Nara Prefecture has conducted a promotional tour for ambassadors and diplomats from member states of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to showcase the Asuka and Fujiwara Palace Sites as the property moves toward formal inscription as a World Cultural Heritage site. (News On Japan)

JR Central and JR West on June 17 announced pricing and service details for the new private-room seating that will be introduced on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen from October, creating a new top-tier class above the existing Green Car service. (News On Japan)

Value betting is the conceptual foundation of every profitable long-term sports wagering strategy. (News On Japan)

When Japan faces Tunisia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 1 p.m. local time on June 20 (3 a.m. Japan time on June 21), the Samurai Blue will have an opportunity to take a major step toward the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (News On Japan)

A certification exam testing knowledge and skills related to ninjas was held in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, a city known as one of Japan's historic ninja centers. (News On Japan)

A draft of the joint statement from the G7 summit in France has revealed that all proposals put forward by Prime Minister Takaichi on energy security and critical minerals have been incorporated into the agreement. (News On Japan)

A 37-year-old man previously arrested for allegedly attempting to set fire to a company and residence operated by a Pakistani national in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, has been rearrested on suspicion of setting a blaze that destroyed a mosque building used as an Islamic place of worship. (News On Japan)

Powerful gathering at the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains as President Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Sanae Takaichi, Mark Carney, Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attend a high-level working lunch. (News On Japan)

Shirahama, one of the Kansai region's leading tourist destinations, has approved the introduction of an accommodation tax, becoming the third municipality in the region after Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto City to adopt such a measure. (News On Japan)

A Japanese man suspected of serving as a key coordinator for a Cambodia-based fraud syndicate that allegedly caused losses totaling billions of yen was arrested by Japanese authorities after being deported from Thailand on June 16. (News On Japan)

A man was found dead after a house fire destroyed a residence in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, early on June 16, after a police officer on patrol spotted smoke and flames rising from the property. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Fire Department has called for greater public cooperation with emergency medical services following a rise in incidents involving interference with ambulance crews, including cases in which paramedics have been assaulted while carrying out rescue operations. (News On Japan)

The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club from June 18 to June 21, 2026, bringing one of golf's most demanding tests back to a venue known for rewarding discipline and precision. (News On Japan)

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck eastern Japan at around 7:46 p.m., with a maximum seismic intensity of lower 5 recorded in parts of Gunma and Saitama prefectures, though no injuries or major damage had been confirmed and there was no risk of a tsunami. (News On Japan)

A court in Shiga Prefecture has sentenced a 29-year-old former sex industry employee to life imprisonment for the murder of a company president, the theft of his cash card, and the disposal of his body in Lake Biwa. (News On Japan)

Aragi Island, a tongue-shaped plateau surrounded on three sides by the sharply winding Arida River in Aridagawa, Wakayama Prefecture, is drawing attention for its spectacular terraced rice fields, which create giant geometric patterns reflecting the sun and sky during the planting season. (News On Japan)

A stone-skipping tournament on the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture has drawn attention to 32-year-old Kosei Kigo of Nagoya, whose extraordinary dedication to the childhood pastime includes spending hours searching for the perfect stones, taking private coaching lessons, and competing against some of Japan's top athletes in pursuit of stone-skipping mastery. (News On Japan)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has conducted on-site inspections of six major food manufacturers over suspicions they formed a cartel to coordinate ice cream prices, with authorities investigating whether the companies exchanged information and unfairly adjusted planned retail price increases in response to rising costs. (News On Japan)

JR Ueno Station has unveiled "Ueno Canvas," a new 75-square-meter LED display featuring videos that highlight the area's cultural attractions, tourism destinations, and artistic heritage as part of a station renovation aimed at connecting people and the city through culture. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average briefly topped the 70,000 mark for the first time on June 16, rising as much as 700 points to an intraday high of 70,020 after the Bank of Japan's decision to raise interest rates matched market expectations, before retreating as investors locked in profits, though the benchmark still ended the day at a record high. (News On Japan)