has opened in a neighborhood long known for its retro downtown atmosphere and entertainment district. While the development is bringing new conveniences and attracting new residents, concerns are also emerging over rising rents and the future character of the community.
A traffic accident that occurred beneath an elevated section of the Meitetsu railway line in Kasamatsu, Gifu Prefecture, on Thursday morning claimed the life of a 21-year-old woman who was riding in the front passenger seat of a car.
Japan's population stood at 123.05 million in 2025, according to preliminary results from the national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking a decline of 3.097 million people over the past five years.
Police in Hyogo Prefecture on May 27th released a new image of a wanted murder suspect believed to have changed clothes multiple times while fleeing after the killing of a mother and daughter in Tatsuno City, raising concerns that he may still be hiding in the surrounding area.
A Japan Airlines passenger aircraft that made an emergency landing after suffering a tire malfunction has prompted the discovery of runway damage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, with authorities now investigating whether the two incidents are connected.
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.
Osaka City will stop accepting new applications for its special-zone minpaku program on May 29 as complaints over noise, garbage disposal and other issues involving guests continue to increase.
Sanmarc Holdings is betting on Kyoto's global appeal and the growing popularity of gyukatsu among foreign tourists as it accelerates overseas expansion, with President Yuki Fujikawa positioning the beef cutlet chain as a key driver of the restaurant group's inbound tourism and international growth strategy.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed her determination to resolve the long-standing abduction issue involving North Korea on May 30th, declaring her willingness to pursue a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as families of the victims gathered in Tokyo to demand the return of their loved ones.
Japan's Defense Minister Shinji Koizumi held the first-ever trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, where the three sides exchanged views on defense cooperation, including the potential export of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's latest frigate design.
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.
An Indonesian bus driver working in Tokyo says language barriers and differences in communication styles remain among the biggest challenges facing foreign workers in Japan, highlighting the importance of support from employers and colleagues as the country increasingly relies on overseas labor.
Ryoji Yamaguchi, the former coach of the Fushimi Technical High School rugby team who led the school to national glory and became known nationwide as the "Crying Teacher," the inspiration for the television drama School Wars, has died at the age of 83.
A pair of sisters from Aichi Prefecture are closing in on a dream they have pursued for nearly a decade, with Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto aiming to secure a place at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after rising to the top of Japan's beach volleyball rankings through years of family sacrifice and determination.
Shortages of thinners, paints, adhesive tapes and other petroleum-derived products are continuing to spread across Japan, raising questions about whether supply disruptions can still be explained solely by distribution bottlenecks.
Concerns over instability in the Middle East show little sign of easing, and the effects are increasingly being felt in everyday life across Japan. Supply chain disruptions linked to petroleum-based materials are now affecting everything from household goods to public infrastructure projects.
More than 1,000 food products and other consumer goods will see price increases from June, with the effects of instability in the Middle East now reaching supermarket shelves in unexpected ways, including the appearance of black-and-white potato chip packages.
The “naphtha shortage” triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East is now spreading into Japan’s housing industry, with shortages of paint, thinner, insulation materials and other building products forcing construction delays across the country.
As soaring valuations in AI and semiconductor stocks prompt concerns about concentration risk, market analysts are increasingly pointing to energy shares as a potential alternative investment theme in an inflationary environment.
Toyota Motor has decided to halt development of the LF-ZC, a next-generation electric vehicle planned under its Lexus luxury brand, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Fixed-rate mortgage costs in Japan are set to rise again in June as the country's five major banks increase home loan rates in response to higher long-term interest rates, with their flagship 10-year fixed-rate mortgages rising to preferential rates of 3.27% at Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, 3.5% at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and 3.25% at Mizuho Bank.
Japan is facing a growing transportation dilemma. While a record number of foreign visitors in 2025 has fueled congestion and traffic jams in major cities and tourist destinations, many rural communities are grappling with the opposite problem: shrinking populations and aging residents are making it increasingly difficult to maintain public transportation services.