The first survey on how much foreign residents are paying in health insurance and pension premiums will be conducted to analyze their impact on Japan’s social security system; currently the country has no data specifically regarding foreign nationals

Unable to get married legally in Japan, LGBTQ couples are celebrating their special bond by donning traditional kimonos and fashionable formal wear for "photo weddings"; still, these choreographed images are often kept hidden in the conservative society

Bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were halted for hours on Saturday afternoon due to a power failure, as a sweltering heat wave hit the Pacific side of the Japanese archipelago; the stop affected around 97.000 travelers

The number of people who required assistance on Japanese mountains hit a record 3.568 cases in 2023, police remind at the start of this summer season, as climbers return to Mount Fuji and other popular peaks after the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions

Millions of cash and vending machines will have to be replaced as they are incompatible with the new 10000, 5.000 and 1.000 yen banknotes that will be put into circulation in July; there are almost 4 million such machines currently in operation