Overview

• Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded tsunami warnings to advisories on July 31 after a magnitude quake near the Kamchatka Peninsula triggered nationwide alerts on July 30.
• Gunma Governor Ichita Yamamoto announced on July 31 that he will seek a third term in the 2027 election, highlighting ongoing digital industry promotion and UNESCO bath culture registration efforts.
• At a July 31 national meeting of the Constitutional Democratic Party, local leaders urged stronger social media engagement to reach unaffiliated voters following flat Upper House election results.
• Tsuruga police arrested a 63-year-old suspect on July 31 for breaking into a barn and stealing 30 kg of brown rice in Mihama, linking the individual to multiple similar thefts in the area.
• On August 1, the Setouchi International Art Festival’s summer session opened in Shido-Tsuda and Hiketa with extended evening viewings; Kobe kicked off the 30th National NIE Conference focused on media-literacy in emergencies.