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July 24, 2026
 

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OKAYAMA

A woman offers prayers in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, on Monday, mourning people who lost their lives in a devastating rain disaster that hit the area in 2018.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 6, 2026
Victims mourned eight years after western Japan rain disaster
Residents across the Chugoku region on Monday mourned over 300 people who lost their lives in the incident that hit the area in 2018.
The town assembly of Kaisei in Kanagawa Prefecture has been opening its chamber as a study room for students during summer vacation since July 2023.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / FOCUS
Jul 2, 2026
Local assembly chambers in Japan open their doors for studying and weddings
As the chambers are only sparingly used when assemblies are not in session, it is hoped allowing residents to make use of the spaces will raise public awareness of the assemblies.
Across Kojima, production facilities handle different stages of denim-making, from sewing and washing to finishing and quality control.
LIFE / Travel
Jun 13, 2026
How Kojima made a destination out of denim
In Okayama Prefecture, an old textile town has turned jeans into a source of craft, identity and tourism.
A research team led by Okayama University professor Sakae Takeuchi has identified the detailed mechanism behind crows¡¯ black coloration, finding that a receptor in the species' pigment cell for producing black pigment is constantly active.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
May 14, 2026
Japanese researchers identify scientific mechanism behind crows¡¯ black color
The research team created the pigment cell receptor for large-billed crows in culture and conducted a detailed analysis.
As the oldest member of the upper chamber, Toranosuke Katayama was known for voicing his opinions during parliamentary questioning.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Dec 19, 2025
Former internal affairs minister Katayama dies at 90
Toranosuke Katayama, a native of Okayama Prefecture, was first elected to the House of Councilors in 1989.
Fisheries minister Norikazu Suzuki explains measures to support oyster farmers during a news conference at the ministry on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 12, 2025
Japan unveils measures to tackle mass oyster deaths
The measures include financially supporting affected oyster farmers and identifying the cause of the mass deaths.
The Olympia Dream Seto ferry is set to use autonomous navigation technology on a route between the city of Okayama and Shodoshima, an island in Kagawa Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 11, 2025
World¡¯s first autonomous passenger ship to start service in Japan
The initiative is aimed at addressing ship crew shortages and reducing accidents caused by human error.
Police have arrested an elementary school teacher in Okayama Prefecture, the seventh and final suspect related to a group of teachers who allegedly shared voyeuristic videos of school girls on social media.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Nov 7, 2025
Final suspect held in case of teachers accused of sharing child sexual abuse images
It was the seventh arrest related to a group of teachers who allegedly shared voyeuristic videos of school girls on social media.
Ryan Gander¡¯s ¡°The Find¡± transforms Okayama into the site of a scavenger hunt for coins that anyone is free to take home.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 5, 2025
Artists turn Okayama into Murakami-esque city of wonder
The fourth edition of the triennial Okayama Art Summit transmutes the sensibility of Haruki Murakami¡¯s ¡°1Q84¡± into an urban art program.
In a region more associated with art, Keirin Hotel 10 takes a decidedly more athletic approach to attracting tourists.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 16, 2025
A seaside hotel built on competitive Japanese cycling
Naoshima is known for art, but this coastal hotel in Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, focuses on Japan¡¯s competitive cycling scene.
The head office of Chugoku Bank in Okayama
BUSINESS
May 28, 2025
Japan¡¯s ¡®Middle Country¡¯ bank is puzzling Chinese tourists
When written in Japanese, Chugoku Bank¡¯s name is identical to that of Bank of China.
Masao Omori, mayor of the city of Okayama, the capital of the western prefecture of the same name, announces that a wildfire there had been contained Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 29, 2025
Okayama wildfire contained as Ehime eyes similar declaration
A forest fire in Okayama Prefecture has been contained, officials said, while another wildfire in Ehime Prefecture could also be brought under control early next week.
A wildfire in the city of Okayama on Wednesday evening
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 27, 2025
Over 900 hectares destroyed in Ehime and Okayama wildfires
In the Ehime city of Imabari, 417 hectares had been burned as of Wednesday, while the fire in the city of Okayama had swept through some 559 hectares.
Smoke from a wildfire in the city of Okayama on Monday. The fire had subsided by Tuesday while a separate wildfire in Ehime Prefecture continues to spread.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 25, 2025
Ehime wildfire blazes on while Okayama¡¯s begins to burn out
The wildfire in Ehime Prefecture had spread to cover 171 hectares by Tuesday, although no building damage?has been reported.
A photo posted on the X account for the transport ministry's Matsuyama branch in Ehime Prefecture shows a wildfire in the city of Imabari on Sunday night.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 24, 2025
Firefighters and SDF battle wildfires spreading in Okayama and Ehime
This is the second time the country has seen an unusually large wildfire in recent weeks, following one in Iwate Prefecture last month.
The Osaka Prefectural Police headquarters in the city of Osaka
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2025
Osaka police arrest man for abandoning his wife¡¯s body
His wife was last seen leaving work early at around 2 p.m. on May 26 last year.
Travel officials from the Middle East experience test cutting for Japanese swords in Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture, in January.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 11, 2025
Government touts exchanges with nations participating in Osaka Expo
Local governments expect their plans to boost youth exchanges, accelerate overseas expansion and promote tourism.
A little-used section of the JR Geibi Line, which runs through the Chugoku Mountains in Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, faces a threat of closure.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 10, 2025
Underutilized Hiroshima-Okayama rail route struggles to survive
While the number of passengers has continued to decline, the Geibi Line has served as a lifeline for some residents.
Mayor Masanori Yamamoto of Kibichuo, Okayama Prefecture, announces the results of PFAS blood concentration tests on Tuesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 28, 2025
PFAS blood test results in Okayama Prefecture town exceed U.S. standards
The Kibichuo town government announced the results of its first blood tests after PFAS were detected at a water purification plant in the town.
The hands of dyeing craftsman Yoshiharu Okamoto are stained a deep blue by his work with indigo.
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 26, 2024
True blue tradition: How Japan¡¯s coveted jeans are made
Craftspeople in Okayama Prefecture are carrying on a centuries-old tradition of indigo dyeing that contrasts with contemporary fast fashion.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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