1. Japan’s agriculture minister says businesses have withdrawn applications to buy nearly 10 percent of the rice they had sought from government stockpiles in no-bid contracts. Koizumi Shinjiro, the minister, said on Tuesday that applications for about 29,000 tons of government reserves had been withdrawn as of August 1.
2. A traditional Japanese archery event was held in Nikko, a popular tourist destination north of Tokyo, to honor a legendary archer and feudal warrior. The late 12th-century warrior Nasu no Yoichi, who belonged to the Minamoto clan, is said to have shot an arrow at a fan placed on a small boat at sea in a battle with the rival Heike clan. The event is based on a legend that the warrior prayed to a shrine in what is now Nikko for success in hitting the target.
3. A seaside fireworks festival in the city of Yokohama, near Tokyo, was thrown into chaos on Monday evening after a fire broke out on launch barges. Police received calls from people saying the two barges used to launch fireworks were burning. The festival took place in the city’s Minatomirai district. Five workers jumped into the sea and were rescued. One of them sustained minor injuries.