McDonald's Japan announced that approximately half of the stores affected by a register malfunction on Friday have resumed operations. (News On Japan)

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 3,135,600 foreign visitors came to Japan in June, marking the highest number ever recorded for a single month. (News On Japan)

Japanese scientists have attached living skin to robot faces to make them “smile”. The University of Tokyo published its findings in late June 2024, along with a video of the material being stretched into an unsettling grin. (South China Morning Post)

Japan disbanded its military following its defeat in World War II and adopted a pacifist constitution that prohibits the country from engaging in war. (South China Morning Post)

Shohei Ohtani is set to open the next season in Tokyo, with high hopes for his return as a two-way player in Japan. (News On Japan)

The benches under the overpass in Shinjuku Ward, originally intended for three people, now accommodate only one, following the local government's decision to screw poles into the benches in an effort to deter late-night drinkers gathering and making noise. (News On Japan)

In Kiyosato, Hokkaido, cherry salmon are making their way back from the Sea of Okhotsk to rivers to spawn as the breeding season approaches. These fish are showcasing their powerful jumps, attempting to scale a waterfall approximately 2.5 meters high. (News On Japan)

Japan's nationwide consumer price index (CPI) for June, which measures the price movement of goods and services consumed at home, rose by 2.6%. (News On Japan)

An explosion in an apartment in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday night has been caught on dashcam, scattering debris and injuring three people. (News On Japan)

The leaders' meeting of the 'Pacific Islands Summit,' involving Japan and Pacific island nations, was held in Tokyo, resulting in the adoption of a leaders' declaration emphasizing future cooperation. (News On Japan)

The 'Hajimete Challenge' service is gaining popularity for helping children complete their first errands. The service, provided by Tokyo-based video production company WAGAKOTO, includes filming and editing the errand experience, which is then sent to parents. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government is considering revising the policy that reduces pensions for those working past age 65. However, a significant proposal to extend the pension premium payment period from age 60 to 65 has been deferred. (News On Japan)

Trying to solve the problem of finding a successor, a historic natto producer was taken over, only to have its funds siphoned off in a scam that is becoming increasingly common in Japan. (News On Japan)

A 25-year-old unemployed man has been arrested and sent to the prosecutor's office for threatening a female member of the popular idol group AKB48 with murder. (News On Japan)

Shibuya Station, undergoing a once-in-a-century large-scale redevelopment, will open a new ticket gate to improve accessibility in previously less convenient areas. (News On Japan)

A retrial at the Tokyo High Court has resulted in an upheld guilty verdict for a former employee of the major publishing company Kodansha, who was accused of murdering his wife in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. The court dismissed the appeal by the former employee, confirming the initial 11-year prison sentence. (News On Japan)

As popular tourist spots in Hokkaido face disruptive behavior by foreign visitors, a small town has begun taking measures to address the situation. (News On Japan)

The Japan Meteorological Agency has announced the end of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions. With the rainy season's conclusion, severe heat has returned. (News On Japan)

On the night of July 17, Kamakura held its first fireworks festival in five years. Despite recent rain keeping Tokyo's temperatures below 30°C, dangerous heat is expected to return by Saturday. (News On Japan)

Japan's third largest newspaper company, the Mainichi Shimbun, announced on Wednesday that it would cease newspaper deliveries in Toyama Prefecture by the end of September this year. Currently, only the morning edition is being published in Toyama, with the estimated circulation falling to 840 copies in 2023. (News On Japan)