A low-pressure system moving over Japan on Friday turned into a 'late autumn storm', with winds in Hokkaido strong enough to rip off roofs.

This year's Beaujolais Nouveau wine has hit store shelves across Japan. Retailers and importers have beefed up sales efforts as they expect higher demand this season. It is the first since the country eased COVID-19 restrictions. (NHK)

The Japan Pharmaceutical Association will begin experimental sales of "emergency contraceptives," aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies, at approximately 150 pharmacies nationwide starting from Nov 28 as part of a feasibility study to make them available without a doctor's prescription.

Foreign workers in a new international trainee program that Japan plans to launch may be able to switch jobs after up to two years, according to a new proposal published by an expert government panel Wednesday. (Nikkei)

Japanese exports to the U.S. hit a record high in October in yen terms, as automobile shipments continued to rise amid the weak local currency. (Nikkei)

A non-profit group in Tokyo says a growing number of women are reporting problems with 'host clubs' that provide entertainment with male companions called hosts. Some of these women are reportedly charged huge bills and are forced to work in the sex industry to repay their debts. (NHK)

The new island that emerged off the coast of Iwo Jima last month continues to spew ash and lava every few minutes.

Sony Corp. is increasing its hiring of female engineers, aiming to achieve a record-high percentage among its new hires for the next fiscal year, challenging the entrenched stereotype in Japan that typically associates men with such roles. (Kyodo)

Construction on the final upgrade for JR Shibuya Station will begin after the last train on Friday night, suspending services on the Yamanote Line between Osaki Station to Ikebukuro Station until first train on Monday morning.

A car crashed into the barricades near the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo on Thursday morning, injuring a police officer.

As international travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, the global proliferation of bed bugs is raising concerns in Japan, where experts are now warning of an unavoidable spread of these blood-sucking insects.

Iconic Japanese filmmaker and comedian Takeshi Kitano said Wednesday the country's entertainment industry has always tended to treat performers as commodities, with its traditional hierarchical structure often facilitating abuse of power. (Kyodo)

Last year's average global concentration of greenhouse gases recorded their highest levels since statistics began in 1984, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

I'm going to try the Narita Express First Class today. I was really curious how much more comfortable it would be than the Ordinary Car (standard seat). (Solo Travel Japan)

A former top Japanese financial official said on Wednesday yen weakness might be caused not only by interest rate differentials between Japan and the United States but also by structural factors such as a worsening fiscal position. (Reuters)

Japan's Isuzu Motors is set to launch a new business based on electric trucks that use replaceable batteries, Nikkei has learned, in a drive to make deliveries more efficient. (Nikkei)

Japan is witnessing a rapid increase in foreign nationals disappearing after arriving as tourists.

A man claiming to be of Guatemalan nationality, who was arrested for breaking into a house in Tokyo, has been implicated in a string of burglaries totaling 5 million yen.

A Kabukicho host with the highest monthly sales in Tokyo's red light district has been arrested for assaulting a female customer who owed him money.

Japan's Environment Ministry says levels of tritium in seawater off the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remain below detectable amounts. (NHK)

Several young people in Tokyo have recently been sent to hospital after complaining of feeling sick from consuming "cannabis gummies".

Tokyo, the host city for the 2025 Deaflympics, will open a cafe where people with hearing impairments can communicate using digital technology. (NHK)

The show will take place in Asakusa, Tokyo's traditional entertainment district. There will be a 30-minute welcome session with a drink, followed by a 60-minute comedy show on Japan. After the show, feel free to hang out at the bar, make friends, and drink for another 30 minutes or so. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Today I'm going to interview tourists in Japan to see how much they spent on a Japan trip, including flight accommodation, transportation, food, and shopping. (TAKASHii from Japan)

In a sign of return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic, 79% of employees in Japan said they have plans to participate in year-end drinking parties with their colleagues, according to reports. (hcamag.com)