A Buddhist temple near Tokyo held its annual bean-throwing ceremony on Thursday, the last day of winter in the traditional Japanese calendar. The ritual is performed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck. (NHK)

Join Jordan and Emma as they explore Nachikatsuura, Wakayama! The duo explore the World Heritage site Kumano Nachi Taisha, find a very interesting maguro ending machine and end the day soaking in a cave onsen overlooking the ocean. (Tokyo Creative)

I went to Tokyo on Japan's last SLEEPER TRAIN called Sunrise Izumo Seto. (SHUNchan)

Author and former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who left his mark on Japanese politics as a staunch hawk and whose nationalistic views often ruffled the feathers of Japan's neighbors, has died, a source close to him said Tuesday. He was 89. (Nikkei)

Japanese restaurants that have shortened operating hours during the pandemic are relying increasingly on frozen food vending machines to make up for the lost traffic. (Nikkei)

The Japanese Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bid to push for a former gold mine linked to wartime forced labour to be included in the Unesco World Heritage list, according to a local media report. (daijiworld.com)

As daily infections continue to rise in Japan, healthcare workers are struggling to deal with growing numbers of patients, especially those who are elderly or have underlying issues. (NHK)

A group of international researchers says that studies it conducted show the Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes less severe symptoms in the lungs of hamsters than the Delta variant. (NHK)

Doctors in Japan say the recent surge in coronavirus cases is keeping dialysis patients from being hospitalized in Tokyo and elsewhere, even if they have tested positive for the virus. (NHK)

Japan's private company iSpace Inc is planning a series of missions starting with Mission 1 (M1), which is planned for launch in the fourth quarter of 2022. (republicworld.com)

Dozens of post offices in Japan have been forced to suspend in-person services amid the latest wave of coronavirus infections. (NHK)

The Japanese government has decided to go ahead with the nomination of a site of former gold mines on Sado Island, part of Niigata Prefecture, for UNESCO's World Heritage list, bowing to conservative lawmakers looking for a campaign issue and much to the chagrin of South Koreans who feel emotional wounds from World War II. (Nikkei)

Japanese wheelchair tennis player Kunieda Shingo has won his 11th Australian Open men's singles title. (NHK)

Japanese police sources say a 19-year-old college student has admitted to using a smartphone to cheat on a recent standardized university entrance exam. (NHK)

For what appears to be the first time, the acceptance rate for women has exceeded that for men at Japanese medical schools. (Nikkei)

Microsoft Corp. threw down the gauntlet last week with its biggest-ever acquisition, agreeing to purchase Activision Blizzard Inc. for a whopping $68.7 billion (Y7.8 trillion) in a deal that could preclude major shakeups in the lucrative video game industry. (Japan Times)

A theme park based around the work of legendary Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli will open on November 1st in Nagakute, Japan, the company’s official Twitter account has announced. (theverge.com)

A Japanese university entrance examinee reportedly sent images of test questions to university students who may have answered them during the exam. (NHK)

Tokyo Haneda Airport has welcomed the ‘Culture Gate to Japan’ project, formed of multiple artists and creators who have created works based on the various aspects of Japanese culture. (internationalairportreview.com)

The average unit price of new condominiums in Tokyo and its vicinity in 2021 hit a record high of 62.60 million yen ($550,000), surpassing the previous high recorded in 1990 during an asset-inflated bubble, a research institute said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

The maker of Japan’s Umaibo corn puff is raising prices for the first time, in a shock for fans of the “miracle” snack beloved for decades for its crunch and Y10 ($0.09) price tag. (Japan Times)

A Japanese high court Tuesday ordered 3.3 million yen (nearly $29,000) in damages to a female reporter in a high-profile rape case that sparked the #MeToo movement in the country. (laprensalatina.com)

As Japan continues to impose strict entry restrictions, foreigners who have prepared to work there are being left outside ever longer, patiently waiting without losing hope, though frustrations over Tokyo's border controls are growing. (Nikkei)

The Japanese operator of the popular video-sharing app TikTok was discovered to have paid influencers to post videos on Twitter without informing the audience about the sponsored content, a practice that may have violated industry rules against stealth marketing. (Nikkei)

Tokyo reported record high 12,813 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as the central government prepared to put 18 more prefectures on virus quasi-emergency measures amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant. (Japan Times)