"Please let me die with dignity." This was a social media post believed to have been written by a woman suffering from ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, before she was killed in 2019 at her own request. The case, in which two doctors were arrested and tried, ignited a national debate on euthanasia in Japan—specifically, the ethical and legal implications of assisting the terminally ill to end their lives. (News On Japan)

More than 20 Japanese nationals have been detained by authorities in northwestern Cambodia on suspicion of being involved in a special fraud operation based in a local building. (News On Japan)

Tokyo police have arrested four more suspects in connection with an extortion scheme that used a matchmaking app designed for people with disabilities to lure victims to a bar and demand excessive payments. (News On Japan)

In the town of Tobe in Ehime Prefecture, a woman was caught on camera shouting loudly, "What’s your problem? Come out! Come out now!" while throwing an object into her neighbor's yard. A man living next door has filed a complaint, saying the harassment has been ongoing for two years. (News On Japan)

An 850-year-old sacred tree with ties to Ryoma Sakamoto has collapsed at Takenobu Inari Shrine in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, damaging parts of the shrine's main and auxiliary buildings. No injuries were reported. (News On Japan)

An unauthorized drone flight that came dangerously close to Tokyo Skytree has drawn sharp public criticism and is now under review by authorities for potential violations of Japan's aviation laws. (News On Japan)

At night, Kego Park in central Fukuoka becomes a gathering place for youth with nowhere else to go—teenagers and young adults who have lost their footing at home or in school. The area has come to be known as "the Kego scene." (News On Japan)

Faded and illegible intersection signs are causing confusion and concern among residents in Himeji, a city in Hyogo Prefecture known for its iconic Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With around 520,000 residents and high vehicle traffic, the deteriorating condition of road signage is becoming a serious issue, especially in areas frequented by tourists. (News On Japan)

Children increasingly face exposure to inappropriate online ads even when accessing seemingly harmless websites such as cooking or game guides. In one notable case reported in March, users who opened a recipe site to cook with their children were startled by sudden sexually suggestive advertisements. (News On Japan)

Emojis have evolved into a shared shorthand for emotion and intent, shaping not only how people text, but how they relate to one another online. Now, as NTT Docomo prepares to retire its original emoji set after 26 years, it marks the end of a uniquely Japanese chapter in the global story of digital expression. (News On Japan)

Japan has been struggling to cope with a combination of anaemic economic growth and a shrinking population for over 30 years. 2025 marks the tipping point when the rising costs outstrip the country's capacity to pay for them. (Financial Times)

A sweeping change to Japan’s penal system is set to take place in June with the abolition of the dual sentencing system of prison labor (chōeki) and imprisonment without labor (kinko), which will be replaced by a unified custodial sentence known as kōkin-kei. (News On Japan)