Japan’s population of Japanese nationals has decreased for the 16th consecutive year, according to demographic data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. As of January 1st, 2025, the Japanese population stood at 120.65 million, a drop of roughly 910,000 from the previous year—marking the largest annual decline on record. (News On Japan)

Authorities have launched a full investigation into the fire that broke out during the Minato Mirai fireworks festival in Yokohama, where five workers had to be rescue from an exploding barge. (News On Japan)

August 6th marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. At Yakushiji Temple in Nara, a bell rang out with prayers for peace. (News On Japan)

A centuries-old temple in Osaka has become a hotspot for trespassing and online ghost-hunting rumors, following the absence of its head priest and the fallout from a criminal case involving its former leader. (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 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)

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)

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)

Osaka's iconic Glico sign, known for its triumphant runner against a backdrop of blue, red, and white, has taken on a new design this month. On July 18th, the display briefly transformed into a massive QR code—an initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable youth who gather beneath the sign, an area commonly known as "Guri-shita" (under the Glico sign). (News On Japan)

A bear that broke into a home and rummaged through food in the kitchen has been captured in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A 35-year-old Chinese woman living in Kawasaki has been arrested in connection with a stabbing incident that occurred on July 28th on the JR Tokaido Line, where a female passenger was slashed and the suspect fled the scene. (News On Japan)

A Russian woman was found dead in her apartment in Osaka’s Naniwa Ward, and police have arrested her 21-year-old son on suspicion of robbery and murder. (News On Japan)

Three men have admitted to charges related to the concealment of a woman’s body in a household freezer in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, in a case that began at the Otsu District Court on July 29th. (News On Japan)

A 66-year-old man has been arrested for repeatedly stealing sweets from an unmanned store in Nagoya, with police suspecting him of targeting the same shop on six occasions since the beginning of the year. (News On Japan)

Empress Masako has completed her annual silkworm-rearing duties at the Imperial Palace, a tradition passed down through generations of empresses since the Meiji era. (News On Japan)

Six people were injured in a knife attack on the evening of July 28th near JR Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, with two men sustaining serious wounds. Police arrested 48-year-old Hirokazu Shiobara at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. (News On Japan)

Police across Japan are urging the public to turn in certain toy guns that were offered as crane game prizes, warning they may be capable of firing live ammunition and could constitute a violation of Japan’s firearms law. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two additional suspects in connection with the prolonged confinement and assault of a business associate, bringing new developments to a case that has already led to the arrest of a construction company president. (News On Japan)

Japan’s average life expectancy in 2023 saw a slight decline for women and remained unchanged for men, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. (News On Japan)