The 21-year-old finished the 20-kilometer race in 52 minutes, 52.8 seconds after the classification calculation was made, more than 90 seconds clear of silver medalist Cai Jiayun of China. (Japan Times)

Superhero Batman's hometown Gotham City has for the first time concluded a friendship city agreement with Fukuyama, a castle town in western Japan, as the fictional and real cities share a connection -- their love for bats. (Kyodo)

Japan reached the government's target of administering 1 million COVID-19 booster shots per day in mid-February as it accelerated the inoculation drive to stem infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the vaccine minister said Friday. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government has decided to extend coronavirus quasi-emergency measures in 18 prefectures, while they will end in 13 others at the end of the day on Sunday. (NHK)

The government is set to extend the COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency in Tokyo and 14 prefectures as Japan has been facing a slower-than-expected fall in infection numbers due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, officials said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

The ascension of veteran Mitakeumi to the rank of ozeki and Abi to sekiwake in Monday's latest Japan Sumo Association rankings put the spotlight on the two wrestlers' perseverance. (Kyodo)

Japan will impose additional sanctions targeting Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday, joining the United States and Europe in piling pressure on Moscow that defied international calls for diplomacy. (Kyodo/AFP)

Japan's weather agency on Wednesday raised its alert level for Mt. Ontake in the central part of the country, warning against going near its crater as volcanic earthquakes have increased. (Kyodo)

Japan is considering requiring those who want a job in child care or education to submit proof that they are not convicted sex offenders, government officials said Monday, as parents have been calling for such a system amid growing cases of children being sexually abused by teachers and babysitters. (Kyodo)

A Japanese court on Tuesday ordered the state to compensate three people with disabilities over forced sterilization under the now-defunct eugenics protection law, awarding damages for the first time among similar suits filed across Japan. (Kyodo)

The curtain was drawn on the Beijing Games on Sunday night with Japan having discovered a new set of stars, celebrated some familiar faces and perhaps seen one of its all-time greats on Olympic ice for the last time. (Kyodo)

Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe will retire in 2023 before taking up a coaching role at Eintracht Frankfurt, his German Bundesliga side said Friday upon agreeing on a new deal through 2027. (Kyodo)

Some 150,000 foreign students who hold Japan visas were unable to enter the country by the end of last year due to its strict COVID-19 border controls, the top government spokesman said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Japan is considering shortening the quarantine period for those entering the country from the current seven days to three, as part of its eased COVID-19 border controls, government sources said Wednesday. (Kyodo/Nikkei)

Women overtook men for the first time in the acceptance rate at Japan's medical schools for the 2021 academic year that started in April, an education ministry survey showed Wednesday, in a sign of improvement over gender-based discrimination in entrance examinations that came to light a few years ago. (Kyodo)

The Japanese Embassy in Kiev said Sunday most of its staff will leave Ukraine as tensions have been rapidly mounting over a possible Russian invasion following Moscow's military buildup near the border. (Kyodo)

What happens to the body of a person who suffers from the long-term effects of the novel coronavirus? (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday the government will consider easing an entry ban on nonresident foreigners introduced in November to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, amid growing criticism from academic and business circles. (Kyodo)

Japan's Foreign Ministry on Friday advised Japanese citizens in Ukraine to leave the Eastern European country immediately as Russia amasses troops on the Ukrainian border. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo District Court has sentenced a 26-year-old woman to eight years in prison for parental neglect resulting in the death of her three-year-old daughter by leaving her at home alone for a week in 2020. (Japan Today)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film "Drive My Car" was nominated Tuesday in four categories including best picture for the 94th U.S. Academy Awards, becoming the first Japanese film to land the prestigious Oscar nomination. (Kyodo)

McDonald's Co. (Japan) said Friday it will put medium- and large-size french fries back on the menu next Monday after their sale was suspended for nearly a month due to a potato shortage for the second time since last December. (Kyodo)

Nadeshiko Japan qualified for football's Women's World Cup on Sunday with a 7-0 Asian Cup quarterfinal win against Thailand in Navi Mumbai, India. (Kyodo)

Japan will further shorten the quarantine period to seven days from the current 10 for people who have been in close contact with someone infected with the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday. (Kyodo)

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)