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)

A temple in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, was completely destroyed in a fire early Friday morning, with two bodies were discovered in the ruins. (News On Japan)

The family of a female nurse who took her own life after being severely reprimanded by a doctor while working under the risk of COVID-19 infection has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the Japanese Red Cross Society, following official recognition of the case as a work-related accident. (News On Japan)

A brutal stabbing in Osaka’s Minami district late last week left three young men wounded, one fatally, raising new questions about the changing environment around a well-known youth gathering spot beneath the Glico sign in Dotonbori. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out in a busy entertainment district near JR Osaka Station in Osaka’s Kita Ward at around 7:30 p.m. on February 18th, leaving a yakitori restaurant employee with minor burns. (News On Japan)

Three teenage boys were stabbed in Osaka’s Minami district, leaving one dead and two seriously injured, in an attack that police say may have involved repeated stabbings with strong intent to kill. (News On Japan)

A 51-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of posing as a Japan Airlines cabin attendant and defrauding a woman of more than 10 million yen by promising discounted overseas travel. (News On Japan)

A female prosecutor who says she was sexually assaulted by a former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the state and others, alleging she suffered secondary harm due to the prosecution’s handling of the case. (News On Japan)

Japan’s phone environment is set for sweeping changes in 2026, with mobile numbers nearing exhaustion and long-standing services such as feature phones, the Town Page directory and the 104 information line all coming to an end. (News On Japan)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of posing as a model audition for an underwear brand and photographing women in their underwear. (News On Japan)

Losses from special fraud and SNS-based investment and romance scams in Osaka Prefecture over the past year exceeded 33.9 billion yen, marking a record high. (News On Japan)

A towering column of water reaching about 15 meters erupted in a residential area of Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on February 12th after a valve loosened during water pipe repair work, flooding nearby streets and startling residents. (News On Japan)

Sapporo City is set to begin procedures as early as February 12th to issue a demolition order requiring the removal of all buildings at North Safari Sapporo, which closed in September 2025 over illegal construction issues, after more than 30 unauthorized structures were found to remain on the site in Minami Ward, Hokkaido. (News On Japan)

A renewed water outage struck Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture after supplies briefly resumed on February 11th morning, with authorities reinstating water restrictions from 9 p.m. as frozen pipes and low reservoir levels linked to an intense cold wave continued to disrupt supply across the region. (News On Japan)

An Inazawa city councilor in Aichi Prefecture known for his trademark pink mohawk has been arrested on suspicion of extortion and assault after allegedly beating a man and demanding money at a restaurant in November 2025. (News On Japan)

A 41-year-old Chinese man arrested on suspicion of crashing a Lamborghini into a police patrol car and fleeing the scene is believed to have been driving at a speed far exceeding the legal limit, investigators said. (News On Japan)

The death penalty and life imprisonment, often described as shrouded in secrecy when it comes to the details of executions, continue to provoke debate in Japan, where roughly 1,700 inmates are serving life sentences and many live with the knowledge that they were once candidates for execution. (News On Japan)

A man suspected of a hit-and-run drove a high-end sports car into a police patrol car, leaving five people injured. (News On Japan)

A man accused of strangling a 17-year-old girl to death and stealing her wallet at a hotel in Osaka’s Minami district was sentenced to 22 years in prison by the Osaka District Court on February 6th. (News On Japan)

A hunter in his 70s has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly killing a bear without permission at a golf course, with police sending papers on suspicion of violations of the Wildlife Protection and Management Law, including unpermitted capture, also implicating a golf course manager in his 40s and the company operating the facility. (News On Japan)