Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and six other senior government and ruling-party figures visited Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, 2026. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away but sent a cash offering, while China and South Korea protested.
Nagasaki marked 81 years since the US atomic bombing on August 9, with Mayor Shiro Suzuki warning that reliance on nuclear deterrence raises the risk of war. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan currently maintains its three non-nuclear principles but did not commit to preserving them unchanged.
Aso Kumamoto Airport said flights were expected to operate normally from August 2 after the July 28 earthquake, subject to aftershock conditions. Rail and road access can change separately, while ticket and insurance options depend on the booking and contract.
Three lionesses at Tokyo's Tama Zoological Park died between July 28 and August 2 after several animals developed signs consistent with heat stress. Autopsies found dehydration and multiple organ failure, but the zoo had not issued a final independent pathology finding.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto region at 4:27 p.m. Japan Standard Time on July 28, damaging an Aeon Mall and a paper mill. Rescue teams searched collapsed structures as early casualty and missing-person counts changed, while a tsunami advisory was lifted within two hours.
