An American woman has been located after mysteriously vanishing for over a week while traveling in Tokyo with a friend. (the-sun.com)

Japan’s lower house on Tuesday approved proposed legislation aimed at “promoting understanding” of LGBTQ issues but campaigners criticised the bill for its watered-down language. (straitstimes.com)

Kabuki fans can again buy reasonably priced tickets to see one act of the traditional Japanese drama at a theater in Tokyo. (NHK)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Thursday that he will not dissolve the Lower House for a snap election during the current parliamentary session, ending months of speculation on whether he would call an election while his approval ratings are relatively high. (Japan Times)

A 35-year-old man in Japan has been arrested after stealing about 1,500 Pokemon cards worth 1.15 million yen, according to local media reports this week. (straitstimes.com)

Tokyo's board of education has issued a notice asking school officials to warn students against becoming dependent on generative AI when doing homework over the summer vacation. (NHK)

A theme park in Tokyo based on the Harry Potter movies was shown to the press today, ahead of its opening to the public on Friday. (globalconstructionreview.com)

Two Self-Defense Forces members died and another was seriously injured after being shot by a trainee member with a rifle at an SDF firing range in Gifu, central Japan, on Wednesday, police and other sources said. (Nikkei)

Mr Kishida has announced a major plan to stem the country's falling birth rate. (CNA / NHK)

Toyota plans to make an all solid-state battery as part of its ambitious plans for battery electric vehicles, the company said Tuesday, amid mounting criticism Japan’s top automaker needs to do more to fight climate change. (AP)

Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT operator OpenAI, told Japanese students on Monday that artificial intelligence technology will evolve further. (The Japan News)

Japanese messaging app operator Line will withdraw from the online brokerage business that it ran as a joint venture with securities giant Nomura Holdings, the companies announced on Monday, as they battle a low profitability outlook stemming from intense competition. (Nikkei)

Japan's more powerful lower house passed a contentious bill on Tuesday to promote understanding of sexual minorities, paving the way for enacting the legislation by the end of the current parliamentary session through next week. (Kyodo)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei gauge surged on Tuesday, closing over 30,000 for the first time in 33 years, led by technology shares on expectations of a flood of investment in chip-related companies. (marketscreener.com)

Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan but it's often overlooked by tourists from downtown Tokyo. (King Kogi)

Footage of an attempted robbery of a watch shop in Kawasaki City on Sunday shows one of two men being pinned to the ground after they broke into the store, with a crowbar, before being chased out empty-handed by the manager, TV Asahi reports. (NOJ)

The court cancelled the pre-trial hearing of the man, who faces an accusation of murdering Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, on Monday after it received a suspicious object, local media reported. (WION)

The rainy season has officially begun across Japan, with the northeast and parts of central areas of the nation joining other regions already experiencing soggy weather, the weather agency said Sunday. (Kyodo)

Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls made at this Tokyo hidden gem shop in Jujo Ginza. Today I’m taking you behind the counter for a Tokyo food tour at my favorite speciality onigiri, Japanese Rice ball shops in Tokyo, Kamataya. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

A 26-year-old woman was stabbed by a man in Tokyo’s Koto Ward late Friday. Police said the suspect, who was in his 30s, died after having apparently jumped from a nearby apartment building where he lived. (Japan Today)

Some flights were delayed at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Saturday after two planes appeared to have collided on the ground near a taxiway, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing Japan's transport ministry. (MSN)

The Godzilla Slide at Kurihama Flower World a is retro Japan slice of delight. (NOJ)

Japan's Emperor and Empress mark 30 years of marriage on Friday. They say they are grateful to people for expressing their heartwarming feelings to them. (NHK)

Japan enacted an immigration law on Friday allowing the government to deport failed asylum seekers, despite pushback from opposition parties and rights groups. (AFP)

An Upper House committee has approved a controversial bill to revise Japan's immigration law. The legislation is designed to make it easier to deport foreign nationals who are illegally staying in Japan, and to end long detentions in immigration facilities. (NHK)