A Japanese man who is suspected to have instructed a recent series of robberies across Japan had his girlfriend repeatedly bring defrauded money four years ago from Japan to the Philippines, where he is based. (NHK)

Japanese education minister Keiko Nagaoka on Thursday expressed the hope that students will be allowed to attend their graduation ceremonies in the spring without having to wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kyodo)

While Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are the top-tier locations that every traveller wants to explore, Japan's magnificence lies in the cities hidden away from the crowds, where quaint places in the lap of nature take your breath away. (lifestyleasia.com)

We’ve all heard the news: Japan has finally reopened its borders to the world. In the wake of this announcement, how does the tourism situation look in Japan and what should we expect for 2023? (newsonjapan.com)

A major Japanese trading company has relaxed its rules to allow employees to pursue side careers, such as being a YouTuber or an artist, aiming to retain younger workers who are demanding more flexible work rules. (The Peninsula)

The operator of Tokyo Disney Resort is the latest major employer in Japan to announce wage hikes. Average pay will rise by 7 percent from April. (NHK)

The main outlet of Tokyu Department Store Company in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward closed for good on Tuesday after 55 years in business due to a redevelopment project. (NHK)

If you’re in Tokyo and looking to explore the city’s rich cultural traditions, we recommend that you visit the Taito City area. (drifttravel.com)

Shenzhen-based automaker, Tesla hunter and global electric vehicle hopeful, China’s BYD Co, has forecast a bumper 2022 of pure profit. (stockhead.com.au)

Japan’s average job availability in 2022 improved for the first time in four years as economic and social activities revived with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, government data showed Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Shotaro Kishida, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s eldest son and his executive secretary, is in the hot seat over media reports that he went shopping and sightseeing in Europe, Canada and the U.S. using official vehicles when he accompanied the prime minister to those places in January. (Japan Times)

On the afternoon of October 16 last year a brawl erupted between two groups of gangsters in a restaurant on the 58th floor of the Sunshine 60 high-rise building in Ikebukuro, a central neighbourhood of Tokyo. (econotimes.com)

A slower month of kabuki, but with some notable highlights, including Nizaemon XV's isse ichidai, Takanosuke's memorial performance for his late father, and an excellently cast Sannin Kichisa. (Kabuki In-Depth)

Japanese citizens will once again be able to get Chinese visas, Beijing said, reversing a previous ban over COVID testing China had slammed as "discriminatory." (dw.com)

NHK has learned that several officials of leading Japanese ad agency Dentsu have admitted to their involvement in bid-rigging for the test events of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (NHK)

Nitori is a major home furnishings chain in Japan with hundreds of stores across the country. They even expanded to North America for about a decade under the brand Aki-Home, with both names deriving from the founder Akio Nitori. (Japan Today)

Tokyo is the world's largest city. We set off 25km across the city through markets, restaurants and neon lit streets to see if it's possible to walk across it in a day! (Abroad in Japan)

A retirement ceremony was held on Saturday for former sumo Grand Champion Hakuho at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. (NHK)

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)

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

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

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)

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)