Japanese cash equities were closed for Marine Day on July 20, leaving investors to assess whether Tokyo can stabilize after last week’s technology-led rout as oil prices rose above $90 a barrel, the yen remained near four-decade lows and global markets braced for another test of the artificial intelligence trade. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi entered the week of July 20 with her government facing a shortened but politically important stretch before the extended Diet session ends, as debate continued over Bank of Japan independence, domestic investment policy, the revised Imperial House Law and the ruling coalition’s unfinished legislative agenda. (News On Japan)

Two people found dead in a collapsed home following a landslide in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, have been identified as a married couple in their 60s who lived at the property, city officials said. (News On Japan)

An interactive exhibition recreating the world of Studio Ghibli will open at Osaka's ATC complex on July 18, offering visitors of all ages the chance to experience famous scenes and characters from the studio's animated films. (News On Japan)

Apple has raised prices for iPhones sold in Japan, with the top-end iPhone 17 Pro Max now costing more than 210,000 yen, as the prolonged weakness of the yen increases the local cost of products priced and managed in US dollars. (News On Japan)

Heavy rain flooded railway tracks in Hokkaido, forcing the cancellation of 32 trains, including limited express services linking Sapporo and Hakodate. (News On Japan)

Bacteria found in excrement on the uniform of a former nurse arrested on suspicion of killing a hospital patient by contaminating his intravenous drip matched bacteria detected in the victim's blood, investigators have found. (News On Japan)

Severe heat spread across Japan on July 20 as a Pacific high-pressure system covered much of the country, pushing the temperature in central Tokyo to 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this year. (News On Japan)

A tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of Mexican crude oil arrived off Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, on the morning of July 17, marking Japan's first such delivery since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. (News On Japan)

A man accused of leading a group assault that killed a university student apologized to the victim and his family in court, saying he had acted out of what he described as a "distorted sense of justice." (News On Japan)

All hiking trails on Mount Rausu in eastern Hokkaido reopened on July 16, one week after a descending hiker was chased by a bear. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi closed the Diet session on July 17 under pressure from both parliament and financial markets, as lawmakers enacted a revised Imperial House Law while the government moved to clarify that monetary policy tools remain under the sole authority of the Bank of Japan. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks plunged on July 17 as a global selloff in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares pushed the Nikkei 225 into correction territory, while Middle East tensions, higher oil prices and persistent yen weakness added to pressure on investors. (News On Japan)

The Yamaboko float procession, a highlight of the Gion Festival’s Saki Matsuri festivities, was held in Kyoto on July 17, with 23 elaborately decorated floats known as "moving art museums" making their way through the city center. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor unveiled a fully redesigned Elgrand minivan on July 17, marking the model's first complete overhaul in 16 years, while introducing a new brand message as the automaker seeks to rebuild its business and revive sales. (News On Japan)

Japan's revised Imperial House Law was enacted after clearing the House of Councillors with majority support, allowing female members to retain royal status after marriage and male-line descendants of former imperial family branches to enter the Imperial Household through adoption. (News On Japan)

Japan is likely to face increasingly long and dangerously hot summers as global temperatures continue to rise, with advanced climate simulations also pointing to more frequent torrential rain, rising seas and accelerating ice loss by the end of the century. (News On Japan)

Seven & i Holdings is considering investing several hundred billion yen in Zabka Group, Poland's largest convenience store operator, as the Japanese retailer seeks to expand its presence in Europe. (News On Japan)

A tropical depression near the Truk Islands is expected to strengthen into a typhoon within 12 hours, but forecasters say it is unlikely to have any direct impact on Japan. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating a yakuza gang in Hiroshima after its members allegedly cleared about 3,000 square meters of privately owned forest and used heavy machinery to build an unauthorized access road. (News On Japan)