Japan’s first new luxury cruise ship in 34 years, the Asuka III, operated by the NYK Group, is 230 meters long and can accommodate up to 744 passengers, and made its inaugural port call at Hakata Port on Monday morning. (News On Japan)

The government has launched a new command organization under the Cabinet Secretariat to oversee foreign resident policies, aiming to strengthen responses to crimes and nuisance behavior involving foreigners. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor announced on the evening of July 15th that it will end vehicle production at its key Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, by the end of fiscal 2027. Company President Ivan Espinosa held a press conference at 5 p.m. to explain the decision. (News On Japan)

A new pair of works by Leonardo da Vinci are now on display at the Italy Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka–Kansai, drawing strong attention as one of the venue’s most talked-about exhibits. These newly revealed pieces, part of the renowned "Atlantic Codex," were unveiled on July 14th. (News On Japan)

The annual Nachi Fire Festival lit up the stone steps of Kumano Nachi Taisha on Monday in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, with a dramatic procession of blazing torches and sacred mikoshi shrines. (News On Japan)

In Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, a traditional thread-spinning craft used to produce strings for the koto and shamisen continues to be practiced using silk drawn directly from cocoons. (News On Japan)

About 300 railway enthusiasts gathered near JR Ōmiya Station in Saitama City around 3 a.m. on July 13th, creating chaos that escalated to the point of police intervention. (News On Japan)

A key gauge of long-term interest rates temporarily rose to 1.595 percent, marking the highest level in nearly 17 years since the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers collapse. (News On Japan)

A major farming corporation based in eastern Japan, Butai Farm, known for using robotics to grow lettuce and supplying pre-cut vegetables to 7-Eleven stores, has announced a new strategy to promote agriculture that can compete in Asian markets. (News On Japan)

Typhoon No. 5 made landfall near Cape Erimo in Hokkaido in the early hours of July 15th, marking the first time in nine years that a typhoon has struck the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. (News On Japan)

A Tokyo court has sentenced Manabu Wakui to 15 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a woman on the grounds of a high-rise condominium in Shinjuku Ward in May 2024. The Tokyo District Court ruled that Wakui carried out the attack to satisfy a personal grudge without first exhausting legal channels, stating that his actions could not be justified as revenge. (News On Japan)

In Tokyo’s Shibuya district, the issue of people drinking alcohol outside convenience stores—known as “konbini drinking”—has already erupted into a full-fledged summer spectacle. Foreign visitors have begun gathering in Center Gai, bottles in hand, despite a ban on nighttime street drinking in place since October 2024. (News On Japan)

The ruling coalition is facing an increasingly difficult battle to retain its majority in Japan’s House of Councillors, according to a mid-campaign opinion poll by FNN ahead of the July 20th election. Meanwhile, the minor party Sanseitō is showing strong momentum and could see a significant boost in its number of seats. (News On Japan)

We are already halfway through 2025. Are you still figuring out how to invest smartly and balance the risk-reward equation in your portfolio? (News On Japan)

With Japan’s junior high school entrance season in full swing, attention is turning not just to test content, but to how students and parents should prepare. At Seikou Gakuin Junior High, for example, the Japanese language exam tests precise word usage, with questions such as the correct usage of similar-sounding words like “setsujoku” (to fulfill a humiliation) versus “kutsujoku” (to clear a disgrace). Such nuanced questions demand a refined linguistic sense, often beyond elementary-level knowledge. (News On Japan)

A recent survey by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) has revealed that business leaders view wage hikes as the most effective policy response to rising prices, ahead of the July House of Councillors election. The findings reflect growing concern among corporate executives about the impact of inflation outpacing wage growth, and highlight a preference for structural solutions over short-term subsidies. (News On Japan)

A 52-year-old newspaper deliveryman was killed in the early hours of July 12th after being attacked by a bear in a residential area of Fukushima Town, Hokkaido. (News On Japan)

As Japan sees a record surge in foreign visitors, tourist information centers across the country have become essential stopovers for international travelers, often serving as their last resort when plans go awry. A recent report took a closer look at how these centers, flooded daily with tourists, respond to the increasingly bold and spontaneous demands of visitors eager to make the most of their trip—especially when it comes to catching a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. (News On Japan)

A hot spring inn in the popular resort area of Niseko, Hokkaido, has been forced to suspend operations at one of its baths after an unauthorized open-air bath was found to have been built near its hot spring source. (News On Japan)

A vending machine equipped with a surveillance camera has been installed inside Aeon Mall Kyoto Katsuragawa as part of a new agreement between the Kyoto Minami Police Station and the mall operator to deter criminal activity and enhance regional security. (News On Japan)