American crude oil secured as an alternative supply source has arrived in Japan for the first time, as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz makes procurement from the Middle East increasingly difficult. (News On Japan)

A new sightseeing train operated by Nankai Electric Railway began service on April 24, connecting Osaka's Namba Station with Koyasan, a World Heritage site, raising expectations for regional tourism growth. (News On Japan)

Japan’s hotel industry appears to be thriving as a surge in inbound tourism drives accommodation prices in popular destinations to record highs. Yet domestic travel demand has remained sluggish, while labor shortages and rising construction costs have made new hotel development increasingly expensive. (News On Japan)

As Japan’s entire baby boomer generation enters the late-stage elderly bracket, the country is approaching what experts call the 'Great Inheritance Era' — a period marked by a sharp rise in asset transfers after death. (News On Japan)

The nationwide consumer price index for fiscal 2025, released today, rose 2.7% from the previous year. Prices have now exceeded the government and Bank of Japan's 2% target for a fourth consecutive year. (News On Japan)

SkyDrive and NEXCO West Japan have partnered to develop a flying car hub at the Beppu Bay Service Area in Oita Prefecture, aiming to launch operations in 2028 for sightseeing flights and other services. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended a performance of the traditional Japanese court music art known as gagaku. (News On Japan)

Bear sightings are surging across northeastern Japan in an unusually early spring trend, prompting the fastest issuance on record of bear alerts in multiple prefectures including Aomori and Iwate. Incidents have already left a police officer seriously injured and a member of the Self-Defense Forces attacked. (News On Japan)

A male employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, has told investigators that he disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator and burned it for several hours, police said, as officers continued voluntary questioning of the man in his 30s, according to sources close to the investigation. (News On Japan)

Japan is often known for its culture, safety, and high trust society, but behind the scenes, it also has one of the strictest immigration systems in the world. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

Read about the continent’s best footballers in the 1xBet review! (News On Japan)

A 41-year-old pediatrician was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after allegedly entering the ceiling space above an on-call room at a hospital in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, police said. (News On Japan)

Don Quijote has opened the first outlet of its new grocery-focused retail format, Robin Hood, entering an increasingly competitive supermarket market where major players are racing to attract cost-conscious consumers. (News On Japan)

The planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo has come under renewed scrutiny after Japan's Finance Ministry said the project had reached a level at which it should, in principle, be canceled. (News On Japan)

The Nara Prison Museum, created from the former Nara Prison, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in the Meiji era, will open to the public on April 27. (News On Japan)

Temporary container housing being developed at Nagoya Port’s Garden Pier as an accommodation base for athletes competing in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which open in September, was unveiled to the media on April 23. (News On Japan)

Japan has enacted a revised Passport Act that will sharply reduce passport application fees from July 1, as the government seeks to encourage more citizens to obtain passports. (News On Japan)

Japan's House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to establish a National Intelligence Council aimed at strengthening the government's intelligence-gathering and analytical capabilities. (News On Japan)

Honda said it expects to post its first net loss since going public in the fiscal year ending March 2026, underscoring the heavy cost of its abrupt retreat from electric vehicle expansion. (News On Japan)

All Nippon Airways is considering introducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights as early as the next fiscal year, amid surging fuel costs driven by tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)