Kyle Smaine along with an unnamed Austrian has died after a tragic avalanche on the Hakuba Norikura mountain of Japan (euroweeklynews.com)

Japan faces an existential threat with its birth rate at an all time low, yet the island nation has still to fully embrace immigration as a solution to the population decline. To tackle the problem, the government has slowly turned to bringing in foreign workers. (FRANCE 24 English)

This is the northern-most living wild primate in the world, the Snow Monkey. (Animalogic)

Ishigaki Island is located just under an hour from mainland Okinawa or 3 hours from Tokyo by plane. It has beautiful beaches, amazing scenery and delicious local food. (TabiEats)

At the end of the year, my daughter and I went back to my parents' house to relax and spend time with my family. (Kimono Mom)

Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara lost the women's doubles final at the Australian Open on Sunday, falling short in their quest to become the first all-Japanese pair to win a Grand Slam. (Kyodo)

A pharmaceutical advisory body for Japan's health ministry on Friday expressed no objection to the manufacturing and marketing of an abortion pill, bringing the medication a step closer to becoming the first of its kind to gain approval in the country. (Kyodo)

Translated viral Japanese Tweets (Japanalysis)

Kurozu is Japanese black vinegar made using a 200-year-old technique of naturally fermenting ingredients outdoors in giant clay pots. (Insider Business)

Web3 promotion continues to be a cornerstone of Japan’s national strategy as lawmakers and regulators from the U.S. to Europe to Asia voice growing caution regarding cryptocurrencies. (bollyinside.com)

Japan firm launched a whale meat vending machines to push sales. He is selling whale meat cans at prices from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen. (WION)

Japanese health authorities say they will start counting coronavirus infections using the same method they do for cases of seasonal influenza. (NHK)

大荒れの京都 (Japan BackpackersXpress)

She has circumstances that cause her to hoard things in her room. (Dark side of Japan)

The Japanese government is planning to downgrade COVID-19 on May 8 to the same category of infectious diseases as seasonal influenza. (NHK)

Japan is taking home the World Pastry Cup for the first time in 16 years. (South China Morning Post)

Hundreds of schools as well as universities across Japan received fax messages with bomb and death threats on Wednesday, stoking panic and subsequent closure of the schools. (WION)

Some of you probably have a dream of one day moving to Japan and living here for the rest of your life, or at least for the foreseeable future. (Mrs Eats)

Eight men have been arrested in connection with an October robbery in the suburban Tokyo city of Inagi, police said Thursday, as officers attempt to track down the “Luffy” ringleader suspected to be behind a spate of burglaries across the country. (scmp.com)

Japan successfully launched a rocket Thursday carrying a government intelligence-gathering satellite on a mission to watch movements at military sites in North Korea and improve natural disaster response. (AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday struck a cautious tone about legally recognizing same-sex marriage in line with other Group of Seven countries that have already adopted the practice. (Kyodo)

Snow covered the roofs of homes and temples in Kyoto on Wednesday morning (25 January) amid a “once-in-a-decade” cold snap in Japan. (MSN)

A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of damaging property after a number of people were spattered with what appeared to be ink on their kimonos as they attended a celebratory event for 20-year-olds earlier this month in southwestern Japan, according to police. (Japan Today)

Amazon’s Prime Video is in production on “The Silent Service,” which will mark the streaming platform’s first original movie in Japan. (onlinewiki.in)

Archaeological workers in western Japan have unearthed a shield-shaped mirror and a long sword at an ancient burial mound. (NHK)