Japan's Fair Trade Commission said on Tuesday it filed criminal complaints against Dentsu and five other advertising firms as well as seven individuals over alleged bid-rigging on contracts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (Reuters)

It's the first time in four years that the airline has launched a Japan edition of its 'return for free' sale (concreteplayground.com)

Some 60 percent of animal cafes in Japan deal with exotic species restricted by international trade laws, raising fears that their popularity may not just threaten their conservation, but may also heighten the risk of animal-borne diseases, a recent study found. (Japan Today)

Tokyo's biggest slum has been wiped off of all modern maps, but it still exists and so does its problem with poverty. Follow me to this hidden area of Japan where 88% of people are on welfare and the average age of residents is almost 70 years old. (Oriental Pearl)

Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu had a solo ice show at Tokyo Dome on Sunday, making him the first skater to do so there. (Kyodo)

Featured in my Japanese Street Food Tour video in Tokyo Jujo Ginza, I'm back going behind the counter at this Japanese Fried Food Sozai shop. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

Chinese electric-vehicle giant BYD confirmed Thursday the presence of a toxic chemical in electric buses for the Japanese market, saying the substance does not carry health risks while also indicating plans to end its use. (Nikkei)

Sales of manga comic books and magazines in Japan were estimated to have hit a record 677 billion yen in 2022, but the rise was only marginal as fewer people stayed indoors than during the earlier years of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Friday. (Japan Today)

Around 300 plane passengers ended up landing right back where they started after a nightmare seven-hour journey in Japan. (dailymail.co.uk)

A balloon made that could soon be carrying passengers to space. A new Japanese company IWAYA INC. announced its plans in Tokyo. It is a drum-shaped plastic cabin is 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in diameter and has several large windows to allow a view of space above or the Earth below. (DNAIndiaNews)

Businesspeople from Japan and the United States have organized an event to promote the construction of a magnetic levitation railway for the US East Coast. (NHK)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, on Wednesday affirmed that their countries will work together in strengthening sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. (Japan Times)

An avian influenza outbreak and rising feed costs are behind a shortage of chicken eggs in Japan that has led to rising prices for popular restaurant items including beef bowl dishes as well as the household staple mayonnaise. (Nikkei)

Hospital beds will no longer be reserved exclusively for COVID-19 patients within a year after the disease’s status is lowered to the same level as seasonal flu, it has been learned. (AsiaNews)

Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Thursday gave his first public birthday address since ascending the throne almost four years ago, after delays due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and urged support for people struggling with inflation and the pandemic. (straitstimes.com)

Japanese airlines will no longer require passengers to wear face masks on flights, starting March 13. (Nikkei)

Police in Tokyo have arrested an 82-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assaulting a woman in her 30s after he put sleeping pills in soup that he gave to her. (Japan Today)

FTX Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has issued a statement on the withdrawal of users’ fiat currency and crypto assets. (financialexpress.com)

The government decided Tuesday on draft legislation to screen and certify Japanese-language schools to ensure their quality by setting standards including the number of teachers and educational content. (Japan Times)

Japan's health minister, Kato Katsunobu, says the government will review measures other than mask-wearing that were put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Forever 21, which came to epitomize the fast-fashion movement by selling trendy, of-the-moment clothing to teens at bottom-barrel prices, is relaunching in Japan by quietly overhauling itself as an upmarket clothier. (Bloomberg)

The Tokyo high court has dismissed a case challenging rules that ban dual citizenship. It upholds a lower court ruling. (NHK)

Weather companies have started releasing their bloom forecasts for the “cherry blossom front,” which is expected to begin next month. (The Japan News)

The disciplinary committee of Japan's upper house agreed Tuesday to order a YouTuber-turned-lawmaker living abroad to offer an apology in parliament for not attending any sessions since he was elected to the Diet last year. (Kyodo)

Manga master Leiji Matsumoto, whose epic sci-fi stories were highly influential in Japan's comic-book and anime worlds, has died aged 85, production company Toei said Monday. (zawya.com)