For many farmers who have long struggled with low income, this price surge has become a rare boost in motivation. As rice prices climb amid nationwide shortages, some producers are finally seeing a chance to earn a sustainable living. (News On Japan)

More than half of working adults who show signs of severe fatigue believe they are in good health, according to a recent survey highlighting the hidden toll of habitual behaviors in the workplace. (News On Japan)

Kazuhiko Matsumoto, a 70-year-old man on death row for killing two men in the Philippines for insurance money, has died of natural causes. (News On Japan)

Reporters Without Borders has released its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, ranking Japan 66th out of 180 countries and regions surveyed, just behind Timor-Leste (65th) and Fiji (64th). (News On Japan)

The Trump administration has imposed a 25% additional tariff on imported auto parts, including engines and transmissions, with the measure taking effect at 1:01 p.m. Japan time on May 3rd. (News On Japan)

Japan and the United States held a second round of negotiations over tariffs, with discussions lasting 130 minutes. Economic Minister Akazawa described the talks as substantive, yet many officials believe the outcome hinges on the trajectory of U.S.-China relations. (News On Japan)

During the Pacific War, members of the Ainu community, Japan's Indigenous people, were drafted and sent to the front lines alongside ethnic Japanese under the government's assimilation policy. (News On Japan)

Okinawa Prefecture has issued a warning to watch out for habu snakes, which become more active as temperatures rise in May, particularly during farming and outdoor activities in mountainous areas. (News On Japan)

A dugong, a nationally protected species feared to be at risk of extinction, was spotted swimming off the coast of Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April. This marks the first confirmed sighting of a dugong in Okinawa since 2019. (News On Japan)

A group of German adventurers have launched an ambitious trek across Japan as part of what they call "Cybox Season 25," documenting their journey from the northernmost tip of the country in a vlog-style diary rich with cultural observations, physical endurance, and personal reflection. (News On Japan)

Plans are underway to install designated smoking areas inside the Expo site for the first time. (News On Japan)

Nagoya’s first “Untertainment” attraction—combining poop-themed fun and entertainment—is set to open on May 4th on the third floor of LaLaport Nagoya Minato AQULS in Minato Ward. (News On Japan)

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from used cooking oil and other waste materials, has been produced domestically in Japan for the first time and supplied to an aircraft. (News On Japan)

Footage captured on May 1st shows a newborn fawn walking unsteadily. The fawn, a female measuring 51 centimeters in length and weighing 3,140 grams, was found that afternoon and is now staying at the nearby Rokuen protection facility with its mother. They will remain there until July. (News On Japan)

A senior member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, a designated organized crime syndicate, has been arrested in connection with the theft of over 170 Rolex watches in Osaka, and is suspected of having selected where the stolen goods would be sold. (News On Japan)

A wave of fraudulent trades conducted through hijacked securities accounts has prompted Japan’s leading brokerages to move toward compensating affected customers, with some firms opting to offer full refunds. (News On Japan)

Kyoto Notre Dame Women's University, a prestigious all-women’s college with over 60 years of history, has announced that it will stop accepting new students from next academic year. (News On Japan)

The Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture has begun preparations for its next shikinen sengu, the ceremonial reconstruction of its shrine buildings and transfer of deities held once every 20 years. The process officially commenced on May 2nd with the Yamaguchi Festival, the first in a series of sacred rites. (News On Japan)

A chamberlain assigned to the Emperor's household has been dismissed by the Imperial Household Agency after it was discovered the aide had embezzled 3.6 million yen, or roughly 25,000 dollars, from an account used to cover the Imperial Family’s living expenses. (News On Japan)

Japan’s unemployment rate improved in fiscal 2024 for the first time in two years, falling by 0.1 percentage point from the previous year to 2.5 percent, according to government data released on May 2nd. (News On Japan)