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.
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.
The Sumida River Fireworks Festival, a summer tradition in Tokyo's historic downtown districts, was held across Taito and Sumida wards on July 25, with about 20,000 fireworks lighting up the night sky following a day of intense heat.