In the appeal trial of a former teenager accused of killing a high school student 15 years ago in Kobe, the Osaka High Court rejected the appeal and upheld the initial sentence of 18 years in prison. (News On Japan)

As electric kick scooters spread rapidly and tourists crowd Kyoto’s streets, police are intensifying crackdowns on the growing number of traffic violations. (News On Japan)

A startup based in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, is working to create a future where space becomes easily accessible to all. AstroX, a private space startup headquartered in Minamisoma, Fukushima, is participating in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's themed exhibit 'Toward a Better Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.' (News On Japan)

Fifteen teenagers aged 15 to 18 have been arrested in Kanagawa for reckless driving, including weaving on motorcycles and ignoring traffic signals. The group, identified as members of the motorcycle gang Dragon Sakura, was seen driving through a busy intersection in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, blatantly ignoring red lights. (News On Japan)

A joint research team from Sakai City and Kokugakuin University announced on June 19th that they have confirmed the discovery of several burial artifacts from Daisen Kofun, Japan's largest keyhole-shaped tomb, which is managed by the Imperial Household Agency as the mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku. (News On Japan)

Hokkaido police have released video footage of an accident in Kushiro Town, Hokkaido, where a bear suddenly ran into the path of a car. (News On Japan)

As the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran continues, the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Israel has commenced. (News On Japan)

In a case involving bid rigging for the construction of a new city hall in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, four individuals, including a member of the Gunma Prefectural Assembly, have been arrested for allegedly undermining the fairness of the bidding process. (News On Japan)

The launch of the H2A rocket's final unit, originally scheduled for June 24th, has been postponed due to a malfunction in the rocket’s electrical system. (News On Japan)

Japan’s oldest functioning water wheel, known as the “Triple Water Wheel,” has started operating once again in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as the rice planting season begins. (News On Japan)

Honda has announced that it successfully completed a landing and takeoff experiment with a small rocket in Taiki Town, located in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region. This achievement marks the first time a Japanese private company has accomplished this feat. (News On Japan)

On the morning of June 17th, a man was led by police officers at the Mukojima Police Station in Tokyo, sending a sharp glare toward the cameras. The man was identified as 49-year-old Takeshi Kuratani, a former ballet instructor. He was arrested on suspicion of engaging in inappropriate conduct toward a female junior high school student at a ballet studio he operated in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Now foreign people regard tentacles as just crazy porn from Japan, but it is part of our traditional culture. Look at this painting. This style is called shunga. It was painted by the famous Japanese artist Hokusai in 1840, over 200 years ago. He drew tentacles, and it has a history longer than Canada and almost as long as the United States. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

The Supreme Court has finalized the sentence of 18 years in prison for Yoshikazu Okubo, who conspired with a former doctor to carry out an assisted death in Kyoto in 2019 at the request of a female patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). (News On Japan)

The annual Sapporo Festival, officially known as the Hokkaido Jingu Grand Festival, signaled the arrival of summer in Hokkaido with a grand mikoshi procession through the heart of Sapporo on June 16th. (News On Japan)

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter convicted of fraudulently transferring approximately 2.5 billion yen from Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani's bank account, has turned himself in and begun serving his prison sentence. (News On Japan)

A giant Yakusugi cedar on Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, estimated to be over 1,000 years old and rivaling the island's famous Jomon Cedar with a trunk circumference of about 16 meters, has been revealed and filmed for the first time by JNN cameras. (News On Japan)

Police have conducted a large-scale inspection of host clubs in Osaka ahead of the enforcement of a revised adult entertainment business law that strengthens regulations and penalties against malicious practices. (News On Japan)

The Pension System Reform Law was passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session on June 13th with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Constitutional Democratic Party and others. (News On Japan)

A veterinarian in Mie Prefecture has died after treating a cat infected with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS), a disease transmitted by ticks and other vectors. (News On Japan)