The Unification Church in Japan pledged Thursday to prevent followers from making "excessive" donations, after criticism of its practices following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Japan Today)

Japan's first direct yen-buying intervention in 24 years sent the currency rebounding Thursday from its slump beyond 145 to the dollar, but many market watchers are questioning whether even this last resort will have a real impact on its trajectory. (Nikkei)

Police in Akishima, Tokyo, have arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of robbing a convenience store. (Japan Today)

Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino and five other Imperial family members will attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo next week. (NHK)

The Bank of Japan says it is sticking to its massive easy-monetary stance, even as other central banks are raising interest rates. (NHK)

Eneos Holdings said in a statement released on Wednesday that it asked ex-chairman Osamu Sugimori to step down after allegations of harassment came to light. (channelnewsasia.com)

American fashion brand Forever 21 opened its first store in Japan in 2009, and its mix of stylish designs and affordable prices quickly won it a large number of fans. (Japan Today)

Japan will ask foreign guests attending the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week to wear protective face masks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the top government spokesman said Thursday. (Kyodo)

A Japanese consortium chosen in the first round of bids to restructure Toshiba Corp has decided to explore other options, Kyodo news reported on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Naomi Osaka’s woes deepened when the struggling former world number one pulled out of Japan Open in Tokyo complaining of abdominal pain on Thursday. (sportstar)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging residents to visit public bathhouses by offering them free coupons. (NHK)

Police in Tokyo have arrested four Vietnamese for failing to assist a fellow Vietnamese woman who died after taking illegal drugs. (NHK)

Japan's government is considering allowing hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other measures to control infection during an outbreak, Fuji News Network said on Wednesday (Sep 21). (businesstimes.com.sg)

A college student has been arrested on charges of carrying gunpowder near the US Embassy in Tokyo. He reportedly said he planned to throw it into the facility. (NHK)

A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office on Wednesday after expressing opposition to a state funeral for assassinated ex-premier Shinzo Abe, local media reported. (ucanews.com)

Japan's land ministry says the average price of residential land in the country has risen for the first time in 31 years. (NHK)

SoftBank Corp. said Tuesday it has launched a subscription service that lets customers drive a used car at a fixed monthly rate, as it tries to diversify its business portfolio amid a slow growth in the flagship mobile phone business. (Kyodo)

Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito has undergone cataract surgery at a hospital in Tokyo. (NHK)

Support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet plumbed a new low in the latest Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll, as the public expressed discontent with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's investigation of ties between its members and the Unification Church. (Nikkei)

Power outages and disruptions to cell phone services continue across the nation in the wake of Typhoon Nanmadol. (NHK)

The official attendance figures for the 2022 Tokyo Game Show have been announced, revealing the turnout to be around half of what the event was getting before the COVID-19 pandemic. (videogameschronicle.com)

A 24-year-old female teacher at an elementary school in Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture, has been arrested for adding bleach to a school lunch curry.

A Japanese court has ordered the government to pay damages over the death of a Cameroonian man in 2014 while he was detained at an immigration center in Ibaraki Prefecture. (NHK)

Prices of some vintage guitars in Japan have doubled since the start of the pandemic as what began as a pandemic hobby turned into an outlet for revenge spending. (Nikkei)

Around 40 percent of the 169 people who fled to Japan from Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power in August last year have left their new home due to what they say was pressure and a lack of support from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. (Japan Today)