The government formally decided Thursday to lift all remaining coronavirus quasi-state of emergency curbs in Japan as scheduled next week as the number of new infections has recently been on a downtrend. (Kyodo)

Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, has expressed her aspiration at her first news conference as an adult member of the Imperial family. (NHK)

The estimated number of foreigners arriving in Japan in February was 99.4 percent lower compared with the same month in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 at 16,700 people, government data showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off Japan's Pacific coast on Wednesday night has left at least three people dead and more than 190 injured. Its impact on transportation and the lives of locals continues. (NHK)

Tokyo Electric Power Company says more than 2.09 million households in nine prefectures in its service area are without electricity after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck northeastern Japan. (NHK)

Japanese prosecutors filed an appeal Wednesday against the verdict in the trial of former Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who recently was cleared of almost all charges he had faced related to alleged under-reporting of his former boss Carlos Ghosn’s pay. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Electric Power Company said no abnormalities were found as of 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following an offshore earthquake. (NHK)

A Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train that was running in Miyagi Prefecture derailed after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast late Wednesday night. (NHK)

Japan's meteorological agency has lifted a tsunami advisory it issued for the northeastern parts of the country following an earthquake off the Pacific coast. (NHK)

A U.S. Air Force cargo jet began on Wednesday to ship helmets and other non-lethal military kit donated by Japan to Ukraine, marking the first time an American aircraft has carried Japanese Self-Defense Forces gear to another country. (Japan Times)

Japan is considering raising the daily cap on overseas arrivals to 10,000 from the current 7,000 starting in April, further easing its COVID-19 border controls, government sources said Tuesday. (Nikkei)

With Japan's borders currently closed to tourists due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to give you the opportunity to do some virtual sightseeing in Japan. ( japan-guide.com)

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast late Wednesday night. The Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami advisory for the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi. (NHK)

Amazon.com opens a music studio Tuesday in Tokyo, aiming to strengthen its foothold in a music streaming market with room to grow as the company scrambles to catch up with rivals like Apple. (Nikkei)

Japan’s annual Hiwatari or fire-walking festival is held on the second Sunday of March at a temple on Mount Takao, west of the capital Tokyo on March 13, 2022. (South China Morning Post)

Japan has backed its condemnation of war in Ukraine with sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs, but experts say they're not the only audience for Tokyo's outrage -- China is meant to get the message, too. (CNN)

My name is Karen. Nice meeting you! (Japan explorer)

In today’s video, we are going back to school! More specifically, we spent the day attending sixth grade in an elementary-school-themed izakaya. (Japan by Food)

Today we are exploring Tokyo's Amazing Waterways (Tokyo Lens)

China's banks lack the creditworthiness and international connections that Japan's financial institutions enjoy. (Nikkei)

The yen’s plunge to a five-year low shows no signs of easing as surging commodity prices have worsened the outlook for Japan’s trade balance and put pressure on the currency’s haven credentials. (Japan Times)

The Hakata Express, "King of Night Bus", is one of the longest night bus trips in Japan. This time, I travelled from Hakata to Tokyo on the most expensive private room called the Premium Seat. (Travel Alone Idea)

Despite Shell exiting a landmark LNG plant that has served as a symbol of cooperation between Tokyo and Moscow, Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. are sticking with the Sakhalin-2 project, the source of nearly 10% of Japan's liquefied natural gas imports. (Nikkei)

A group of researchers says a laboratory test shows that three anti-viral drugs for COVID-19 treatment are effective against the BA.2 Omicron subvariant. (NHK)

A Japanese court ordered the central government Friday to compensate a man over his forced sterilization under a now-defunct eugenics protection law, the second such ruling among similar suits filed nationwide, potentially affecting the outcome of future cases. (Japan Today)