International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said Tuesday that Japan's economic recovery will not be derailed by staging the Tokyo Games without overseas spectators, while hailing the country's "strong response" to mitigate the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic through timely stimulus packages. (Japan Times)

Japan ranked 120th among 156 countries in the gender gap rankings in 2021, remaining in last place among major advanced economies, a Swiss-based think tank said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

A surge of COVID-19 cases in Osaka raises fears that the eastern Japanese metropolis, having emerged from a state of emergency a month ago, is entering a fresh wave of infections that could become the worst yet, its governor said on Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Sumo wrestler Terunofuji is set to reclaim his title of ozeki, the second-highest rank in the traditional Japanese sport. (NHK)

Officials are considering tougher measures in the western prefecture of Osaka, which reported the most daily cases anywhere in the country on Tuesday. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways Co on Monday conducted Japan's first trial of the "CommonPass" app indicating a traveler's COVID-19 status at Tokyo's Haneda airport as part of efforts by the global travel industry to make cross-border travel easier and safer. (Japan Today)

TOKYO (TR) – A person apprehended for possessing or using an illegal drug in the capital may tell arresting officers that they got the contraband in question “from a foreigner.” (tokyoreporter.com)

Sumo's sole grand champion Hakuho, who withdrew from the recent Spring Grand Tournament with a knee injury, will remain subject to a stern warning over his repeated absences from competition, the sport's governing body decided Monday. (Kyodo)

One week after the state of emergency was lifted, the number of new coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures appears to be on an upward trend. (NHK)

The Japanese government is considering ending support for the exportation of coal-fired power plants to follow the lead of the U.S. and Europe on decarbonization, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

A popular cherry blossom viewing site in Tokyo, Ueno Park, was packed on Saturday, the first weekend since a state of emergency was lifted for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. (NHK)

An early spring in Japan is drawing cherry blossom fans to Tokyo's parks. (Reuters)

Japan's Environment Ministry has decided to allow drivers to park their eco-friendly vehicles at some national parks and gardens for free, starting in April. (NHK)

In the city where the lights went out again, there were people who were confused and worried. Two and a half months, which was the length of the second extension, TV Asahi recorded "the city of Tokyo" and "people's feelings". (ANNnewsCH)

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have stopped referring to visitors as “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in their English announcements, opting instead to use gender-neutral terms, operator Oriental Land Co. said Friday. (Japan Times)

What's a Japanese spring without university entrance ceremonies in cherry blossom season? That&'s precisely what happened last year after many festivities were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. (Japan Times)

Geisha entertainers at a hot spring resort near Tokyo are asking for financial aid as demand for their performances plummets due to the pandemic. (NHK)

As some regions have fewer cases of Covid-19, prefectural governments have set out to give their residents a small travel allowance to boost local economies. (timeout.com)

Japan reported Friday more than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus in one day for the first time since early February, fanning concerns of a rebound less than a week after a state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures. (Kyodo)

One of Tokyo's landmark hotels is slated for a 2-billion-dollar redevelopment plan. The operator says the project will make the Imperial Hotel Tokyo more competitive as availability of international 5-star accommodation has been increasing in the Japanese capital. (NHK)

The Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings 2021 are designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families when making one of the most important decisions of their lives – who to trust with their education. (timeshighereducation.com)

The United States is under pressure to act as it enters the final stages of a review of North Korea's nuclear programme. (CNA)

Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two men over an alleged break-in in Sakai City last year that netted them nearly 300 million yen in high-end valuables, reports NHK. (tokyoreporter.com)

A woman in Japan must fork over hundreds of dollars to a man because she had sex with his wife, according to a rare court ruling. (nypost.com)

Mieko Kawakami has called out cliched depictions of women by one of her country's most feted writers, and seen her own bold style attacked by a top politician. (yahoo.com)