Another former member of Japan's top male talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc said Tuesday he was sexually abused as a teenager by the firm's late founder Johnny Kitagawa, with the scandal leading to an apology by the current president. (Japan Today)

Japan's economy expanded at a faster pace than expected in the first quarter as a further easing of pandemic regulations boosted consumption. (straitstimes.com)

A botched robbery of a Rolex watch store in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district reportedly has all the hallmarks of what are known as yami baito or “dark part-time jobs” in Japan. (South China Morning Post)

A Japanese millennial who uses AI to help solve a problem in the rapidly aging society has hit it big. (Business Insider)

The benchmark index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed above 30,000 for the first time in a year and 8 months. The gains reflect rising investor confidence amid robust earnings and improving forecasts at Japanese companies. (NHK)

A railway company has renovated a station in Tokyo ahead of the opening of a Harry Potter theme park nearby. (NHK)

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man are about to come to an end. Well, in Japan, at least. (themeparkinsider.com)

On the heels of sold-out U.S. and Japan tours with his recently formed rock supergroup THE LAST ROCKSTARS, X JAPAN bandleader Yoshiki held a press conference at Grammy Museum's Clive Davis theater in downtown Los Angeles Monday evening to officially announce Requiem, his upcoming 10th anniversary classical world tour with a full orchestra in the fall. (revolvermag.com)

A total of 31 hotels and ryokan traditional inns across Japan have been certified as locations striving to achieve U.N. sustainable development goals amid a growing global trend for environment-friendly travel. (Japan Today)

Japan has beaten France in the World Judo Championships to win its sixth straight mixed team title. (NHK)

The Cultural Affairs Agency, which began moving the bulk of its divisions from Tokyo to Kyoto in March, completed the relocation as scheduled during the Golden Week holidays and began full-fledged operations on Monday. (The Japan News)

The Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark index rose to its highest level this year on Tuesday. Semiconductor-related shares led the gains as investor confidence was boosted by the robust earnings forecasts of many companies. (NHK)

Hacker groups affiliated with North Korea have stolen $721 million worth of cryptocurrency assets from Japan since 2017, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday, citing a study by UK blockchain analysis provider Elliptic. (Dawn)

As workshops on how to smile crop up across Japan, it's claimed the nation has 'forgotten how to smile’ after wearing masks for so long. (ladbible.com)

It's once again time to look at some of Japan's most infamous, bizarre, and disturbing internet lore. (Sakura Stardust)

The president of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates has offered an apology over allegations of sexual misconduct by its late founder and former president. (NHK)

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of killing a woman in her 30s at a brothel where she worked. (Japan Today)

Interviewing sexual minority people at Tokyo Rainbow Parade 2023. (TAKASHii from Japan)

Join us as we bust all those myths about Japan, which are true and false? (Tokyo Creative)

Japan Day in NYC has always been a joyful celebration of Japanese culture, and now's there's a massive Japan Day Parade along Central Park West to amplify the fun. (The NYC Walking Show)

Tokyo is darker at night now than in 2019 before COVID-19 ravaged the city's entertainment districts. Nighttime satellite images show the city last year had luminosity only 90% that of 2019, while Paris and London had fully regained their glow. (Nikkei)

An exodus of money from China has turned into a lifeline for cash-strapped inns and hotels fighting to survive after years of Covid curbs (South China Morning Post)

Fans of idols belonging to Johnny & Associates Inc., one of Japan's most powerful talent agencies, said Thursday they have submitted a petition with around 16,000 signatures demanding that the firm investigate allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa. (Kyodo)

Diplomats from more than a dozen embassies in Japan are standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ community ahead of next week's G7 summit. (NHK)

Japan's weather bureau said on Friday that conditions were nearing for the El Nino phenomenon to form in the equatorial region of the Pacific, and that there was an 80 percent chance that it would be seen by the northern hemisphere summer. (Reuters)