News On Japan

Offensive acts by bathers, many of them filmed, have led to the indefinite closure of a mixed-gender hot spring bath at the popular Shiobara onsen resort here. (Asahi)

The pilot of the sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 airplane said it was a "great pleasure" to be in Japan after making an unscheduled pit stop at Nagoya Airport toward midnight Monday, and pledged to continue his record-breaking voyage to Hawaii as soon as the weather clears. (Japan Times)

Tokyo shares ended Tuesday slightly lower with its benchmark Nikkei stocks index ending a 12-day gaining streak as investors sought to cash in recent profits after rallies, while a weaker yen helped hold the downside. (eastday.com)

Yokohama police said Tuesday they are investigating a case of animal cruelty after a dismembered cat was found in a park. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested an organized crime boss who provided fraudulent information in opening a bank account, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 2). (Tokyo Reporter)

The massive leak last month of personal data from the Japan Pension Service was the result of a simple error by its employees: opening a virus-laced email attachment disguised as a health ministry document. (Japan Times)

The rainy season has started in southwestern Japan, the Meteorological Agency said Tuesday, arousing concern of volcanic mud flows on Kuchinoerabu Island where Mount Shindake erupted late last week. (Japan Times)

Cabinet ministers have approved a plan to reduce greenhouse gases by 26 percent by 2030, a goal already criticized by environmental groups as too timid and statistically unsound. (Japan Times)

Japanese police and the coast guard have held a joint drill to prepare for a possible illegal landing by foreigners on a remote Japanese island. (NHK)

Narita Airport near Tokyo on Tuesday celebrated its 5-millionth takeoff or landing of an aircraft since opening in 1978. (NHK)

The hacking of pension subscribers' personal data from the Japan Pension Service is arousing concern about the My Number universal ID system ahead of the system's introduction next January. (The Japan News)

Japan's inflation-adjusted real wage index in April rose 0.1 pct from a year earlier, the first increase in two years, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said in a preliminary report Tuesday. (Jiji Press)

Kei Nishikori rallied from two sets down against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but his bid to become the first Japanese man to reach the semifinals of the French Open in 82 years fell just short of the mark. (Asahi)

A total of 1,196 people were taken to hospital by ambulance due to heatstroke in Japan in the week to Sunday, up sharply from 437 in the preceding week, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday. (The Japan News)

The Japanese government drew up an outline on Tuesday for regulations on drones, including a ban on night flights by unmanned aerial vehicles as an emergency measure. (Jiji Press)

Japan's smallest unit of currency, the one-yen coin that buys nothing, has now been in circulation for 60 years. (Asahi)

Fashion designer and TV "talent" Uno Kanda showed off her new collection of wedding dresses in Tokyo this week, but after the show, the only thing the media were interested in was a highly publicized incident last year in which her former babysitter stole 30 million yen worth of brand-name goods and jewelry. (Japan Today)

Metropolitan Police Department said they confirmed two cases of suspicious calls made to elderly women in Tokyo Tuesday predending to be an official of the Japan Pension Service, according to media reports. (Japan Times)