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)

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)

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)

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. (News On Japan)

A medical examiner testified that a university student who died after being assaulted in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, suffered repeated blows to the face and head, telling the court that the victim was likely struck dozens of times. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito visited the Iwabuchi Floodgate on Tokyo's Arakawa River by boat on June 1st, inspecting one of the capital's most important flood control facilities. (News On Japan)

A week has passed since police publicly named and sought the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a mother and daughter in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, yet his whereabouts remain unknown despite more than 350 tips from the public. Investigators continue an extensive search of the area surrounding the crime scene as efforts to locate the suspect intensify. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out at a temple in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, on June 1st, leaving a resident monk with minor burns, destroying his home, and spreading into a nearby mountainside. (News On Japan)

A driver was left in critical condition after being thrown from his vehicle and struck by a following car in an accident on the outbound lanes of the Tohoku Expressway in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, on May 31st. (News On Japan)

Cosplayers gathered in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district on May 30th to promote environmental conservation by taking part in a large-scale cleanup campaign aimed at reducing marine plastic waste and other litter. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)

A traffic accident that occurred beneath an elevated section of the Meitetsu railway line in Kasamatsu, Gifu Prefecture, on the morning of May 28th claimed the life of a 21-year-old woman who was riding in the front passenger seat of a car. (News On Japan)

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. (News On Japan)