A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman. (News On Japan)

Bear attacks continue to occur across Japan, while a new problem has emerged as false reports of bear sightings flood local alert systems, placing growing pressure on municipal authorities and emergency responders. (News On Japan)

Two women were found dead with stab wounds at a house in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, on May 19th, with police suspecting they were victims of a violent crime. (News On Japan)

A man in his 30s was referred to prosecutors after allegedly feeding a chocolate snack to a marmot at an animal cafe in Osaka Prefecture, despite the risk that the treat could cause poisoning or even death in the squirrel-family animal. (News On Japan)

Flames tore through a temple in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, on May 16th, destroying the main hall of Daioji Temple, which has a history dating back around 570 years, while nearby gravestones glowed red in the intense blaze. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ehime Prefecture for the National Tree Planting Festival, marking their first visit to the prefecture since the Emperor’s accession to the throne and their first joint visit to Ehime in 27 years. (News On Japan)

A highway bus carrying 24 passengers was completely destroyed by fire after crashing into a motorcycle that had fallen on the roadway late on May 17th along the Second Keihan Expressway connecting Osaka and Kyoto, though all passengers and crew escaped safely. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out near Osaka's Dotonbori district on Monday morning, burning four buildings including restaurants, with nearby residents describing thick smoke that made it difficult to breathe, although no injuries were reported. (News On Japan)

A 28-year-old woman was arrested following a fatal hit-and-run incident in Ginan Town, Gifu Prefecture, that claimed the life of a 59-year-old American man, with the driver partially denying the allegations, telling police she didn't think it was a person. (News On Japan)

Police investigating the robbery-murder of a woman in Tochigi Prefecture, in which four teenage boys have already been arrested, detained a married couple in their 20s on May 17th on suspicion of acting as ringleaders in the attack. (News On Japan)

A 28-year-old man believed to have directed a deadly robbery attack in Kamimikawa, Tochigi Prefecture, was arrested at Haneda Airport as police continue investigating the murder of a woman killed during a home invasion. (News On Japan)

Two intruders claiming to be Americans climbed into Punch the monkey's compound on Sunday morning, one wearing a yellow costume while the other filmed, causing a disturbing scene at Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out Saturday night at a temple in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, that dates back to the Muromachi period, with flames and thick black smoke seen rising from the roof as the blaze continued for nearly nine hours. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ehime Prefecture on May 16th ahead of the National Tree-Planting Festival scheduled for May 17th, touring Japan’s only aquarium operated by high school students as part of an extracurricular club activity. (News On Japan)

The Osaka High Court upheld the acquittal on May 12th of Hiroshi Nakata, the 67-year-old head of the Yamaken-gumi faction, who had been charged with shooting and seriously injuring a member of a rival crime syndicate in Kobe in 2019. (News On Japan)

Police have arrested a couple in their 40s and their son in his 20s for allegedly confining a teenage girl inside a locked closet at their Tokyo home under the guise of discipline. (News On Japan)

The National Red Cross Convention held on May 12 honored people involved in Red Cross activities across Japan. Empress Masako, serving as honorary president, attended the event alongside other female members of the Imperial Family, including Crown Princess Kiko, who serves as vice honorary president. (News On Japan)

Three men, including 22-year-old Sakuya Murakami from Takatsuki City in Osaka Prefecture, were arrested on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after allegedly spraying a man in the face with what is believed to have been bear repellent and attempting to steal his backpack on a street in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, in April. (News On Japan)

Thick black smoke billowed across an expressway in Fukuoka on May 11th after a fire broke out beneath an elevated section of the road, temporarily blocking visibility for drivers and forcing a partial road closure. (News On Japan)

Several Japanese nationals suspected of involvement in a special fraud operation in Indonesia have been detained, after a report from the family of a Japanese woman believed to have been trafficked led authorities to uncover the operation. (News On Japan)