A preview trailer has been released for the Hokkaido Fact program “Ainu and the Majority: Who Stands Up to Discrimination,” scheduled to air on January 18th, 2026, from 3:54 p.m. to 4:24 p.m., examining how the structure of thinking around discrimination is beginning to change. (News On Japan)

An Iranian security official says 2,000 people have been killed so far after a crackdown on weeks of anti-government protests.

A US-based rights group says it has confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters during a crackdown by authorities, as the US president urges Iranians to keep demonstrating.

Japan has long held a reputation for maintaining traditional relationship structures where men tend to be older than their female partners. (News On Japan)

Japan’s longest-named school, Kochi Prefecture Sukumo City Ehime Prefecture Minamiuwa District Ainan Town Shinozan Elementary and Junior High School Union–operated Shinozan Elementary and Junior High School, located in Ainan Town at the southernmost tip of Ehime Prefecture, has decided to suspend classes in the 2026 school year and close permanently in the 2027 school year. (News On Japan)

Wintersweet flowers, often said to herald the arrival of spring, have reached their peak at a shrine in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture. The wintersweet, which produces small, glossy pale yellow blossoms, is in full bloom on the grounds of Sasaki Shrine in the Azuchi district of Omihachiman. About 20 trees have been planted there, including both early- and late-blooming varieties. (News On Japan)

JR East and Japan Airlines have launched a joint logistics service that relays cargo between bullet trains and aircraft, aiming to shorten transport times for fresh products. (News On Japan)

His ex-wife announced his death on Tuesday during a live stream of his podcast.

"We had no sense of having committed an offence," France's far-right leader tells an appeal to overturn a ban from contesting the next election.

Sleep scientist Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, offers explanations to common sleep-related concerns gathered from people on the street. People’s question: Is it better for sleep to take a shower or soak in a bath? (News On Japan)

The former president didn't show up on Tuesday to testify before a committee investigating Epstein, saying its subpoena wasn't enforceable

Prime Minister Takaichi held a surprise “drum session” with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung following their bilateral talks, adding an unexpected cultural touch to a day of high-level diplomacy. (News On Japan)

The body discovered inside the wall of a bar in Hidaka Town, Hokkaido, has been identified as that of a 28-year-old nurse who lived in the town, police said. (News On Japan)

The regime's opponents will hope for more pressure to accelerate the process, writes the BBC's international editor.

As the US cracks down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis, home to a large Somali community, it will end protections for many in the country legally.

It's the K-pop band's first tour since completing compulsory military service in South Korea.

It is the strongest statement by a leader of the Danish territory since US President Donald Trump renewed plans to annex it.

Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran after its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

Yoon is accused of leading an insurrection when he tried to impose martial law in 2024.

Alain Orsoni, 71, was a well-known separatist figure in Corsica who had been living in exile for years in Nicaragua.