Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faced intense questioning in the House of Representatives Budget Committee on June 4th over allegations surrounding defamatory campaign videos, telling lawmakers she had not verified newly released audio published by Weekly Bunshun because she had no intention of becoming a paid subscriber to the magazine's online service. (News On Japan)

A newly formed tropical depression in the South China Sea could bring another round of heavy rain to western Japan as it interacts with the seasonal rain front, meteorologists have warned, only days after Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6) caused widespread damage across the country. (News On Japan)

A young Japanese macaque named Punch-kun has captured hearts around the world at a zoo near Tokyo, but the animal's growing popularity is now creating unexpected challenges, particularly after an American prankster dressed in a yellow suit entered the monkey enclosure, prompting renewed concerns over animal welfare and visitor behavior. (News On Japan)

A 20-year-old American man, identified as Higginbotham James West, has been missing since leaving a hotel alone in Kyoto at around 6 p.m. on May 29th while visiting Japan with his family, police said. (News On Japan)

The Japan national football team has begun its pre-World Cup training camp in Monterrey, Mexico, as players prepare for the tournament under challenging conditions, including temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor has begun accepting orders in Japan for the Murano sport utility vehicle, which is produced in the United States, marking one of the first uses of a new vehicle certification framework established following a tariff agreement between Japan and the United States. (News On Japan)

Uber Japan unveiled its latest strategy for its mobility business, including its taxi-hailing app operations, as the company seeks to expand its presence in a market where ride-hailing app usage remains lower than in many other countries. (News On Japan)

The video explains how a tiny, remote Japanese island called Minami Torishima (Marcus Island) could become one of the most strategically important locations in the world due to enormous deposits of rare earth elements buried in deep-sea mud beneath the Pacific Ocean. (News On Japan)

Transport services across eastern Japan were largely returning to normal on June 4th after Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6) moved into the Pacific Ocean, with most railway lines resuming operations, airports functioning normally and airlines working to clear residual delays following a day of widespread disruption that saw nearly 900 flights canceled and major rail services suspended. (News On Japan)

A body discovered in a river in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, has been identified as 42-year-old Kenji Oyama, the suspect wanted nationwide in connection with the murder of a mother and daughter last month, police announced on June 4th. (News On Japan)

A 43-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly filming himself pouring a detergent-like liquid onto sushi at a Hama Sushi restaurant and posting the footage online, telling investigators he was seeking more views on social media. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

A possible new development emerged in the murder of a mother and daughter in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, when a woman passing by a river in the city discovered a man floating face-up in the water at around 10:30 a.m. on June 3rd and alerted authorities. (News On Japan)

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on June 2nd that it is considering imposing an additional 12.5% tariff on Japan, arguing that the country's measures to prevent the import of products made with forced labor are insufficient. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government has presented estimates showing how long it would take to implement a reduction in Japan's consumption tax on food products, indicating that cutting the rate to either zero percent or 1 percent would require significant preparation time. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

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. (News On 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. (News On Japan)

A new ferry service linking Ishigaki Island and Taiwan has begun operations, marking the return of a regular maritime route between the two destinations for the first time in 18 years. (News On Japan)