Japan's real wages fell in August for the 17th straight month as inflation continued to outpace pay gains. (NHK)

Sources say the northern Japanese city of Sapporo has decided to give up its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. They say instead, the city intends to aim to host the Games in 2034 or later. (NHK)

The mayor of Tokyo's busy Shibuya Ward has asked foreign tourists to avoid taking part in Halloween festivities in the streets near Shibuya station. Hasebe Ken said he wants to avoid overcrowding and other raucous activities, after last year's deadly Halloween crowd crush in South Korea. (NHK)

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun its second round of the release of treated and diluted water from the crippled plant into the sea. (NHK)

A 48-year-old voice actor known for dubbing movies such as "RoboCop" was arrested for allegedly snatching a bag from an elderly woman in her 80s at Haneda Airport and injuring a man in his 60s who was chasing him.

A self-employed delivery driver for the Japanese unit of Amazon.com Inc. has been deemed eligible for workers' compensation after he was injured on the job, a labor union said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Come 2024, Billy Joel will be in a Tokyo state of mind. The Piano Man has announced a new concert that’s scheduled for January 24 at the Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital. (americansongwriter.com)

Production of rice in Japan is expected to dip to 7.3 million tonnes in marketing year 2023-24, down from 7.48 million the previous year, as extremely high temperatures and little rain are expected to lower yield and quality, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. (world-grain.com)

The iconic headquarters sign that symbolized Johnny & Associates is now being removed ahead of the company's name change scheduled for Oct 17.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced a plan aimed at diverting a significant portion of its massive savings towards sustainable investment vehicles. (fintech.global)

A man in his 50s has died after being stung while attempting to remove hornets in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture.

After weathering decades of deflation and stagnant growth, Japan is seeing an investment boom that has made apartments in central Tokyo unaffordable for young Japanese professionals. (Japan Times)

In response to an increasing number of "standing prostitutes" around Okubo Park in Tokyo's Kabukicho district, 35 women have been arrested in a police crackdown.

Japan's new invoice system, designed to accurately track consumption tax payments, began this month. However, concerns and opposition persist among freelancers and small business owners.

With the Japan Rail Pass' drastic price increase in 2023, many travellers will look for alternatives during their trip to Japan. In this video we are going to take a lot at some of the best alternatives to the Japan Rail Pass. (japan-guide.com)

Japanese prices of semiconductor devices for data centers from U.S.-based Nvidia are skyrocketing on the weak yen, driving up costs for developers of generative AI. (Nikkei)

The number of truants at elementary and junior high schools in Japan has reached a new high of almost 300,000 students, and reported bullying cases in all schools at about 690,000 during the 2022 academic year.

The Bank of Japan on Monday announced an extra bond-buying plan for this week as it strives to slow rising yields that are at the highest level in a decade. Bloomberg Economics' Taro Kimura shares his views on the central bank's move on Bloomberg Television. (Bloomberg)

Japan has cut off a lucrative $2-billion backchannel for used-car exports to Russia, Reuters reported Monday, citing trade data and market participants. (The Moscow Times)

Tokyo-based start-up Tsubame Industries has developed a 4.5-meter-tall, four-wheeled robot that looks like ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ from the wildly popular Japanese animation series, and it can be yours for $3 million (Reuters)

A scientific survey conducted by a Japanese government research team on Nishinoshima Island, a volcanic island in the Ogasawara Archipelago, reveals bird numbers have decreased while the habitat for insects has expanded.

Let's take a look at the kabuki performances coming up this month, including major shows at the Kabuki-za, National Theatre and Misono-za! (Kabuki In-Depth)

Japan Airlines has revealed the details of its new A350-1000 aircraft, which it calls its new flagship aircraft, to replace the current long-haul aircraft for the airline, the Airbus A350-1000. (livefromalounge.com)

Weather officials in Japan say average temperatures in September were the highest since recordkeeping began 125 years ago. (NHK)

Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates says it's dissolving to focus on compensating the victims of its late founder. (NHK)