and his brother, Yuji (center back), enter the Tokyo District Court for the Thursday start of their bribery trial. KYODO PHOTO

The ex-five-term governor told the Tokyo District Court during his first trial session that he was unaware of any shady dealings and could not grasp why he was being prosecuted.

Our Planet

Hikers on a trail in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. As extreme heat continues to grip Japan, a tectonic shift may be underway in the nation’s summer tourism scene as more people gravitate toward cooler destinations.
Are 'coolcations' the answer for Japan's heat-weary tourists?

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past