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)

On August 1st, a special session of the Diet convened, marking the first appearance of Ishin lawmaker Tai Okazaki, who was elected for the first time in July's House of Councillors election. Okazaki spoke with reporters about his determination for his new role. (News On Japan)

"I think this is the biggest deal ever," said U.S. President Donald Trump excitedly in front of reporters. (News On Japan)

The mayor of Joetsu City, Kanta Nakagawa, who sparked controversy by saying "Sanda's rice is bad," traveled to Hyogo Prefecture to personally apologize to the people of Sanda, including its mayor and local farmers. (News On Japan)

A small island in the Seto Inland Sea, home to just seven registered residents, is seeing rapid changes due to land acquisitions linked to Chinese investors—raising alarm among the local community. (News On Japan)

Voter turnout in the July 20th Upper House election rose significantly, with the nationwide average reaching 58.51%, up 6.46 points from the previous election's 52.05%, according to figures released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. (News On Japan)

In the Upper House election held on Sunday, veteran politician Muneo Suzuki, who ran under the banner of a "final battle," made a dramatic turnaround that surprised even his supporters. (News On Japan)

The results of the House of Councillors election held on July 20th have been finalized, with the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito winning a combined total of 47 seats, falling short of the 50 needed for a majority in the upper chamber. (News On Japan)

Japan's Environment Ministry on July 19th transported soil generated during decontamination efforts in Fukushima Prefecture—following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster—to the front garden of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo's Nagatacho district. (News On Japan)

As candidates in the upcoming House of Councillors election increasingly emphasize policies targeting foreign nationals, social media has seen a surge in claims—denied by the government—that foreigners are unfairly benefiting from Japan's welfare system. (News On Japan)

The government has launched a new command organization under the Cabinet Secretariat to oversee foreign resident policies, aiming to strengthen responses to crimes and nuisance behavior involving foreigners. (News On Japan)

The ruling coalition is facing an increasingly difficult battle to retain its majority in Japan’s House of Councillors, according to a mid-campaign opinion poll by FNN ahead of the July 20th election. Meanwhile, the minor party Sanseitō is showing strong momentum and could see a significant boost in its number of seats. (News On Japan)

With Japan facing a labor shortage due to its aging population, immigration policy has emerged as a key issue in the upcoming Upper House election in July. On July 9th, the topic was discussed in depth by news program “It!”, which highlighted public concerns and political stances regarding the role of foreign nationals in Japanese society. (News On Japan)

The Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed its first V-22 Osprey to a newly opened base in Saga, with all 17 aircraft to be relocated from Chiba by mid-August as part of Japan’s shift to strengthen defense in the southwest region. (News On Japan)

Japan’s position on its handling of World Cultural Heritage sites, including Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) in Nagasaki City, has been upheld by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which rejected South Korea’s demand for a renewed review of Japan’s efforts. (News On Japan)

As Japan's Upper House election approaches, party leaders debated whether restrictions should be placed on foreign property ownership. Amid soaring housing prices—especially in Tokyo where secondhand condominium prices now exceed 100 million yen—seven of the eight major political parties expressed support for some form of regulation on foreign homebuyers. (News On Japan)

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed doubts about reaching a trade agreement with Japan and hinted at the possibility of imposing tariffs of 30% to 35%. (News On Japan)

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again voiced strong dissatisfaction with Japan over automobile tariffs, a key issue in ongoing trade talks between the two countries, criticizing Japan for not importing American cars and calling the situation unfair. (News On Japan)

The former Abe faction of the Liberal Democratic Party has officially dissolved after submitting a dissolution notice as a political organization to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. The faction had already decided to disband in January 2024 in response to a series of political funds scandals. (News On Japan)

Okinawa Prefecture observed its annual Day of Remembrance on June 23rd, commemorating the more than 200,000 Japanese and American lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa during the final stages of the Pacific War. (News On Japan)