May in football is the moment when everyone’s nerves are already stretched to the limit, and mistakes become incredibly costly. (News On Japan)

Foreign ownership of land in Japan has become an increasingly debated issue in recent years, and now the trend is spreading into Ashiya, one of the Kansai region’s most prestigious residential areas, where property prices are soaring amid growing demand from Chinese buyers. (News On Japan)

A man in his 30s was referred to prosecutors after allegedly feeding a chocolate snack to a marmot at an animal cafe in Osaka Prefecture, despite the risk that the treat could cause poisoning or even death in the squirrel-family animal. (News On Japan)

Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka Prefecture, which enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, opened its restored main shrine to the media on May 18th after completing its first major renovation in 124 years. (News On Japan)

Japan’s food delivery industry is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with major operators locked in a prolonged battle over pricing and market share while profitability remains elusive, raising concerns about the future of domestic player Demae-can, whose stock has plunged roughly 97% from its pandemic-era peak. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government has released a set of guidelines titled "Six Rules to Avoid Encountering Bears" as bear sightings across the country continue to rise sharply compared to the same period in previous years. (News On Japan)

Flames tore through a temple in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, on May 16th, destroying the main hall of Daioji Temple, which has a history dating back around 570 years, while nearby gravestones glowed red in the intense blaze. (News On Japan)

Japan’s GDP, or gross domestic product, grew at an annualized rate of 2.1% from January to March, marking a second consecutive quarter of positive growth, with the impact of Middle East tensions remaining relatively limited during the period. (News On Japan)

A 78-year-old man who drove off a brown bear by punching it in the nose has recounted the terrifying ordeal, as an unusual surge in spring bear sightings continues across Japan, including in the Kanto region and Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ehime Prefecture for the National Tree Planting Festival, marking their first visit to the prefecture since the Emperor’s accession to the throne and their first joint visit to Ehime in 27 years. (News On Japan)

Japan's Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry said on May 18th it had instructed Kissei Pharmaceutical to report the facts surrounding the deaths of 20 patients who had taken a treatment drug for vasculitis. (News On Japan)

A highway bus carrying 24 passengers was completely destroyed by fire after crashing into a motorcycle that had fallen on the roadway late on May 17th along the Second Keihan Expressway connecting Osaka and Kyoto, though all passengers and crew escaped safely. (News On Japan)

Toyota has begun selling vehicles produced in the United States and "reverse-imported" into Japan following Japan-U.S. negotiations over the Trump administration's tariffs. (News On Japan)

The government will hold a cross-ministerial meeting on May 18th to discuss measures to address risks associated with high-performance artificial intelligence (AI). (News On Japan)

Japan’s financial markets continued to suffer a so-called “triple decline” on May 18th, with stocks, the yen and government bonds all falling sharply amid growing concerns over worsening fiscal conditions and rising geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted yen-buying intervention since the end of last month in an effort to slow the currency’s decline, though the broader trend of yen weakness has shown little sign of reversing. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out near Osaka's Dotonbori district on Monday morning, burning four buildings including restaurants, with nearby residents describing thick smoke that made it difficult to breathe, although no injuries were reported. (News On Japan)

Yama Style is a captivating combination of aesthetics and functionality which showcases the splendor of the outdoors with a distinctive Japanese lens. (News On Japan)

The worsening situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect Japan’s automotive sector, with shortages of engine oil and other lubricants emerging alongside rising prices, creating mounting pressure across the industry. (News On Japan)

Complaints are mounting across a wide range of industries over shortages of naphtha-related materials, but the government insists the issue is not a lack of overall supply, describing it instead as a “bottleneck” in distribution and processing. So what exactly is happening behind the scenes? (News On Japan)