Researchers around the world are turning their attention to mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, as new discoveries suggest they may hold important clues to slowing aging, preventing disease and extending healthy life. (News On Japan)

Tokyo police have arrested four people, including unemployed women Mao Mizuno and Naka Namioka, on suspicion of public indecency for allegedly livestreaming obscene acts on an overseas streaming website from a hotel in Kabukicho. (News On Japan)

Kyoto’s Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals, began on July 1 with the Osendo ritual at Yasaka Shrine, where the child messenger and his attendants prayed for the safe completion of their major role in the monthlong event. (News On Japan)

Japan’s average roadside land price rose 2.9% from a year earlier, marking the steepest increase on record, as inbound tourism and redevelopment pushed up land valuations across the country. (News On Japan)

A night junior high school in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, where all 30 students have roots overseas, is taking on a new role as a bridge between foreign residents and local communities in Japan. (News On Japan)

A 10-year-old boy who went missing from a special needs school in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, was found submerged in a waterfall on July 2 and later confirmed dead. (News On Japan)

Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn said the automaker is in a "state of emergency" and signaled he would be willing to return as chief executive officer, arguing that only a true decision-maker in the CEO role could rescue the company. (News On Japan)

A man in his 70s was injured early on June 30 after being attacked by a bear near an elementary school in Tochigi Prefecture, as bear-related incidents continue to rise across Japan ahead of the full onset of summer heat in July. (News On Japan)

More than 2,500 food items will become more expensive in July, with bread, instant noodles and other processed foods among the main categories affected as Middle East tensions and the weaker yen continue to push up costs. (News On Japan)

The entire Negishi Housing Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been returned to Japan for the first time in 79 years, ending its use as a residential district for U.S. military personnel and their families. (News On Japan)