Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visited Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture on Monday, paying respects at the shrine ahead of her first viewing of a traditional timber-hauling ceremony. (News On Japan)

An ancient zelkova tree believed to be about 800 years old toppled at Suzume Shrine in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, on August 1, with no injuries reported. (News On Japan)

Two female employees who died in the explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto were ordered by their company to return to the building after initially evacuating following the earthquake so they could place sales proceeds in a safe, company executives said on August 2. (News On Japan)

A woman in her 60s suffered an ear injury requiring about 10 stitches after a deformed bullet smashed through the rear window of her light truck while she was driving in Happo, Akita Prefecture, shortly after a monkey crossed the road. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Mie Prefecture on August 1 to attend a traditional event connected with the periodic rebuilding of Ise Jingu. (News On Japan)

A former gang member believed to have held a senior position in Tokyo's illegal drug trade has been arrested on suspicion of selling about 10 grams of methamphetamine to a customer for 150,000 yen. (News On Japan)

The proportion of working men in Japan taking parental leave rose to a record 50.9% in the last fiscal year, exceeding 50% for the first time, according to a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry survey. (News On Japan)

Authorities ended the five-day search and rescue operation at Aeon Mall Kumamoto on August 1 after confirming that all people reported missing had been accounted for, leaving seven dead and five others injured in an explosion that devastated the shopping complex shortly after the powerful Kumamoto earthquake. (News On Japan)

A doctor who evaluated the man accused of leading a fatal group assault on a university student in Hokkaido testified that feelings of rejection had developed into a destructive cycle of anger and violence. (News On Japan)

Police searched the Sapporo office of a Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated crime syndicate on July 31 after nine people, including gang members, were arrested on suspicion of illegally harvesting sea cucumbers off Wakkanai in northern Hokkaido. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks surged on July 31, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,362.02, up 2,494.59 points, as a sharp rebound in Asian semiconductor shares and strong U.S. technology earnings outweighed caution over the Bank of Japan’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged while warning that inflation risks remain tilted to the upside. (News On Japan)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the yen is undervalued, making an unusually direct assessment of the currency and signaling that Washington is unwilling to accept excessive weakness. (News On Japan)

The yen surged in foreign exchange trading on July 30, briefly strengthening into the 157 range against the dollar, as Japan's top currency official declined to rule out the possibility of coordinated intervention with the United States. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate unchanged at around 1.0% on July 31, warning that higher crude oil costs and the weaker yen could push up prices across a broad range of consumer goods. (News On Japan)

The Kego Fault Zone running through central Fukuoka could produce an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7, leaving 1,800 people dead, 800 disaster-related deaths and 319,000 evacuees, according to prefectural damage estimates, as experts warn that an unruptured section may remain under stress. (News On Japan)

A fraud group accused of causing about 650 million yen in losses nationwide allegedly purchased popular social media accounts, impersonated their former influencer owners and used the trust built with followers to sell fraudulent side-job programs. (News On Japan)

Oriental Land, the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, posted record net profit for the April-June quarter as Tokyo DisneySea's 25th anniversary event increased attendance and sales of paid priority access services. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan is expected to keep its policy interest rate unchanged at around 1.0% at its monetary policy meeting concluding July 31 as it assesses the effects of last month's rate increase on the economy and prices. (News On Japan)

A consortium formed by Hitachi and Toshiba shipped a new high-speed train to Taiwan on July 30, marking the first delivery under a 124 billion yen order placed to meet growing passenger demand on the island's high-speed rail network. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that Japan will cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1% from April 2027, pledging to secure the necessary funding without relying on deficit-financing bonds and to restore the rate to 8% after two years. (News On Japan)