We’ve listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between May 30 and June 7. The first story was viewed by 22.8% of our regular readers. (The Mainichi)
Large trucks are parked outside a 7-Eleven convenience store at the Ozumi Parking Area on the Hokuriku Expressway in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on May 27, 2026. A sign on the left invites people to come inside and cool off. (Mainichi/Nami Hamada)
Owner explains ‘almost too kind’ sign at Japanese convenience stores that went viral abroad
NIIGATA — “If you think you may have heatstroke, please don’t push yourself — come inside and cool off.” Full story.
Tondabayashi City Hall is seen in Osaka Prefecture, Aug. 26, 2023, in this file photo taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter. (Mainichi/Tadashi Kako)
16 garbage collectors in Osaka Pref. allegedly pulled out items for personal use
OSAKA — The Tondabayashi Municipal Government in Osaka Prefecture announced June 2 that 16 employees of Hannan Seiso, a city contractor responsible for garbage collection, had been removing items such as frying pans and electrical wiring from bulk trash put out by residents. Full story.
Iga Mayor Toshinao Inamori speaks about nationality requirements for public servants, at city hall in Iga, Mie Prefecture, May 12, 2026. (Mainichi/Bansho Ishimoto)
Japan mayor defends hiring foreigners as regular municipal staff; diversity ‘a strength’
IGA, Mie — As the Mie Prefectural Government considers ending hiring foreign-national employees, the city of Iga in the prefecture has brought two new foreign employees into city hall this spring under a regular staff hiring category. Forty-two-year-old Mayor Toshinao Inamori, who led the initiative, said he feels momentum is growing to turn diversity into energy and “make it a strength.” Full story.
A university student takes part in a job interview at Daiichi Life Insurance Co.’s headquarters in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on June 1, 2026. (Mainichi/Chika Yokomi)
More Japan companies drop mandatory transfers as recruiting opens for 2027 graduates
TOKYO — Companies in Japan began recruitment screenings on June 1 for students graduating in spring 2027, with some firms abolishing mandatory relocations without employee consent to retain talented workers. Full story.
A women-only train car is seen at JR Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo in this April 4, 2005, file photo. East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) expanded women-only cars on the Saikyo Line to the morning rush hour starting that April. (Mainichi)
Are women-only train cars still needed in Japan? 25 years on, issue remains unsettled
TOKYO — A quarter of a century has passed since railway companies in Japan began introducing women-only cars in their current form. They remain an indispensable measure for preventing sexual victimization such as groping, yet they are also frequently debated from the standpoint of gender equality. So what lies at the root of the problem? Full story.
AloJapan.com