The prefecture of Miyagi in northeastern Japan plans to grant government workers leave to take care of their grandchildren as part of efforts to help child-rearing parents. (Kyodo)

Japan had the lowest share of female staff in tertiary education in 2020 among 32 comparable member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development at 30 percent, the group's recent report on education said. (Japan Today)

A Japanese student who was fatally shot in the United States 30 years ago was remembered in his home city, where his parents renewed their appeal for the world without gun crimes. (NHK)

Nissan Motor is pressing French partner Renault to cut its stake in the Japanese automaker as much as possible, ideally to 15%, and may consider raising funds to buy back the shares, a source familiar with the matter said. (Nikkei)

Japan is lagging other countries in cloud computing, with related investment accounting for only 4% of all information technology spending in 2021 -- a third that of North America -- and the gap is growing. (Nikkei)

History of Japan 93: Medieval Japanese children were deathly afraid of their parents. Why? (Linfamy)

Alonso was catching Vettel after a late pitstop for a fresh set of inters gave him a significant pace advantage over rivals, allowing him to regain the places he had lost with the stop. (autosport.com)

Police are investigating whether a woman in central Japan was scammed into sending around 4.4 million yen to a person who claimed to be a Russian astronaut working at the International Space Station and needing money to return to Earth to marry her. (Japan Today)

Avant-garde pianist and composer Toshi Ichiyanagi, who studied with John Cage and went on to lead Japan’s advances in experimental modern music, has died. He was 89. (Japan Today)

Japan's Megumi Horikawa won the women's 63-kilogram division at the judo world championships on Sunday in Tashkent for her first world title. (Kyodo)

North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles into the sea on Sunday, the South's military said, the latest in a blitz of launches amid tensions over US-led military exercises in the region, Yonhap News Agency reported. (rte.ie)

The Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,716.5 feet (almost half a mile) tall and has held the title of largest skyscraper for a long time, is about to lose that title to Japan’s ambitious Sky Mile Tower project. (interviewtimes.net)

After almost three years of Covid-induced border closures, Japan is finally opening up to vaccinated tourists from most countries, with no need for quarantine, PCR tests or visas. And with the yen making hotels, restaurants and shopping more affordable, demand is sure to be high. (businessmirror)

Taxi fares in Tokyo will rise for the first time in 15 years from the middle of October. The increased fares will be implemented in all 23 wards of Tokyo, as well as Musashino and Mitaka cities. (Japan Today)

Max Verstappen is now a two-time Formula One world champion, both titles awarded under bizarre and unprecedented circumstances long after he crossed the finish line. (AP)

Reservations for international flights to Japan in December and January have increased fivefold ahead of next week's resumption of visa-free travel, All Nippon Airways said Friday. (Nikkei)

In the 1970s and 1980s, North Korea organised a kidnapping campaign in "enemy" countries. As one of its closest neighbours, Japan became a prime target. (FRANCE 24 English)

For decades, residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa have strongly opposed hosting the dozens of US military bases set up there. But a subtle shift in perception appears to be under way among Okinawan, driven by heightening regional security concerns. (South China Morning Post)

In this quick video we will explain how to enter Japan after its reopening to international tourism on October 11, 2022. From the documents required to the fast-track entry process as well as information on masks, we hope this will help your trip be as smooth as possible. (japan-guide.com)

When Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed this week to wring more gains from the weak yen, which has become instead a source of economic pain, he was pinning his hopes on the likes of Soichi Yoshimura, 33, and his strawberry farm north of Tokyo. (borneobulletin)

Sumitomo Realty and Development Co said Thursday that it will open part of a 1,717-room hotel complex directly connected to Tokyo's Haneda airport, the largest of its kind in Japan, on Dec 21. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing accusations of nepotism after he appointed his inexperienced son to be his executive secretary. (WION)

Dozens of monkeys roaming through a residential area of Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, are caught on camera by a local resident.

Nintendo released a trailer for its first movie on Friday, the latest step by the Japanese entertainment company to expand beyond its core gaming business. (Nikkei)

In the world’s third biggest economy, public skepticism toward financial investing has become so entrenched that investment bank Nomura Holdings Inc. is teaching economic basics in high schools to win over the next generation. (Bloomberg)