A fireworks festival that had been promoted as a simultaneous display of more than 10,000 fireworks across three cities on Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture was abruptly canceled on August 9, with organizers having failed to submit applications for permits required to hold the event. (News On Japan)

Japan's dating scene has its own vocabulary, its own etiquette, and — for the arrangement style commonly known abroad as sugar dating — its own dedicated clubs. (News On Japan)

Nara Park's famous deer are increasingly spilling into residential areas and farmland as their population reaches a record high, creating new problems for residents even as the animals remain a major attraction for visitors to the ancient capital. (News On Japan)

Disney On Ice opened its Osaka run on August 8, bringing Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters to the rink for a special production celebrating the show's 40th anniversary in Japan. (News On Japan)

Maids from Akihabara maid cafes joined shrine maidens from Kanda Myojin and members of the public on August 8 to sprinkle water across the shrine grounds in Tokyo, calling out "Cool down!" as they took part in a summer tradition aimed at easing the midsummer heat. (News On Japan)

Japan is one of those countries that people visit once and then return to again and again and again, because it is unlike any other place on the planet. (News On Japan)

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are expected to lower fuel surcharges on international tickets issued in September and October after a decline in the fuel prices used to calculate the additional fees. (News On Japan)

The rainy season appears to have ended in the Hokuriku region and both southern and northern Tohoku, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on August 5, marking the apparent end of the season across the entire country. (News On Japan)

The legal speed limit on many residential roads will be lowered from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 kph on September 1, as police urge drivers to recognize that pedestrians should take priority on narrow neighborhood streets. (News On Japan)

A new pedestrian bridge has opened across the Nihonbashi River, connecting the Otemachi-Marunouchi business district with the neighboring Kanda area as part of a redevelopment project aimed at improving access and revitalizing central Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Three female lions at Tama Zoological Park have died in succession after suffering dehydration and multiple organ failure, with heatstroke suspected as the cause. (News On Japan)

A fire destroyed a wooden reception building at a subtemple within the grounds of Kodaiji in Kyoto on August 3, burning about 60 square meters but leaving no one injured and causing no damage to the temple's main buildings or cultural properties. (News On Japan)

Six airlines, including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Air Do, will move the baggage check-in deadline for domestic flights at Haneda Airport to 30 minutes before departure from September 1. (News On Japan)

All 54 frog species found in Japan have been brought together for a special exhibition at the Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Natural History in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's public bathhouses raised their adult admission fee by 50 yen to 600 yen on August 1 as operators struggle with rising fuel and other costs, prompting concerns that some customers may reduce their visits. (News On Japan)

Geisha and maiko in Kyoto's Gion district made their traditional rounds on August 1 to express gratitude to teahouse proprietors, teachers and others who support them throughout the year as part of the annual Hassaku observance. (News On Japan)

The Aomori Nebuta Festival opened in Aomori city on August 2, with vividly colored warrior lantern floats illuminating the summer night as dancers filled the streets with energetic chants and leaps. (News On Japan)

Osaka's Tenjin Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals and a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years, drew about 1.29 million visitors this year, close to a record high, even as organizers struggled with extreme heat, growing numbers of foreign tourists, waste and mounting safety concerns. (News On Japan)

International flight bookings for Japan's Obon holiday period have lost momentum for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with airlines pointing to global uncertainty and the weak yen as factors discouraging overseas travel. (News On Japan)

Universal Studios Japan launched its annual One Piece Premier Summer event on July 30, offering live battle performances and new festival-themed food inspired by the popular anime series. (News On Japan)