In a world filled with Japanese mythological oddball gods and monsters, one of the creatures' free-spirited daughters, Onari, is determined to follow in the footsteps of the mighty heroes of lore, but her unique powers are yet to be revealed. (Netflix Anime)

Toyota Motor said it would restart production of its first electric vehicle, the bZ4X, on Thursday after fixing potential safety problems that had halted sales of the new battery-powered model for more than three months. (Nikkei)

Japan's health ministry on Wednesday granted special fast-track approval to U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.'s updated coronavirus vaccine tailored to protect against the now-prevalent BA.5 subvariant. (Kyodo)

This is Shibasaki, a painting instructor. Today I will be correcting a waterfall scene in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, drawn by a Japanese artist in his 60s. (Watercolor by Shibasaki)

A levitating train in central Japan has long been in development, and the company behind it has shown off its dazzling speed. (NHK)

A Myanmar military tribunal on Wednesday sentenced Japanese video journalist Toru Kubota to seven years in prison for violating the electronic transactions law and three years for incitement, according to diplomatic sources. (Nikkei)

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles early Thursday from near Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan, the sixth round of launches since late September, after a U.S. aircraft carrier was redeployed to the waters, the Japanese government and the South Korean military said. (Kyodo)

A team of police explosives experts in Japan rushed to the scene of a suspicious package in a parking lot this week -- only to find discarded sex toys inside. (AFP)

Nearly half of Japanese companies are interested in hiring foreign nationals, according to a survey by information technology services firm Zenken. (Japan Times)

Red Dog online casino successfully attracts players from over 220 countries, including the United States. (newsonjapan.com)

As with the Singapore Grand Prix, the Japanese GP makes its long-awaited return after a three-year absence. (gpfans.com)

The iPhone 14 launched by Apple Inc. in September was cheaper in Japan than 36 other major countries and regions in the world, a survey showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

A court has granted a temporary injunction on an immigration agency decision to strip a Japanese language school of its certification over an incident in which a former staff member physically restrained a Vietnamese student last October, the agency said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Japan has ordered a senior Russian official stationed in the country to leave in retaliation for the expulsion of a Japanese diplomat over alleged spying, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. (themoscowtimes.com)

Tattooing has a long and complex history in Japan. Its lineage can be traced to facial designs on haniwa, ancient clay figurines dating from the fourth and fifth centuries, but it was also used to punish recidivist criminals, who were humiliated by having their foreheads inscribed with four strokes composing the ideogram for "dog." (Nikkei)

Japan's top government spokesperson says a system glitch is to blame for the issuance of a false missile alert in some parts of the country following North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday. (NHK)

Japanese space agency JAXA will collaborate with nine domestic companies to develop daily necessities such as dental products for use by astronauts and cosmic tourists. (Nikkei)

Formula E racing, known as the F1 championship for electric vehicles, could be coming to the streets of Tokyo in the spring of 2024. (NHK)

Located on the Onari shopping street in Kamakura, Japan, the ‘Onari Capsule’ by Yuji Tanabe Architects was once an optics shop but has now transformed into a fun capsule toy store. (designboom.com)

All Nippon Airways says it will test attaching sharkskin-like film to its aircraft. The trial using what's called riblet technology is expected to help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. (NHK)

Japanese employees are famous for working long hours but labor productivity is very low when it comes to work efficiency. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Japanese government statistics show the percentage of people who died at home rose over the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito, 62, will have an MRI scan of his prostate after doctors detected "somewhat concerning indications" in health exams, the palace said on Monday. (AFP)

Japanese carriers AirDo and Solaseed Air merged their operations on Monday to cut costs and create a stronger business in the face of greater business uncertainty. (smartaviation-apac.com)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Monday to revive the nation's pandemic-battered inbound tourism industry by setting a new goal of increasing foreign tourists' total spending to more than 5 trillion yen annually. (Japan Today)