With one week remaining until Setsubun on February 3rd, preparations of auspicious decorations known as “kicho” are in full swing at Kumano Hayatama Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A man wearing a black hood emerged from a police station on January 27th, identified as Hiroaki Obata, 40, chairman of Japan’s largest scout group, “Natural,” who had been on the run for nearly a year before being arrested on January 26th on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to police. (News On Japan)

In Osaka, the number of residents from Nepal has risen sharply in recent years, with many international students and workers settling around the UR Kongo housing complex near Kongo Station in Tondabayashi. The area has become home to a growing Nepalese community after public housing operators, seeking to address vacancies caused by an aging population, partnered with educational institutions to accept trainees from Nepal, a move that has led to long-term settlement by many residents. (News On Japan)

A water-spraying firefighting drill was held at the World Heritage-listed Horyuji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, on January 26th, Cultural Property Fire Prevention Day, with monks and local volunteer firefighters taking part. (News On Japan)

Tokyo police have taken 32 boys and girls into protective custody after they were found gathering at night around the “Toyoko” area near Kabukicho in Shinjuku. (News On Japan)

Karasuyama washi, a traditional Japanese paper with a history spanning some 1,300 years, is now being produced at full pace during the coldest part of the year, as workshops enter their busiest season making sheets used for graduation certificates. (News On Japan)

A six-vehicle pileup at a busy intersection in Akasaka, Minato Ward, left nine people dead or injured after a Cabinet Office vehicle is believed to have entered the intersection at high speed more than a minute after the traffic light had turned red, investigators said. (News On Japan)

A Brazilian national who runs a guide company has been arrested on suspicion of operating sightseeing tours for foreign visitors using illegally modified sports cars, police said. (News On Japan)

Japan’s Imperial Guard Police, a little-known force tasked with protecting the Imperial Family and guarding key palace facilities, is marking its 140th anniversary this year, with attention turning to the frontline officers who train daily for emergencies and operate with what they describe as a readiness to risk their lives. (News On Japan)

A growing number of families in Japan are choosing to close down their family graves, driven by factors such as fewer descendants to inherit burial plots and the difficulty of maintaining graves far from where they now live. (News On Japan)

Two foreign nationals have been arrested and indicted for allegedly smuggling an illegal drug known as “zombie cigarettes” into Japan through Kansai Airport, marking the first time a case involving the substance has been uncovered in Osaka, authorities said on January 20th. (News On Japan)

A man accused of stealing items from a convenience store and assaulting an employee who chased after him, causing injuries, has been sentenced to five years in prison. (News On Japan)

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who was charged with murder and other crimes over the shooting death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was sentenced to life in prison on January 21st in a lay judge trial at the Nara District Court, in line with prosecutors’ request after proceedings that spanned 15 hearings since October 2025. Yamagami showed no change in expression as the life sentence was handed down. (News On Japan)

A building in Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture, was engulfed in intense flames on January 18th after firefighters received a call shortly after 5 p.m. reporting that a house was on fire. (News On Japan)

A traditional New Year event known as “Jaduna” was held in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, with local residents praying for a year of good health and protection from illness. (News On Japan)

Japanese police-related replica goods are being widely listed on Chinese flea market sites as “cosplay items,” including uniforms that closely resemble the real thing, raising concerns they could be used for crimes such as fraud. (News On Japan)

A traditional New Year archery contest known as “Toshiya” is being held at the national treasure Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto, with 20-year-olds and other young participants competing to test their skills. (News On Japan)

Three death row inmates have lost a lawsuit seeking to stop executions by hanging, after the Osaka District Court ruled that their claims could not be pursued through an administrative case and that the current method does not violate the Constitution. (News On Japan)

Damage to fences and other fixtures has been discovered at Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto, with security camera footage capturing the incident in full. (News On Japan)

Thirty-one years have passed since the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck on January 17th, 1995, killing 6,434 people, with communities across Hyogo Prefecture offering prayers for the victims at 5:46 a.m., the moment the disaster hit, as the aging of those who lived through the quake makes it increasingly difficult to pass on its lessons to the next generation. (News On Japan)