An international triathlon competition featuring a rare moat swim was held on May 25th at Osaka Castle Park. (News On Japan)
A revised Family Registry Act requiring kana (phonetic reading) to be included alongside names in the official family registry came into effect on May 26th. Postcards listing the planned kana readings will now be sent by municipalities to all residents across Japan. (News On Japan)
At night, Kego Park in central Fukuoka becomes a gathering place for youth with nowhere else to go—teenagers and young adults who have lost their footing at home or in school. The area has come to be known as "the Kego scene." (News On Japan)
An event commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the 10th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces was held on Sunday, featuring shooting drills and other training exercises as part of the program. The training was open to the public, allowing visitors to observe the drills firsthand.
(News On Japan)
A Kobe University professor has solved one of the most perplexing unsolved problems in applied mathematics, opening the door to technologies once thought impossible. Kenjiro Kimura, who also serves as CEO of Integral Geometry Science, proved a global inverse problem in wave scattering theory—a feat no one had accomplished before—and used it to develop what is being called the world's first non-invasive internal imaging technology. (News On Japan)
SoftBank Group, which oversees major operations including telecom company SoftBank and the Vision Fund investment vehicle, has set out an ambitious plan involving over 1 trillion yen in investments since January. (News On Japan)
A small celestial body made headlines earlier this year when it was briefly thought to pose a threat to Earth. But the true stars of this story are not those 60-meter objects zipping past our planet, but two massive asteroids—Ceres and Vesta—each hundreds of kilometers wide and orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. (News On Japan)
While working as a civil servant in Sapporo, Mitsuhiko Kamata spent decades capturing the natural beauty of Hokkaido through his lens. Now, having taken early retirement after 35 years, he has dedicated himself full time to pursuing the fleeting, miraculous moments found in nature—moments he believes must rise to the level of art to truly move the viewer. (News On Japan)
Ōnosato has secured his place as the fastest wrestler in sumo history to be promoted to the rank of yokozuna, reaching the sport’s highest title in just 13 tournaments since his debut. (News On Japan)
Faded and illegible intersection signs are causing confusion and concern among residents in Himeji, a city in Hyogo Prefecture known for its iconic Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With around 520,000 residents and high vehicle traffic, the deteriorating condition of road signage is becoming a serious issue, especially in areas frequented by tourists. (News On Japan)
As major corporations like Panasonic move to reduce headcounts, a quiet revolution is underway among Japan’s younger workers: the rise of quiet quitting. (News On Japan)
Children increasingly face exposure to inappropriate online ads even when accessing seemingly harmless websites such as cooking or game guides. In one notable case reported in March, users who opened a recipe site to cook with their children were startled by sudden sexually suggestive advertisements. (News On Japan)
Emojis have evolved into a shared shorthand for emotion and intent, shaping not only how people text, but how they relate to one another online. Now, as NTT Docomo prepares to retire its original emoji set after 26 years, it marks the end of a uniquely Japanese chapter in the global story of digital expression. (News On Japan)
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has drafted a new strategy aimed at giving Japan an advantage in shaping international standards for emerging technologies such as next-generation solar cells. (News On Japan)
The second day of the Soma Nomaoi festival—designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government—featured its most anticipated spectacles: the armored horse race and the sacred flag competition, held on May 25th at the Hibarigahara festival grounds in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. (News On Japan)
Japan has been struggling to cope with a combination of anaemic economic growth and a shrinking population for over 30 years. 2025 marks the tipping point when the rising costs outstrip the country's capacity to pay for them. (Financial Times)
Yame City has signed a cooperation agreement with the Kyushu University Urban Research Center to promote regional revitalization through ESG evaluation—a method of quantifying environmental, social, and governance efforts—aiming to enhance export capabilities and build a more sustainable society. (News On Japan)
An electric school bus has been introduced for a special needs school in Kitakyushu, with the city holding an unveiling ceremony at city hall to mark the occasion. (News On Japan)
The redevelopment plan for the former Nakano Sunplaza site has been formally scrapped, raising concerns among local residents about the area potentially becoming a neglected eyesore. (News On Japan)
Many employees received their paychecks on May 23rd, but for a growing number, those paychecks now include a portion that used to be paid as bonuses. A new compensation trend is emerging among Japan's major corporations: splitting up bonuses and distributing them as part of monthly salaries. (News On Japan)
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