The number of vacant homes in Japan has reached a record high of approximately 9 million due to factors such as an aging population and declining birth rates. Wakayama Prefecture, with a vacancy rate of 21.2%, and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo, which has the highest number of vacant homes among municipalities with 50,000 homes, have been the focus of recent investigations. (News On Japan)

In celebration of Chiba Prefecture's 150th anniversary, participants gathered along the Kujukuri Toll Road to attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest chain of people holding hands. (News On Japan)

In Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a high school girl was killed after being thrown from a bridge, and it has been revealed that the arrested 21-year-old woman and others had confined the girl for approximately four hours before the murder. (News On Japan)

Princess Kako, the second daughter of the Akishino family, delighted in a dance performance featuring participants with disabilities. (News On Japan)

A dispute over the remuneration for bear hunters has led to a standoff between a town in Hokkaido and its local hunter association. The breakdown in negotiations means that the hunters will no longer respond to bear sightings, leaving the small town of Naie, with a population of about 4,800, in a precarious situation. (News On Japan)

A man wielding a knife stabbed a passenger in the chest and abdomen on a bus in Tokyo's Minato Ward, near Takanawa Gateway Station on Friday afternoon. Over 20 passengers were on board. (News On Japan)

A vehicle in Tokyo's Adachi Ward suffered damage when its windows were shattered by a concrete piece, caught on security cameras. (News On Japan)

An 89-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, leading to the arrest of her grandson. (News On Japan)

Rakugo performer Katsura Zakoba has passed away on June 12 due to asthma at the age of 76. (News On Japan)

Canadian police have arrested a 32-year-old man for the fatal stabbing of Japanese chef Wataru Kakiuchi in Vancouver's Chinatown last week. (News On Japan)

A woman died after being trapped by her neck in an escalator at a Tokyo supermarket on Wednesday morning, highlighting the need for improved safety measures in the wake of similar incidents. (News On Japan)

Former President of Presance Corporation, Shinobu Yamagishi (61), who was acquitted of embezzlement charges, has filed a lawsuit seeking 770 million yen in compensation from the government, claiming illegal interrogation by the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office. (News On Japan)

A university student has been arrested on suspicion of trespassing at a junior high school in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, after a shocked staff member found the man in a closet wrapped in a futon. (News On Japan)

An 80-year-old man has been arrested in Chiba Prefecture for keeping weakened cats in deplorable conditions with accumulated feces and failing to provide proper care. (News On Japan)

Concerns about water shortages are spreading across Japan due to declining dam reservoir levels caused by low snowfall in winter and insufficient spring rain. (News On Japan)

A large swarm of bees was found gathering on the sidewalk in front of Tokyo's Shinjuku Station on Tuesday afternoon, with authorities urging people to avoid creating a disturbance. (News On Japan)

Two gang members have been arrested for allegedly harassing a reporter in Tokyo's Kabukicho district. (News On Japan)

A Brazilian man drowned while trying to save an elementary school student who was drowning in Lake Hamana, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Saturday. (News On Japan)

Two pit bulls, each about 70 cm in length, escaped from a moving car in Tochigi City on the 8th and are still at large. The police have intensified their patrols in the area to locate the missing dogs. (News On Japan)

An explosion and fire at the Osaka-Kansai Expo construction site in March has been detailed by a male worker who was near the scene. In early June, he provided his account to the Asahi Shimbun, along with photos showing damage not previously disclosed by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. (News On Japan)