Oiso Long Beach, a popular summer destination in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, opened its pools for the season on July 4, drawing about 1,300 visitors as the facility strengthened heatstroke prevention measures. (News On Japan)

An Indian restaurant in a shopping street in Yokohama's Nishi Ward was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning, with 34 fire engines and other emergency vehicles sent to the scene. (News On Japan)

A bear was seen walking openly through a residential street in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the morning of July 3, appearing in a popular hot spring area with a history of 1,200 years that attracts many tourists. (News On Japan)

Reiwa Shinsengumi said its leader, Taro Yamamoto, was fined 90,000 yen and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days after being caught speeding on an expressway in Oita City. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Takaichi is returning to Japan after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen their strategic cooperation and Japanese and Indian companies signing 129 memorandums and related agreements linked to a 2 trillion yen investment package for India. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s political agenda faced pressure on several fronts on July 3, as the government kept open the possibility of currency intervention to support the yen, opposition parties continued to challenge the ruling bloc’s management of the Diet, and Japan moved to extend its security diplomacy through India and NATO-related talks. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks staged a sharp intraday reversal on July 3, with the Nikkei 225 rebounding from an early drop of more than 1,100 points to close more than 1,000 points higher as investors bought back semiconductor and AI-related shares while rotating into lagging value stocks. (News On Japan)

Japan’s long-term interest rate, which affects fixed-rate housing loans and other borrowing costs, climbed to its highest level in about 30 years as concerns grew over the fiscal outlook under the Takaichi administration. (News On Japan)

The education ministry said July 3 that it plans to certify Kyoto University as an International University for Research Excellence, a government-backed designation aimed at fostering research institutions capable of competing at the highest global level. (News On Japan)

Recent symptoms such as fatigue and irritability may be signs of menopause, a condition often seen as a women’s health issue but one that also affects many men, especially those in their 40s and 50s who face growing responsibilities, declining recognition and physical changes that are difficult to discuss. (News On Japan)

A female music teacher at a municipal elementary school in Tokyo’s Kita Ward has told officials she was drying private clothing in a music preparation room where a fire broke out last month, injuring 11 pupils and others. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 2 as a global reversal in semiconductor and AI-related shares dragged the Nikkei 225 below 70,000, while the broader TOPIX held firm as investors rotated into banks, software, airlines, trading houses and other lagging value shares. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to India on July 2 placed foreign policy, economic security and strategic investment at the center of Japan’s political agenda, even as opposition parties kept pressure on the government over Diet proceedings and unresolved domestic policy disputes. (News On Japan)

Japan’s tourism recovery has entered a new phase in 2026, marked not just by rising visitor numbers but by a deeper structural shift in how the country manages entry procedures. (News On Japan)

Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Route on the Yamanashi Prefecture side opened for the climbing season on July 1, with favorable weather at the 3,776-meter summit giving visitors a clear view of the sunrise at around 4:30 a.m. as sunlight broke through gaps in the clouds. (News On Japan)

Researchers around the world are turning their attention to mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, as new discoveries suggest they may hold important clues to slowing aging, preventing disease and extending healthy life. (News On Japan)

Tokyo police have arrested four people, including unemployed women Mao Mizuno and Naka Namioka, on suspicion of public indecency for allegedly livestreaming obscene acts on an overseas streaming website from a hotel in Kabukicho. (News On Japan)

Kyoto’s Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals, began on July 1 with the Osendo ritual at Yasaka Shrine, where the child messenger and his attendants prayed for the safe completion of their major role in the monthlong event. (News On Japan)

Japan’s average roadside land price rose 2.9% from a year earlier, marking the steepest increase on record, as inbound tourism and redevelopment pushed up land valuations across the country. (News On Japan)

A night junior high school in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, where all 30 students have roots overseas, is taking on a new role as a bridge between foreign residents and local communities in Japan. (News On Japan)