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)

A protest against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was held in Tokyo's Shibuya district on July 16 as public concern grew over a bill that would impose criminal penalties for damaging the Japanese flag. (News On Japan)

Japan is famous for its temples and cherry blossoms. It is known for incredible food and futuristic cities. The country is also a fantastic destination for sports fans and outdoor adventurers. (News On Japan)

Many beginner forex traders often frown upon the Tokyo trading session because of its low trading volume and liquidity levels. However, it can be a gold mine if you know which currencies to trade. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's Koto Ward will distribute portable emergency toilets to all residents to help households prepare for disasters and prevent health problems when regular sanitation systems become unusable. (News On Japan)

Japanese elementary and junior high school students continue to struggle with written-response questions in Japanese, while average accuracy rates in arithmetic and mathematics remained in the 50% range, according to nationwide academic test results released by the education ministry on July 16. (News On Japan)

Herds of deer are increasingly roaming residential areas of Nara after a record rise in the population at Nara Park pushed more of the animals into surrounding neighborhoods, where they are damaging gardens and raising concerns over traffic and public safety. (News On Japan)

A bill to revise the Imperial House Law was approved by an Upper House special committee on July 16, paving the way for its expected enactment on July 17. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi entered the final stretch of the Diet session on July 16 facing a concentrated test of her leadership, with Imperial House legislation moving through upper house deliberations, opposition parties preparing for intensive questioning, and bond-market pressure continuing to complicate the government’s growth strategy. (News On Japan)

Japanese manufacturers including Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Komatsu announced new artificial intelligence initiatives on July 16 as Nvidia expanded its partnerships with Japan's robotics and industrial sectors. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 16 as renewed selling in South Korean semiconductor shares spread to Japan’s AI and chip-related names, while household inflation expectations hit a record high and kept pressure on the Bank of Japan to maintain a tightening bias. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko began a period of rest at the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture on July 16, taking an evening stroll through the grounds in traditional Okinawan kariyushi shirts. (News On Japan)

A former nurse accused of killing a hospitalized patient by mixing human waste into his intravenous drip had searched online for whether injecting feces could cause death, investigators have found. (News On Japan)

Japanese kitchen knives are selling rapidly among foreign tourists, who are drawn not only to their exceptional sharpness but also to Japan's highly specialized knife-making culture. (News On Japan)

Tobu Railway has introduced walk-through facial recognition ticket gates at Ikebukuro and Kami-Itabashi stations on the Tobu Tojo Line, allowing registered commuters to enter without presenting a ticket or IC card. (News On Japan)

A woman believed to be in her 40s to 60s was found bleeding and unconscious on a barge moored off Osaka and was later confirmed dead, prompting police to investigate the possibility that she was the victim of a crime. (News On Japan)

Beauty influencer and businesswoman Reika Miyazaki was sentenced on July 15 to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years, for evading about 157 million yen in taxes, while her company was fined 40 million yen. (News On Japan)

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said it will provide up to approximately 159 billion yen in subsidies to Israel-based chipmaker Tower Semiconductor to expand production capacity at facilities in Niigata and Toyama prefectures. (News On Japan)

A system failure at frozen food giant Nichirei has disrupted shipments and logistics, raising the risk of product shortages and temporary closures at some Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants while also affecting major supermarket and retail chains. (News On Japan)

Officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party have agreed to adopt the Katsuragawa plan for the Obama-Kyoto route of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka. (News On Japan)