Japan has a serious problem when it comes to working conditions, even when viewed from a global perspective. (Dark side of Japan Yuki)

A male member of the fire department's rescue team has been arrested for stealing a beef bowl from a woman and then touching her body.

A Japanese government survey shows that business sentiment among major companies remained positive for the third straight quarter. The Finance Ministry says the results reflect a moderate recovery in the country's economy. (NHK)

Credit card issuer Credit Saison will begin a rental guarantee service for foreigners seeking to rent property in Japan, whose government is trying to attract more skilled workers from abroad as a key policy issue. (Nikkei)

A Japanese airline will allow passengers to bring their small dogs and cats on board all of its domestic flights beginning January in a bid to attract more customers, its website showed Saturday. (Kyodo)

For the first time in Hayao Miyazaki's decades-spanning career, the 82-year-old Japanese anime master is No. 1 at the North American box office. Miyazaki's latest enchantment, "The Boy and the Heron," debuted with $12.8 million, according to studio estimates. (VOA News)

The smallest of Japan’s four main islands, Shikoku, is best known for its pilgrimage trail of 88 Buddhist temples. Walkers from around the world come to hike the 1200-kilometre route, or parts of it – but not in the kind of numbers that hit the Camino de Santiago in Spain. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Joby Aviation, a company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, has announced it has partnered with ANA Holdings and Nomura Real Estate Development, one of Japan’s largest real estate developers, on the development of take-off and landing infrastructure, known as vertiports, to support the commercialization of its electric air taxi service across Japan. (collisionrepairmag.com)

Forty-two days after walking away from the Wallabies, Eddie Jones has been chosen to return as head coach of Japan, according to multiple Japanese reports. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to replace high-ranking administration officials in response to a growing money scandal involving the largest faction in his main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. (NHK)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he planned to take “appropriate steps” over his governing party’s widening slush funds scandal as speculation is rife that he may purge implicated Cabinet members in a major shuffle this week. (AP)

A survey by Sumitomo Life on household chores and childcare revealed a significant discrepancy between men's and women's perceptions of their respective burdens. While men believe they are reasonably sharing the load, women feel a substantially heavier burden in comparison to men.

A passenger has been arrested on suspicion of verbally abusing a taxi driver for 30 minutes, punching him in the face, and breaking the taxi's window.

The Japanese Embassy in Colombo Friday announced what it called “a new gateway” for Sri Lankans to work as airport ground handlers in Japan saying that tests for field skills will be conducted here next March. (island.lk)

The variety of juicy grape that Yuki Nakamura is harvesting as the sun rises over his farm took scientists 33 years to develop and can sell for $100 a bunch in Tokyo department stores. (AFP)

If you are traveling in Tokyo, I also recommend this hotel. This time I visited Super Hotel premier Ikebukuro, which is a higher brand of Super Hotel, a hotel with a nationwide network in Japan. (At JAPAN)

We sit with Naoki Urasawa as he shares about the impact "Astro Boy" had on his childhood, what led him to create PLUTO, and what he hopes to convey through it's first ever anime adaptation, and more! (Netflix Anime)

Today, we're about to take you behind the scenes, deep into the heart of Japanese judo excellence. In this video, we'll be showcasing a curated selection of intense and powerful moments from the training sessions of some of the best judokas on the planet. (Top Judokas)

A 51-year-old woman from Fukuoka Prefecture has been arrested for buying a regular coffee while pouring a coffee latte into her cup at a convenience store.

Based on the popular series of novels by Natsu Hyuuga, which have sold over 27 million copies, "The Apothecary Diaries" is set in medieval Orient and follows a poison taster girl, Maomao, as she solves difficult cases in the royal court.

A 71-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a Buddha statue from a temple in Mie Prefecture.

Police have arrested a 74-year-old man following a gruesome attack on an elderly woman who suffered severe injuries with her left ear cut off and her right ear slashed.

Shohei Ohtani signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. Ohtani posted to Instagram on Saturday saying he would play for his former team's crosstown rival starting next season after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. (ESPN)

A police officer from the Ise Police Station in Mie Prefecture has been arrested for attempting to film up the skirt of a 24-year-old woman from a real estate agency, while masquerading as a potential tenant.

Thousands of tonnes of dead sardines have washed up on a beach in northern Japan for unknown reasons, officials say. (Canberra Times)