A 77-year-old hunter from Sunagawa, Hokkaido, who won a Supreme Court ruling overturning the revocation of his firearms license, filed a damages lawsuit against the national government and Hokkaido on August 17 after discovering that one of four seized hunting rifles had been destroyed years earlier without being returned to him. (News On Japan)

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are preparing to coordinate schedules on some domestic routes as the longtime rivals seek ways to maintain air services. (News On Japan)

Japan's economy expanded for a third consecutive quarter in the April-June period, with real gross domestic product rising 0.3% from the previous three months, equivalent to an annualized increase of 1.1%, according to preliminary data released by the Cabinet Office. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rose on August 17, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 69,220.25, up 506.45 points, as buying in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares outweighed weaker-than-expected economic growth, rising bond yields and renewed concern over household spending. (News On Japan)

Kyoto's traditional Gozan Okuribi bonfire ceremony was held on the night of August 16, lighting the skies above the ancient capital as residents marked the end of the Obon season by sending off the spirits of their ancestors. (News On Japan)

The United States dropped 49 mock atomic bombs across Japan in the closing weeks of World War II, killing around 400 people as American air crews practiced the techniques later used in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. (News On Japan)

Japanese researchers are developing a lithium-air battery that uses oxygen from the atmosphere to store and generate electricity, promising nearly five times the capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries at less than half the weight and potentially opening the way to far longer electric vehicle driving ranges. (News On Japan)

BYD is making its most ambitious push yet into Japan with the Racco, a purpose-built electric kei car developed in roughly two years for a segment unique to the Japanese market, as the Chinese automaker seeks to turn three years of difficult sales growth into a durable presence in one of the world’s most demanding auto markets. (News On Japan)

Train stations, airports and expressways were crowded on August 16 as travelers returned from vacations and hometown visits on the final day of the Obon holiday. (News On Japan)

A 12-year-old British girl who disappeared while visiting Japan with her family was found safe in Yokohama on Saturday night, about 59 hours after leaving their private lodging in Tokyo, with police saying there was no indication that she had been involved in a crime. (News On Japan)

A new Japanese-made high-speed train developed for Taiwan arrived in the southern city of Kaohsiung on August 15, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in July 2027. (News On Japan)

Mahjong is shedding its long-standing image as a smoke-filled gambling pastime for adults and emerging as a "brain sport" enjoyed by university students and children, with cleaner venues, professional competition and regulatory changes helping broaden its appeal. (News On Japan)

The Miyazu Lantern Floating and Fireworks Festival, a traditional summer event said to have a history of more than 400 years, illuminated the waterfront in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, as lanterns carrying prayers drifted across the sea and fireworks lit the night sky. (News On Japan)

Osaka's Nishinari Ward, long known as a working-class neighborhood that accepted people from diverse backgrounds, is being rapidly reshaped by Chinese-led property development and a surge in special-zone private lodgings, bringing new business and tourism while displacing some longtime elderly residents. (News On Japan)

Commercial and industrial damage from the Kumamoto earthquake has already reached 117.6 billion yen, while continuing water outages are preventing many businesses from reopening. (News On Japan)

The death toll from record-breaking torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture has risen to 10, with 29 people injured, more than 1,500 homes damaged and one person still missing three days after the disaster. (News On Japan)

Donguri Village, an interactive tourist attraction in Saga city that has welcomed visitors for nearly four decades, is expected to close as early as autumn 2027 because of aging facilities and a decline in visitor numbers. (News On Japan)

An Okinawa dairy farming family is working to protect local milk production as soaring feed and utility costs, extreme summer heat and reduced demand during the school vacation place growing pressure on an industry that has seen the number of farms fall sharply over the past four decades. (News On Japan)

A fire that broke out in grassland at a fishing port in Tomamae, northern Hokkaido, spread to an adjacent warehouse and workshop on August 15, burning for about six hours before being brought under control. (News On Japan)

The University of Tokyo is expected to post a 4.4 billion yen deficit for fiscal 2026, marking its first two consecutive years in the red since becoming a national university corporation in 2004, as inflation, rising personnel costs and long-standing structural constraints place growing pressure on its finances. (News On Japan)