Cows graze peacefully beneath the lightly snow-capped slopes of Mount Fuji at Nakatomi Farm on the Asagiri Plateau in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, where a picturesque rural landscape resembling a scene from a storybook has become a major attraction on social media. (News On Japan)

The arrival of the crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru at Nagoya Port on May 25th marked the end of a weeks-long ordeal caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while also highlighting how dramatically Japan's oil procurement system has changed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

Japan's national soccer team began a domestic training camp in Chiba on May 25th ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with 13 players including 39-year-old Yuto Nagatomo of FC Tokyo and Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt taking part in the opening session. (News On Japan)

Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe resigned on May 26th after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter at the family’s home in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, a scandal that has sent shockwaves through Japanese professional baseball just before the start of interleague play. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor plans to further reduce overseas vehicle production as escalating tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt logistics and supply chains. (News On Japan)

Japan’s benchmark stock index closed above the 65,000 level for the first time on May 25th, as optimism over easing tensions in the Middle East and continued enthusiasm for AI-related shares pushed the market to another record high. (News On Japan)

Skymark on May 25th unveiled its new Boeing 737-8 aircraft from the Boeing MAX series, becoming the first domestic airline in Japan to introduce the model. The aircraft will begin commercial operations on May 28th. (News On Japan)

Two 19-year-old men have been arrested in connection with the robbery of 2 kilograms of gold bars on a street in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward on April 28th, while the stolen gold remains missing. (News On Japan)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will arrive in Japan on May 26th for a state visit, placing renewed attention on a country that is closely tied to Japan's crude oil import routes, the situation surrounding Taiwan, and the future of Japan's security and economy. (News On Japan)

The Hands Shibuya store, a longtime landmark in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, will close in November this year, bringing its 48-year history to an end. (News On Japan)

A former employee of a girls bar in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district was sentenced by the Tokyo District Court to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for three years, and fined 300,000 yen after being convicted of forcing a female co-worker into prostitution. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating an injury case after 26 people complained of feeling unwell and 19 were taken to hospital following a suspected pepper spray incident at the luxury shopping complex GINZA SIX in Tokyo’s Ginza district on May 25th. (News On Japan)

Wakatakakage completed a remarkable comeback from major knee surgery and a fall to the lower divisions by winning his second top-division championship at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on May 24th, ending a 25-tournament wait for another Emperor's Cup. (News On Japan)

A runaway horse collided with spectators during the traditional Soma Nomaoi festival in Fukushima Prefecture on May 24th, injuring six people, after the rider fell off during the race, causing the animal to bolt into the crowd. (News On Japan)

A model room for a luxury condominium tower under development at Grand Green Osaka in the Umekita district of Osaka has been unveiled, with its most expensive unit priced at 40 billion yen as the developer seeks demand from wealthy buyers looking for second homes. (News On Japan)

A woman accused of killing a high school girl by causing her to fall from a bridge in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, denied having intended to kill the victim as her trial opened at the Asahikawa District Court on May 25th. (News On Japan)

The Idemitsu Maru, the first crude oil tanker bound for Japan to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since tensions in the Middle East worsened, arrived at Nagoya Port at around 10:45 a.m., carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil from Saudi Arabia. (News On Japan)

Toshifumi Suzuki, honorary adviser to Seven & i Holdings and widely regarded as the father of Japan's convenience store industry, has died of heart failure at the age of 93. (News On Japan)

Nearly three decades after the 1997 Kobe serial child murders shocked Japan, Mamoru Hase, whose 11-year-old son Jun was killed by the then 14-year-old perpetrator known as “Boy A,” has decided to bring an end to his long involvement with the offender over compensation and accountability. (News On Japan)

Rising tensions surrounding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to ripple through Japan’s economy, with higher energy costs and shortages of petroleum-based materials threatening to accelerate inflation just as the country heads into another extremely hot summer. (News On Japan)