The number of foreign visitors to Japan in October more than doubled from the previous month. Government officials credit the surge to a weaker yen and a further easing of anti-coronavirus border controls. (NHK)

In this video, we take a look at the informal art of kakegoe, the shouting by fans during a kabuki show, which are a valuable addition to the performance inherited from the Edo period. (Kabuki In-Depth)

Princess Hisako, the widow of former Emperor Akihito's cousin, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Imperial Household Agency said Wednesday, making her the fifth COVID-19 case within the Japanese imperial family. (Kyodo)

On this day trip, we explore the district of Yanesen, a classic example of one of Tokyo’s downtown areas, or shitamachi, located close to Ueno park. (japan-guide.com)

Food Guide for Zauo, a Japanese Fishing Izakaya Restaurant - Zauo is a fishing restaurant where you can catch your own fish and have them cooked into sashimi, grilled fish, and other dishes. (SAMURAI JUNJIRO Channel)

Located at the tip of northern Kyūshū, friendly and sunny Fukuoka has a coastal location on a bustling trading route that has historically made it a popular choice to visit in Japan. (lonelyplanet.com)

Bain Capital of the U.S. will acquire Japanese apparel maker Mash Holdings for about 200 billion yen ($1.4 billion) in what will be one of the largest private equity deals in the country's fashion industry, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

Japan will lift a more than 2 1/2-year ban on international cruise ships that was imposed following a deadly coronavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess at the beginning of the pandemic. (Stuff)

Japan has retained its stake in the Sakhalin 1 oil and gas project in eastern Russia, with a Japanese company receiving a 30 percent stake in a new Russian operator, Tass news agency reported Monday. (Japan Today)

Princess Nobuko, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and is scheduled to undergo surgery this weekend, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

NHK has learned that lawyers in Japan have begun investigating adoptions arranged by the religious group formerly known as the Unification Church. (NHK)

NTT says it will soon launch a communications network capable of handling huge volumes of data at very high speeds while using less electricity. (NHK)

A private-sector English-speaking test will be introduced at the Tokyo metropolitan high school entrance exam for the first time in Japan this month, but the initiative to nurture "speaking skills" faces stiff opposition from some parents and education experts questioning its fairness. (Kyodo)

The Japanese economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter, preliminary data showed on Tuesday, as worsening inflation levels and further depreciation in the yen severely undercut economic growth in the country. (investing.com)

Taxi fares in central Tokyo have gone up for the first time in 15 years amid rising operation costs. (NHK)

According to a survey conducted by the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo, the number of Japanese citizens under the age of 20 who were newly diagnosed with anorexia – an eating disorder – increased by about 160 percent in fiscal 2020 compared to the previous year. (ucanews.com)

Four of Japan's biggest rock stars formed a new band, The Last Rockstars, in a race against time to preserve the spirit of rock music. (AP)

Japan's justice minister stepped down on Friday, over a scandal in less than a month and forcing a last-minute delay for the embattled premier’s Asia tour. (sundiatapost.com)

Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group Corp. reported on Friday a 3 trillion yen ($21 billion) profit for the July-September quarter, a sharp reversal from its loss a year ago. (AP)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency has announced that an avenue inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will be reopened to the public for autumn foliage viewing after a three-year hiatus. (NHK)

The Japanese government on Thursday decided on a policy to allow each prefectural government to declare stepped-up coronavirus measures, amid growing concerns about the possible arrival of the eighth infection wave. (Xinhua)

Japanese Emperor Naruhito has been found to have an enlarged prostate but there is no cause for concern, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Toyota Motor and around nine other Japanese companies will team up with the government to launch a new entity to develop and make next-generation semiconductors, Nikkei has learned, aiming to establish manufacturing processes by the late 2020s. (Nikkei)

Prosecutors on Wednesday brought a fourth indictment against a former Tokyo Olympic executive on charges of receiving bribes totaling around 54 million yen ($370,000) from a major advertisement company and a firm that sold stuffed dolls of the games' mascots. (Kyodo)

Police in Japan have served fresh arrest warrants for two Vietnamese men on suspicion of stealing a large quantity of peaches from farms in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. (NHK)