Heavy rain flooded railway tracks in Hokkaido, forcing the cancellation of 32 trains, including limited express services linking Sapporo and Hakodate. (News On Japan)

Bacteria found in excrement on the uniform of a former nurse arrested on suspicion of killing a hospital patient by contaminating his intravenous drip matched bacteria detected in the victim's blood, investigators have found. (News On Japan)

Severe heat spread across Japan on July 20 as a Pacific high-pressure system covered much of the country, pushing the temperature in central Tokyo to 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this year. (News On Japan)

A tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of Mexican crude oil arrived off Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, on the morning of July 17, marking Japan's first such delivery since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. (News On Japan)

A man accused of leading a group assault that killed a university student apologized to the victim and his family in court, saying he had acted out of what he described as a "distorted sense of justice." (News On Japan)

All hiking trails on Mount Rausu in eastern Hokkaido reopened on July 16, one week after a descending hiker was chased by a bear. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi closed the Diet session on July 17 under pressure from both parliament and financial markets, as lawmakers enacted a revised Imperial House Law while the government moved to clarify that monetary policy tools remain under the sole authority of the Bank of Japan. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks plunged on July 17 as a global selloff in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares pushed the Nikkei 225 into correction territory, while Middle East tensions, higher oil prices and persistent yen weakness added to pressure on investors. (News On Japan)