As Japan enters a full-fledged "mass-death society," even cremation may be delayed by days. In Sapporo, the number of annual cremations is expected to reach approximately 32,800 by fiscal 2054. Meanwhile, demand is growing for easier-to-manage burial methods such as tree burials at cemeteries. (News On Japan)

A growing wave of fraudulent restaurant bookings is raising alarm among small eateries across Japan, with multiple cases now reported beyond Tokyo. The scam involves a man falsely claiming to be a school employee and reserving tables under the name "Koga," before canceling at the last minute and demanding that restaurants pay for expensive wine. (News On Japan)

H2A Rocket No. 50, the final unit of Japan’s long-running flagship launch vehicle series, was successfully launched in the early hours of June 29th from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A woman identifying herself as a pianist has spoken out after losing her entire savings to a sophisticated scam involving fake arrest warrants and impersonated officials. (News On Japan)

SoftBank announced on June 26th that it will begin pre-commercial services next year for its airborne mobile base station known as HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station), with plans to expand the service nationwide by 2026. (News On Japan)

Some of Japan’s leading companies are stepping up efforts to tackle the gender pay gap, even as the country continues to rank the lowest among G7 nations on this issue. A new corporate ranking published by Nikkei Cross Woman highlights firms that are actively working to reduce disparities—not by listing companies with zero wage gaps, but by evaluating how seriously they are addressing the root causes and disclosing detailed strategies for change. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two men, including an executive of a meat distribution company, on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by selling imported chicken falsely labeled as domestically produced to a school lunch center. The suspects, including Kenzo Namiki, allegedly sold cheap foreign chicken to the Fuchu City public school lunch center in 2023, falsely labeling it as poultry from Miyazaki Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A man convicted of murdering nine people in one of Japan's most disturbing serial killing cases was executed on June 27th. Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, had been sentenced to death for robbery, rape, and murder in a case that came to light in October 2017 after police discovered nine dismembered bodies stored in coolers in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. It marks the first execution under the Ishiba administration, following an order by Justice Minister Keishu Suzuki. (News On Japan)

A Lamborghini sports car modified to shoot flames from its exhaust was fraudulently passed through vehicle inspection without proper testing, leading to the arrest of six people including a custom shop owner and a senior inspector. (News On Japan)

Fuji Media Holdings convened its annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday morning, as the company moves to rebuild governance and restore advertiser confidence after a series of scandals involving former executive Masahiro Nakai. Shareholders approved the slate of eleven directors proposed by current management, while rejecting all twelve candidates put forward by major shareholder Dalton Investments. (News On Japan)

The former Abe faction of the Liberal Democratic Party has officially dissolved after submitting a dissolution notice as a political organization to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. The faction had already decided to disband in January 2024 in response to a series of political funds scandals. (News On Japan)

A recent survey by a nonprofit organization providing food assistance to low-income single-parent households has revealed that during summer vacation, when school lunches are unavailable, one in three children in these families eat only two meals or less per day. (News On Japan)

Saitama City has quietly emerged as Japan's undisputed leader in English education, with its junior high school students ranking first nationwide for six consecutive years. The secret lies in the city’s distinctive approach to classroom instruction. (News On Japan)

A fossil on permanent display at a museum in Shinonsen, Hyogo Prefecture, has been identified as a new species and confirmed to be the world’s largest butterfly fossil. (News On Japan)

In Japan's evolving work culture, a new approach is quietly taking root: letting employees choose their own bosses. One Tokyo company has gone as far as organizing a full-scale election to select its managers. The idea is gaining attention as growing numbers of workers say they want to leave their jobs because of poor relationships with their superiors. (News On Japan)

A court in Japan has sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa last year. (News On Japan)

A state-of-the-art IBM quantum computer, one of the world’s most advanced models and the first of its kind installed outside the United States, has begun operation at RIKEN in Kobe, where it will be integrated with Japan's Fugaku supercomputer to advance hybrid computing research. (News On Japan)

Police have conducted a major crackdown at Yokohama’s Daikoku Parking Area, a popular gathering spot for street racers, uncovering dozens of illegally modified cars and confronting drivers who offered a range of dubious excuses. (News On Japan)

As competition for junior high school entrance exams intensifies in Japan, many families are turning their attention to university-affiliated schools, which continue to enjoy strong and growing popularity. These schools offer a rare sense of security in an education system often dominated by relentless testing and high-stakes competition. By guaranteeing admission to their affiliated universities, they allow students to avoid the grueling entrance exam race and instead focus on broader intellectual development, extracurricular pursuits, and early preparation for specialized qualifications. (News On Japan)

Japan Display (JDI), formed in 2012 through the merger of Hitachi, Toshiba, and Sony’s small and medium-sized LCD panel businesses, was once celebrated as the “Hinamaru LCD” and symbolized Japan’s national pride in the sector. By the fiscal year ending March 2016, its sales neared 1 trillion yen. However, its fortunes soon reversed, and it has now posted losses for eleven consecutive years. (News On Japan)