Japan on Tuesday announced its first domestic COVID-19 vaccine against the Omicron XBB.1.5 coronavirus subvariant. (AA)

A former Japanese state justice minister has left the governing Liberal Democratic Party after prosecutors raided his home and office over suspected vote-buying in a mayoral election in Tokyo's Koto Ward in April. (NHK)

Four cabinet ministers in Japan quit on Thursday over a fundraising scandal involving the ruling party's most powerful faction. (BBC)

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has pledged to spearhead efforts to restore people's trust in politics amid political funding allegations involving some factions of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He says he will reshuffle his personnel in this context on Thursday. (NHK)

The feature film directorial debut of Indian filmmaker Hemant Singh, "Wasabi Revenge," will be released sequentially across Japan starting from Feb 9 in Tokyo.

A Tokyo court sentenced a former operations executive on the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee to two years in prison, suspended for four years, for playing a central role in rigging bids related to the 2021 Summer Games. (Japan Today)

Japan Airlines (JAL) will debut its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft in January 2024 on flights between Tokyo and New York. (aviationweek.com)

Japanese entertainment group Toho will invest $225 million in California-based film and TV studio CJ ENM Fifth Season under plans announced Monday, shifting its sights overseas as streaming squeezes Japan's movie industry. (Nikkei)

A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced a 68-year-old man to life in prison for fatally shooting a doctor and attacking other medical workers before an 11-hour standoff with police at his home near Tokyo last year. (Kyodo)

The US-Japan alliance is complex. But among other priorities, to rein in China, both countries need each other. (GZERO Media)

The Pokémon Company has announced that it will be launching an entertainment venture, "PokéPark Kanto" in a section of Yomiuri Land.

This year's "Tokyo Comic Con 2023" saw an impressive lineup of top movie stars from around the globe making their way to Japan.

Murasugi Seminosuke, an actor known for his distinctive portrayal of quirky characters, has admitted to allegations of receiving cannabis and other controlled substances on multiple occasions.

Ever wanted to visit the world's most populat tourist destinations with your avatar? ANA has announced the launched of a new travel app that will take you to 64 locations worldwide, ranging from Kyoto's Nijo Castle to Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, with a single smartphone.

Japan's wholesale inflation slowed sharply in November as fuel and commodity prices fell, data showed on Tuesday, a sign of easing cost-push pressure in the world's third-largest economy. (Reuters)

Japan will offer tests for commercial licenses required to drive taxis and buses in more languages as its transportation sector struggles with a deepening labor shortage. (Nikkei)

A Japanese zoo has launched an investigation after apparently killing 31 of its 40 squirrels by mistake with treatments meant to kill parasites, officials said. (The Guardian)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has pledged to restore trust in his government amid reports he is planning to purge ministers embroiled in a fundraising scandal. (CNA)

The Lower House of Japan's Diet has voted down a motion of no-confidence in Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu over a political fund scandal. (NHK)

An NHK opinion poll shows that the approval rate for Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's Cabinet stands at 23 percent, the lowest since he took office in October 2021. (NHK)

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)

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)

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)