Japan's House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to establish a National Intelligence Council aimed at strengthening the government's intelligence-gathering and analytical capabilities. (News On Japan)

Honda said it expects to post its first net loss since going public in the fiscal year ending March 2026, underscoring the heavy cost of its abrupt retreat from electric vehicle expansion. (News On Japan)

All Nippon Airways is considering introducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights as early as the next fiscal year, amid surging fuel costs driven by tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

The Emperor and Empress hosted the annual Spring Garden Party on April 17 at Akasaka Imperial Garden in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, welcoming around 1,400 guests including gold medalists from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, distinguished figures from various fields and local government representatives. (News On Japan)

Three members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force were killed in a tank shell explosion during a live-fire exercise at a training ground in Oita Prefecture, with the force now planning to examine radio communications at the time of the accident. (News On Japan)

Fraud cases involving criminals impersonating police officers are increasing across Japan, with a new tactic emerging in which fake arrest warrants are mailed directly to victims' homes. (News On Japan)

Wakayama Prefecture held talks with local fisheries cooperatives after concerns grew that fishing boats may be unable to put to sea because fuel supplies have been disrupted by tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

Road cave-ins are occurring one after another across Japan. According to a survey released on April 22 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, so-called dangerous sewer lines requiring urgent countermeasures now total 748 kilometers nationwide. (News On Japan)

Two members of a circus troupe have been referred to prosecutors after an archaeological site dating back to the Yayoi period in Osaka was allegedly excavated without permission and damaged by the burial of a large number of trees. (News On Japan)

A female worker in her 20s died after becoming trapped while carrying out inspection work on an attraction at Tokyo Dome City in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, shortly before noon on April 21. (News On Japan)

At Kumata Shrine in Osaka's Hirano Ward, an inspection using a termite detection dog was carried out to help protect the site’s historic wooden buildings. (News On Japan)

An enormous appetite that brings joy just to watch, paired with an irrepressibly cheerful spirit. Konosuke Shigemura, 18, is regarded as a leading candidate to become a future yokozuna, sumo's highest rank. (News On Japan)

In Nara, where inbound tourists continue to crowd major sightseeing areas, a shopping arcade slightly removed from the main attractions has achieved a striking turnaround. (News On Japan)

Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government on April 21 revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and related guidelines, in principle allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. The move marks a major turning point in Japan's postwar security policy. (News On Japan)

China's exports of rare-earth magnets to Japan in March fell 17.3% from the previous month to 184 tons, China's General Administration of Customs said on April 20. (News On Japan)

The approval rating for the cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi rose 3.1 percentage points from March to 70.2%, recovering to the 70% range for the first time in two months, according to an FNN public opinion survey. (News On Japan)

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions. (News On Japan)

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku. (News On Japan)

Japan's logistics sector is struggling with a severe driver shortage, driving efforts to develop autonomous trucks as a potential solution to a growing freight transport crisis. (News On Japan)