Tokyo Metropolitan Police are questioning a man after he brandished a knife at the Shibuya Ward office on Friday, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

Two passengers who were aboard the quarantined cruise ship docked near Tokyo have died. They had been hospitalized after showing symptoms and tested positive for the new coronavirus last week. (NHK)

Surrounded by bustling downtown streets, shopping malls and high-rises, Kawasaki Station and its vicinity are, on the surface, a paragon of urban development. (Japan Times)

In a significant policy turnaround, the health ministry announced Thursday that those age 80 or older will be able to disembark the Diamond Princess if they test negative for COVID-19. (Japan Times)

The government is planning to allow elderly passengers as well as those with chronic illnesses to leave the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship soon, possibly on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three men and a boy over the alleged assault and robbery of a male corporate executive in Setagaya Ward last year, reports TV Asahi (Feb. 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

Scientists in Japan say one in two sufferers of the new coronavirus may have been infected by a person with no symptoms at the time. (NHK)

The Yamaguchi-gumi is one of the most feared crime syndicates in Japan and yet its name may become a relic of the past in 2020 if recent reports are to be believed. (Japan Times)

To encourage more customers to go digital, Japan’s largest bank is offering depositors who give up their paper bankbooks a ¥1,000 reward. (Japan Times)

At first glance, things seem to be getting better for Japanese women. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 28-year-old woman over the alleged swindle of an elderly woman in Kanagawa Prefecture, reports Fuji News Network (Jan. 10). (tokyoreporter.com)

Fifteen people were rushed to hospitals in Tokyo after choking on traditional New Year’s rice cakes (mochi) on Wednesday and Thursday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. One of them, a man in his 80s, later died from consuming this annual treat. (Japan Today)

Japan's National Police Agency is planning to introduce a new driver's license for senior citizens that would only allow them to operate vehicles fitted with automatic brakes and other special safety features. (NHK)

SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday Japan should make artificial intelligence (AI) a mandatory subject for college entrance exams, to counter the yawning gap with the United States and China in the nascent field. (Japan Today)

Japan will oblige domestic automakers to have all new and remodeled passenger cars equipped with automatic brakes from November 2021 amid a rise in the number of traffic accidents involving elderly drivers, the government said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

The transition from Heisei to Reiwa came at a relatively peaceful time, with the nation’s crime rate falling to a postwar low in 2018, an annual white paper released Friday by the Justice Ministry has shown. (Japan Times)

In a country famous for the longevity of its inhabitants - this year Japan’s population of people age 100 or over topped 70,000 for the first time - Aomori Prefecture is an outlier. (Japan Times)

One of the criticisms of the “Medicare for All” government-run health care scheme proposed by U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is that eliminating all limits to treatment would lead to “overuse” of the medical care system, meaning people would be seeing doctors for every little perceived ailment, which is wasteful. (Japan Times)

Japanese retail giant Uniqlo has pulled a commercial featuring a 98-year-old U.S. fashion figure from South Korean screens after it was accused of whitewashing colonial history. (Japan Times)

People in areas hit by Typhoon Hagibis are struggling to recover from flooding. NHK has learned the death toll has risen to 77. Rescuers are searching for 10 people who are still missing. (NHK)

In Japan, the consumption tax rose from 8 to 10 percent on Tuesday. The government says the increase was needed to help cover ballooning social security costs and pay down massive public debt. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Friday to step up efforts to reform social security as Japan faces a multitude of challenges stemming from its rapidly graying population and low birthrate. (Japan Times)

A 116-year-old Japanese woman has been celebrated on Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. (NHK)

A Japanese government survey shows the number of people aged 65 or older, and their proportion to the overall population, have both marked record highs. (NHK)

Life for many people in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, has been worsening since a typhoon caused massive power outages there a week ago. (NHK)