Railway operators across Japan’s Kanto region have launched a new service allowing passengers to travel using contactless credit card payments, enabling seamless transfers across multiple rail lines operated by 11 companies and covering more than 700 stations. (News On Japan)

Kirishima has been reinstated to the rank of ozeki, declaring his ambition to reach even greater heights, as the Japan Sumo Association unanimously approved his promotion during a rankings meeting and extraordinary board session held on March 25th at Edion Arena Osaka in Naniwa Ward, Osaka, ahead of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which opens on May 10th at Ryogoku Kokugikan. (News On Japan)

Japan’s first cargo-only shinkansen began operations on March 23rd, aiming to significantly expand transport capacity and help address a growing shortage of truck drivers. (News On Japan)

A government and Tokyo metropolitan task force held its first joint meeting with private-sector participants on March 25th to discuss countermeasures for a potential large-scale eruption of Mount Fuji that could blanket central Tokyo in volcanic ash and severely disrupt daily life. (News On Japan)

Seibu & Sogo announced that it will close its Seibu Shibuya store in September, bringing an end to the 58-year history of what was once a symbol of the district and marking the disappearance of traditional department stores from Shibuya. (News On Japan)

Italian furniture exports to Japan have grown steadily for over a decade, but this growth has not been driven by aggressive retail expansion. (News On Japan)

Reports of cherry blossoms blooming continued to arrive from across Japan on March 24th, with Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture declaring the nation’s earliest full bloom, marking the long-awaited start of the spring viewing season. (News On Japan)

Two men were arrested and indicted after allegedly racking up nearly 950,000 yen in unpaid food and drink charges at a girls bar in Suita, Osaka, while each had only a small amount of cash in their possession. (News On Japan)

As the impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz spreads, the government announced it will begin releasing national oil reserves from 11 bases across the country starting March 26th, in a move aimed at minimizing disruption to economic activity. (News On Japan)

Japan’s nationwide consumer price index rose 1.6 percent in February from a year earlier, marking the first time in nearly four years that the rate has fallen below 2 percent, largely due to the abolition of a temporary gasoline tax rate and the impact of government subsidies. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government on March 24th approved a bill to revise the drone regulation law, expanding no-fly zones to roughly a 1-kilometer radius around key facilities and strengthening penalties in response to growing security risks. (News On Japan)

A 56-year-old man was arrested for allegedly slashing train seat covers on a JR line in Osaka on March 19th, with police suspecting links to around 300 similar incidents reported over the past four years. (News On Japan)