News On Japan

Kosuke Hagino won Japan's first gold medal of the 2016 Rio Games on Saturday night, beating fast-finishing American Chase Kalisz and countryman Daiya Seto in the men's 400-meter individual medley. (Japan Times)

A famous statue of the Great Buddha in the ancient capital of Nara in western Japan has been cleaned up in an annual mid-summer ritual. (NHK)

Despite years of public health campaigns, salt consumption in Japan has not decreased as expected, recent research shows. (Japan Times)

Some 1,000 turned out to honor late legendary sumo wrestler Chiyonofuji on Sunday, when the funeral and memorial service were held at Tokyo's Kokonoe stable. (Japan Times)

Japan's Foreign Ministry has lodged a protest with the Chinese ambassador to the country over the intrusion of Chinese ships into Japanese territorial waters. (NHK)

The Japanese government has confirmed that China has installed radar equipment on one of the 16 gas drilling platforms it unilaterally built in the East China Sea. (NHK)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested a woman on Sunday for allegedly stabbing a woman in the back with a knife at a supermarket in Kawasaki City. (Tokyo Reporter)

Ichiro Suzuki has gotten his 3,000th career hit in the major leagues, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone. (the-japan-news.com)

Japanese Emperor Akihito will issue a rare video message to the public Monday afternoon to express his thoughts amid speculation he is considering abdicating. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are investigating a Molotov cocktail attack at a festival on Sunday evening that left more than a dozen persons injured and the likely perpetrator unconscious following what is being viewed as a suicide bid, reports NHK (Tokyo Reporter)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police have arrested the manager of a shopping mall operated by Japan Post for allegedly molesting a woman at an apartment in Fukuoka City, reports the Sankei Shimbun. (Tokyo Reporter)

Japan's Finance Ministry officials say the account surplus for the first half of the year was the highest since the global financial crisis. (NHK)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has raided the offices of Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) local unit on suspicion of pressuring retailers to offer products at lower prices than on rival sites, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday. (Reuters)

In a matchup of two teams that struggled to find their best form in Matchday 1, Japan rallied to tie Colombia 2-2 in Group B action. (nbcolympics.com)

The 2016 Rio Olympics are underway, and athletes from around the globe are competing for gold. Many of those Olympians are inked, as are those spectators who have flocked to the games. All are giving hope to those who want Japan, host of the next Summer Games, to become more open-minded about tattooing. (kotaku.com)

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada issued an order on Monday for the Self-Defense Forces to be ready anytime to shoot down possible missiles from North Korea. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo's new governor, Yuriko Koike, has reacted positively to the idea of operating a recreational complex including a casino in the city. (NHK)

Rental rates are going up in Osaka's business district as retailers open more stores to accommodate an influx of foreign visitors. (Nikkei)

The video message from Japan's 82-year-old Emperor Akihito released Monday, indicating his desire to abdicate, raises a host of legal issues, including how the Constitution defines the emperor and how to revise the Imperial House Law. (Japan Today)

Japan's first lady Akie Abe says she is "ready to face criticism" after attending an anti-government rally, protesting the construction of new helipads at the US-operated military in Okinawa. (rt.com)

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