Many ordinary Japanese may have royal blood running in their veins. For nearly half a century, imperial family members have donated blood in nationwide drives and are credited with helping the endeavor enjoy the success it does today. (Asahi)

Tokyo is rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood's "Godzilla" remake although the nation that gave birth to the fire-breathing monster is seeing the latest movie after it opened everywhere else. (chron.com)

A special committee of the Legislative Council has adopted a draft report that requires police and prosecutors to implement video recording of the entire interrogation process for cases handled by lay judges, as well as independent investigations by prosecutors' offices. (The Japan News)

From December of last year until this February, Tottori City held an open call for mascot ideas for a character to represent the Tottori Castle ruins. The ruins were named one of Japan's 100 notable castles and have enjoyed an influx of tourists. (rocketnews24.com)

Tokyo's metropolitan government and police together with the health ministry carried out on-site inspections of shops suspected of selling quasi-legal narcotics in the Japanese capital Thursday. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo police set up a task force on Thursday to strengthen controls on quasi-legal drugs, following a spate of crashes involving cars driven by users of those drugs. (Jiji Press)

Globally acclaimed composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto said Thursday he is suffering from cancer and is canceling all professional commitments to focus on treatment. (Japan Times)

A former gangster locked himself in a room in a hospital in Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, and held police at bay for four hours before killing himself. (Japan Today)

A trend is growing among young couples to choose buildings and historically significant spots in their hometowns as wedding ceremony sites in a phenomena known as "gotochi-kon." (The Japan News)

A boy was killed in a mudslide caused by torrential rain in Nagiso, Nagano Prefecture, on Wednesday, local police and firefighters said. (Jiji Press)

An Indonesian court Tuesday sentenced a boat skipper to three years' imprisonment over an ill-fated diving trip which killed two of the seven Japanese women taking part. (Bangkok Post)

Miyagi prefectural police said Tuesday that a police officer committed suicide in Tome on Monday, and left a note saying he had suffered power harassment from a superior. (Japan Today)

Due to the passing of time, the number of survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has dropped to its lowest level, at about 192,000. (NHK)

Police said Monday that a 28-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were found dead in the man's apartment in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward. (Japan Today)

Police in Fussa, Tokyo, said Monday they have arrested a 39-year-old man for destruction of property after he confessed to pouring ink, ketchup and sauces into Japan Post mailboxes. (Japan Today)

Nagano prefectural police on Monday arrested a 29-year-old man on charges of violating animal cruelty laws after it was discovered that he had posted an online video in which he drowned a cat in a river. (Japan Today)

It's been a week since Yoko Ono made her festival debut at Glastonbury. A week, however, is a long time on the internet. While music critics have been fairly kind - if not particularly enthusiastic - about the 81-year-old's performance, netizens have let rip on the singer-songwriter's erratic wailing, with one criticising Ono's voice as sounding "like a goat with a sore throat". (rocketnews24.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday arrested a woman sought since December for the alleged drugging and robbing of multiple men, reports TBS News (July 7). (Tokyo Reporter)

Police on Monday arrested a 38-year-old man for reckless driving resulting in injury after he caused an accident while driving under the influence of an hallucinogenic herb. (Japan Today)

A pregnant woman was killed after she was hit by a train at JR Minami-Kusatsu Station in Shiga Prefecture, police said Monday. (Japan Today)