A 48-year-old woman who works as a lecturer at an Osaka prefectural high school was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in Osaka, with the man later confirmed dead at the hospital where he was taken. (News On Japan)

The Konomiya Hadaka Festival, an unusual Shinto ritual dating back more than 1,250 years in which men wearing only loincloths collide violently with one another, was held on March 1st at Konomiya Shrine in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture, drawing around 10,000 participants who surged toward a designated “sacred man” believed to absorb misfortune through physical contact. (News On Japan)

A man in his 50s died after falling while ice climbing in Gero, Gifu Prefecture, on March 2nd, after a report was made shortly after 9 a.m. from a person at the scene in Osakacho stating that he had fallen along with a sheet of ice and become trapped beneath the collapsed mass. (News On Japan)

A man indicted on murder charges over the killing of a 31-year-old nailist in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, is suspected of attaching a location-tracking “lost-item tag” to the victim’s car, investigative sources said, with police planning to rearrest him on March 2nd on suspicion of violating the anti-stalking law. (News On Japan)

A bearded American man was arrested after allegedly stealing a truck in central Tokyo on February 14th and repeatedly fleeing crash scenes, with one victim saying the driver appeared to be laughing as he sped away. (News On Japan)

The lay judge trial has begun for a man accused of fatally assaulting his six-year-old niece and concealing her body in concrete, after the remains were discovered at a residence in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, with the defendant telling the court on February 26th that the charges were “correct.” (News On Japan)

The number of children born nationwide last year fell for the tenth straight year to a record low, but Tokyo saw a year-on-year increase for the first time in nine years, highlighting how local support measures and job opportunities may help counter Japan’s declining birthrate. (News On Japan)

A drone capturing aerial footage of a waterfall in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, suddenly plunged from the sky after being attacked by a hawk, destroying equipment worth around 100,000 yen but leaving the operator with what he described as 'the best footage.' (News On Japan)

A real estate executive with alleged ties to an organized crime group was arrested on suspicion of defrauding elderly victims by selling apartments at several times their market value and extracting large sums of cash, in a case that authorities say caused total losses exceeding 700 million yen. (News On Japan)

An elevator at Tokyo Skytree that made an emergency stop with passengers on board was found to have halted due to damage to internal wiring, with operations set to resume from February 26th after safety checks. (News On Japan)

Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture has surged in the latest ranking of the most desirable places to live in the Greater Tokyo area, announced on February 25th, reflecting growing demand for well-connected commuter cities offering relatively affordable housing and convenient urban amenities. (News On Japan)

A ranking of Japan’s most skilled singing prefectures has placed Aomori at No.1 for the second consecutive year, prompting fresh curiosity over why residents there tend to score highly in karaoke assessments, according to a survey conducted by N-Sta. (News On Japan)

A traditional strength-offering ritual known as “Mochiage Chikara Hono,” in which participants lift massive rice cakes to pray for good health, was held at Daigoji, a UNESCO World Heritage temple in Kyoto. (News On Japan)

Aichi Prefecture recorded the highest number of car thefts nationwide in 2025, with more than 1,000 cases as thefts continue to rise in recent years, and Land Cruisers account for 40 percent of the vehicles targeted, prompting authorities to warn that multiple layers of security are essential to deter increasingly sophisticated methods. (News On Japan)

An elevator at Tokyo Skytree in Sumida Ward made an emergency stop on February 22nd, trapping 20 passengers for about six hours before they were safely rescued with no injuries reported, and the landmark tower remained closed on February 23rd while the operator announced it would also remain temporarily closed on February 24th for further safety inspections and investigation. (News On Japan)

A 21-year-old navigation officer was arrested after a cargo vessel collided with a recreational fishing boat off the coast of Toba, Mie Prefecture, leaving two men dead and multiple others injured. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito turned 66 on February 23rd, marking the occasion with a press conference in which he reflected on the state of the nation and expressed his concern for people affected by natural disasters, as tens of thousands later gathered at the Imperial Palace for a public greeting held under unseasonably warm weather. (News On Japan)

Three men were left unconscious and in critical condition after a violent scramble for sacred wooden sticks during the Saidaiji Eyo naked festival in Okayama Prefecture on February 22nd, with a total of six participants transported to hospital. (News On Japan)

Record-low rainfall has exposed parts of a “phantom village” that sank beneath a riverbed more than 40 years ago in Niyodogawa, Kochi Prefecture, while the water shortage has also left sections of the Shimanto River nearly dry, raising concerns about its impact on ayu fishing and daily life. (News On Japan)

As Japan enters an era of greater diversity in the Reiwa period, the shape of marriage is evolving, with some couples choosing “friendship marriages” without romance and others even selecting artificial intelligence as a life partner, reflecting a broader search for happiness and trust beyond traditional expectations. (News On Japan)