Regional banks in Japan saw unrealized losses surge in fiscal 2022. A new survey says the figure climbed by more than 5 times in yen terms over the previous year as investments sank. (NHK)

The Maman Spider Sculpture by the late Louise Bourgeois is a famous landmark in Roppongi Hills. (NOJ)

Japan's Koji Yakusho won best actor at Cannes on Saturday for "Perfect Days" by German director Wim Wenders, a touching tale about a Tokyo toilet cleaner. (Barrons)

A man in his 50s was fatally shot in a coffee shop in Machida, Tokyo, on Friday night, in what police believe was a gang-related shooting. The shooter fled with an accomplice but later turned himself in at a police station. (Japan Today)

Japan's top government spokesperson says Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has reprimanded his secretary and son Shotaro over reported merrymaking in the leader's official residence. (NHK)

The operator of Japan's Narita airport plans to raise user charges for international passengers from September, including up to 330 yen for a facility fee, reflecting recent price and labor cost hikes, a source close to the matter said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Overall prices in the Japanese capital remain high as people continue to pay more for food and some services. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday the country had no plans to become a NATO member but acknowledged the security alliance's plan to open a liaison office in Japan. (Japan Today)

NASA on Tuesday unveiled photos of the area of the Moon where a Japanese lander failed in what could have been the world's first lunar touchdown by a private space vehicle. (Kyodo)

Tire Park is every child's dreams come true. Over 3,000 tires (and a lot of sand) were used to build the coolest playground in Tokyo. It's filled with robots, dinosaurs, rocket ships, and more... (NOJ / Japan Travel)

Japan's lower house on Tuesday approved a bill creating a special pool of funds to substantially increase defense spending despite opposition lawmakers' resistance. (Kyodo)

Japanese researchers say they have fully sequenced the genome of the endangered matsutake mushroom. (NHK)

Kitaro Square has play objects featuring Yokai (spirit-monster) and others, including "GeGeGe no Kitaro," from manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. (NOJ)

Tokyo's Haneda Airport will reopen an area for international flights in Terminal 2 in July to handle surging demand since Japan eased its entry rules. The part of the terminal had been shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic. (NHK)

Japan’s slow post-pandemic recovery is showing signs of growing momentum, according to the latest gauges of strength in the service and factory sectors. (straitstimes.com)

Japan is considering overhauling its tax-free shopping scheme for foreign visitors in response to a growing number of cases of tax-free items being resold overseas for profit at tax-inclusive prices, sources close to the matter said Monday. (Kyodo)

A week after Japanese regulators postponed the restart of the world’s biggest nuclear power plant due to safety lapses, a careless employee working from home added to the company’s woes. (livemint.com)

Lone yokozuna Terunofuji took the outright lead and became the first wrestler to clinch a winning record Sunday as he improved to a perfect 8-0 at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)

This food guide will show you 20 foods available at Tokyo DisneySea. (SAMURAI JUNJIRO Channel)

Honda announced that it will start selling electric motorcycles to the general public for the first time in Japan. (NOJ)

Japanese weddings consist of two parts - a ceremony where they exchange vows, and a reception followed afterwards. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

Employees at some of Japan's biggest firms can expect a sizable bump in their pay checks this year. They'll see an average increase of nearly 4 percent following annual wage negotiations. That's the largest jump in 31 years. (NHK)

Tokyo police say the parents of popular kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke may have died of psychotropic poisoning. (NHK)

Qantas Airways will double the number of flights to Japan later this year as part of an international service expansion, the airline said Friday, as it seeks to ride the tailwind of a recovery in travel demand. (Nikkei)

Japanese ruling coalition parties have submitted a bill to the Diet that aims to promote understanding of the LGBTQ community, after making a controversial revision to it. (NHK)