Japan's Supreme Court has rejected a constitutional challenge of a law dictating married couples must share a surname.

People in the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa are looking back at one of the deadliest battles of World War Two, which occurred 76 years ago. The clash on the islands between the Japanese military and US forces came to an end on June 23.

On Wednesday, officials held a memorial service in Itoman City. The last major clash of the Battle of Okinawa happened there.

Eight members of Uganda's Olympic team have been found to have had close contact with another member who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in Japan last weekend.

This was announced by officials of the western Japanese city of Izumisano, which is hosting a training camp for the nine-member team.

Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa is observing on Wednesday the 76th anniversary of the end of a fierce ground battle during the final stages of World War Two.

More than 200,000 people lost their lives in the battle, including a quarter of the residents of Okinawa.

Officials of the World Health Organization say they will get involved in preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Games organizers announced this week that up to 10,000 fans will be allowed at venues, as long as they don't exceed 50 percent of capacity. But the Prime Minister says that could still change if cases surge.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says Governor Koike Yuriko will take time off from her duties this week due to extreme fatigue.

Vice Governor Tarao Mitsuchika will take on the role of acting governor of the metropolis.

The Japanese government has disclosed a file left by a regional Finance Ministry bureau official who committed suicide. The disclosure was in response to his widow's request.

The file is said to include details on how the official was ordered to falsify documents related to the sale of state-owned land to a school operator despite his strong protest.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the US Army will hold one of their largest-ever training exercises from Thursday.

Japan's Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo announced on Tuesday that the Orient Shield exercise will be conducted across the country through July 11.

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has reiterated his intention to achieve a carbon-neutral society by 2050.

Suga spoke in a task force meeting convened on Tuesday to discuss plans to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which include eradicating poverty by 2030.

In Major League Baseball, Japanese two-way player Ohtani Shohei of the Los Angeles Angels has been named the American League Player of the Week for the third time.

He hit six home runs in seven games while posting a .296 batting average. He also drove in nine runs.

The Japan Mint has started making new 500-yen coins featuring cutting-edge technology designed to prevent counterfeiting.

Production began on Monday with a ceremony attended by Finance Minister Aso Taro.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 236 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday.

The number is up 27 from a week ago. The week-on-week figure has posted an increase for two straight days.

Shipments of digital home appliances in Japan surged last month as many people stayed at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first year-on-year increase for May in three years.

An industry association says domestic shipments reached 104 billion yen, or about 950 million dollars. That's up 45 percent in yen terms from a year earlier.

Data released by the Japanese government show that 17.64 percent of Japan's population have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine.

The latest statistics published on Monday show that 22,437,512 people have had their first shot in Japan.