A man accused of robbing a convenience store and injuring an employee, his face marked by a prominent tattoo, gave an interview from detention ahead of his first court appearance on January 9th, saying the crime was not motivated by financial need. (News On Japan)

A male whale measuring about 15 meters in length and weighing roughly 32 tons, which strayed into Osaka Bay and died in January 2024, was excavated from the site where it had been buried. The operation was carried out over two days, during which the whale’s bones were gradually uncovered. (News On Japan)

A 27-story building will serve as the core facility of the integrated resort (IR) that includes a casino now under construction in Osaka City, it has been learned. (News On Japan)

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings. (News On Japan)

Delays have emerged in customs procedures for food and other products exported from Japan to China, with clearance in many cases taking around two weeks longer than usual, raising the possibility that the measures are a response to comments by Takaichi regarding a potential Taiwan contingency. (News On Japan)

In Japan, real wages in November, adjusted for price fluctuations, fell 2.8% from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline. (News On Japan)

A photograph of a Samoyed dog taken against the backdrop of Mount Fuji has been drawing widespread attention on social media, with the striking image earning more than 48,000 likes. (News On Japan)

A car rammed into a police officer during a traffic violation crackdown in Kishiwada, Osaka, on January 7th, with the vehicle continuing to drive while the officer clung to the hood, prompting police to investigate the case as attempted murder. (News On Japan)

A ramen shop in Osaka’s Minami district has found itself at the center of controversy after introducing what is known as “dual pricing,” setting different prices for Japanese customers and foreign visitors, prompting questions over fairness as similar pricing structures are increasingly debated at tourist destinations across Japan. (News On Japan)

doctors and schools across Japan are drawing attention to a condition known as “New Year syndrome,” a form of physical and mental malaise that can emerge when daily routines are disrupted by an extended year-end break. (News On Japan)

Tourism industry leaders gathered in Naha to mark the start of the new year, as Okinawa’s visitor numbers continue to climb to unprecedented levels. The number of tourists entering Okinawa in fiscal 2025 is expected to exceed 10 million for the first time, setting a new record. With further growth anticipated, executives across the sector shared their outlook for 2026. (News On Japan)

A safety prayer ceremony was held ahead of the construction of giant snow sculptures at the Odori site, one of the main venues of the 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, which opens in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 4th. (News On Japan)

Graffiti has been discovered on a bamboo grove near Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, a popular area that draws large numbers of tourists to the shrine’s famed Senbon Torii gates. (News On Japan)

More than a day after a strong earthquake struck Tottori and Shimane prefectures on January 6th, with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5, disruptions including water outages are still affecting local communities. (News On Japan)

Economic circles in Japan are growing increasingly uneasy after the Chinese government announced a blanket ban on exports to Japan of dual-use goods that could be diverted for military purposes, raising concerns that rare earths could be included in the scope of the restrictions. (News On Japan)

The Hankyu Takarazuka Line is notable for having an unusually large number of stations named after shrines and temples, a feature that reflects a distinctive approach to railway-led urban development in Japan. (News On Japan)

Japan’s scientific community was energized in 2025 by major news when Sakaguchi Shimon of Osaka University and Kitagawa Susumu of Kyoto University jointly won Nobel Prizes, marking a rare double win by Japanese researchers. (News On Japan)

Nishiki Market in Kyoto and Kuromon Market in Osaka, both long known as local kitchens with deep historical roots, are facing a major turning point as a surge in inbound tourism transforms how they operate and who they serve. (News On Japan)

Goldman Sachs, a major U.S. financial institution, is reportedly planning to launch a new fund focused on real estate investments in Japan, according to Bloomberg. (News On Japan)

New vehicle sales by six Japanese automakers in the United States rose 2.4% from the previous year to 6,023,492 units in 2025, the companies announced on January 5th, as demand remained firm despite higher tariffs introduced under the Trump administration, with three manufacturers surpassing their year-earlier results. (News On Japan)