Japan’s government plan to flood the market with stockpiled rice to lower prices is facing setbacks, as demand slumps and cancellations from retailers increase. Initially popular, the rice is now piling up on shelves, prompting calls to extend the end-of-August sales deadline. Even discounted imported rice is struggling to sell. Meanwhile, rice prices have unexpectedly risen for the first time in 10 weeks. (News On Japan)

Australia has selected Japan’s proposal for the joint development of next-generation naval vessels, marking a significant milestone in bilateral defense cooperation. (News On Japan)

In a historic heatwave, the city of Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture recorded a scorching 41.8 degrees Celsius on August 5th, setting a new all-time high for the highest temperature ever observed in Japan. (News On Japan)

A summer spectacle is reaching its peak at the Heijo Palace Ruins, a World Heritage site in Nara, as tens of thousands of swallows gather in the night sky. (News On Japan)

A hidden problem lies behind the seemingly ordinary streets of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. A vehicle belonging to the ward’s government arrives at a heavily overgrown property. The team inside is part of a specialized task force dealing with abandoned homes, and today they are conducting an inspection of one such property. (News On Japan)

A severe water shortage is spreading across Japan, triggering fears of a significant impact on this year’s rice harvest and prompting farmers and local governments to call for urgent conservation efforts. Some are warning that the current situation may rival or even exceed the infamous drought of 1994, known as the "Heisei Great Drought." (News On Japan)

A perfume that recreates the scent of a baby's head is drawing attention for its ability to evoke feelings of happiness. (News On Japan)

Japan's national average hourly minimum wage for this fiscal year has been set at 1,118 yen, marking a record increase of 63 yen from the previous year. (News On Japan)

The Japan Meteorological Agency has raised the volcanic alert level for the area around Mt. Shirane and the Yugama crater on the Gunma side of Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane to Level 2, restricting access near the crater due to an increase in volcanic earthquakes. (News On Japan)

A barge used to launch fireworks caught fire during the Minato Mirai Smart Festival 2025 held in Yokohama’s waterfront district on Monday night, prompting an emergency response. (News On Japan)

The Ministry of Education has released the results of the 2025 National Academic Achievement Test, revealing that elementary and junior high school students in Okinawa scored below the national average in all subjects. (News On Japan)

Miyu Yamashita, 24, secured her first major championship on August 3rd at the AIG Women’s British Open, held at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in West Wales. The course, a par 72, tested the world’s best, but Yamashita prevailed to become the first Japanese golfer to win the tournament since Hinako Shibuno’s victory in 2019. (News On Japan)

Rice harvesting has already begun in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, the southernmost town on Japan’s main island of Honshu. In some areas of Kushimoto, early harvesting is carried out around this time of year to avoid damage from typhoons, which tend to approach during the late summer season. (News On Japan)

VIRTU Financial Inc., a global leader in electronic trading and liquidity provision headquartered in New York, has officially announced the launch of its new intelligent investment strategy initiative in the Japanese market — the Future Savings Project. (News On Japan)

The Akita Kanto Festival, one of the Tohoku region’s major summer events and designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset by the national government, opened on August 3rd. (News On Japan)

Four male workers in their 50s died after falling into a manhole during a sewer inspection in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, and none of them were wearing fall-prevention safety harnesses, it has been revealed. (News On Japan)

JR East has received government approval to revise fares, including a 10-yen increase in the base fare for the Yamanote Line, raising it from 150 yen to 160 yen. (News On Japan)

Two high school boys drowned in a pond in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, after playing in the water with their friends and reportedly stepping into a deep section where they went under. (News On Japan)

In Kyoto’s historic Gion district, geisha and maiko made their annual rounds on August 1st—known in the old lunar calendar as "Hassaku"—to express gratitude to their mentors and local teahouse proprietresses, even as temperatures soared to a predicted high of 37°C. (News On Japan)

Japan experienced its hottest July on record, with the nationwide average temperature exceeding the standard by 2.89°C, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. This marks the third consecutive year of record-breaking July temperatures, and the second straight month of record highs following June. (News On Japan)