With its zero-tolerance cannabis laws, deep social stigma against the drug and moves to tighten rules on consumption, Japan is no stoner's paradise. (malaymail.com)

Australia and Japan have agreed to elevate defence cooperation between the two nations during in a meeting between the Defence Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo. (Sky News Australia)

In this life in Japan vlog LGBTQ+, Pride month episode 3, I take you guys along with me to get ready in drag (makeup, outfit, and hair) and to my whole! I basically spent my whole day being a drag queen in the daytime. (worldofxtra)

Japanese authorities will not be held responsible for the death of a Sri Lankan woman who died while in custody at an immigration center in Nagoya last March, after prosecutors decided to drop the case against the then-senior officials on Friday. (Japan Times)

Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on the history of Japan continues with an episode on how the Europeans tried to end the isolation of Japan during the late Age of Colonialism. We'll see how the Russians, French, Dutch and others attempted to open the country to trade, before the Americans under commodore Matthew Perry did it in 1854. (Kings and Generals)

Japan’s central bank decided Friday to maintain its key interest rate at minus 0.1%, defying aggressive hikes by peers in the US and Switzerland, citing some economic weakness stemming from the pandemic and high commodity prices. (ICIS)

Japan's top court on Friday dismissed claims that the government should pay damages in cases involving around 3,700 people whose lives were seriously affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, absolving the state of responsibility for mass evacuations in the crisis. (Nikkei)

Japanese women are turning against western notions of feminism, and embracing girly manga, boobs and moe culture. In fact, 70% of "problematic" manga is created by WOMEN. ( Clownfish TV)

A Japanese court on Thursday ordered the operator of Tabelog, a popular restaurant review website, to pay about 38.4 million yen in damages to a Korean barbeque chain, judging that its rating algorithm is unfairly designed for chain outlets. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Toy Show has opened after three years of hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some makers have given fresh features to classic items in an attempt to attract a wide range of generations as the country faces a declining number of children. (NHK)

In Japan, delivery health or 'deliheru' is very popular. Delivery health companies provide special health services to men making sure they stay active and everything is working properly. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Movie star Ken Watanabe offered a message of encouragement to Japanese compatriot Shohei Ohtani when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Wednesday's Los Angeles Dodgers-Los Angeles Angels game. (Kyodo)

Four hundred years since the collapse of modern civilization, the world is dominated by the chaos of swords and sorcery. (Netflix Anime)

Make You Relax and For Sleep (ND-Music)

Horyuji temple in Japan's ancient capital of Nara has achieved its crowdfunding target for the maintenance of the compound in less than half a day. (NHK)

Japan ran its biggest single-month trade deficit in more than eight years in May as high commodity prices and declines in the yen swelled imports, clouding the country's economic outlook. (Nikkei)

A 72-year-old man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly nailing a straw doll bearing the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin to a sacred tree at a Shinto shrine near Tokyo, police said. (Kyodo)

A Buddhist priest from Japan has demanded at a court hearing in South Korea an early return of an ancient statue stolen from his temple 10 years ago. (NHK)

Tokyo prosecutors have indicted a 22-year-old man without arrest for posting slanderous comments about the family of the victims of a car accident. (NHK)

The organizers and two participants of an orgy party involving over 120 people were arrested in central Japan. (yahoo.com)

For many years most forms of gambling were unlawful in Japan with lottery tickets, some sports betting and Pachinko being the only options for those Japanese residents who wanted to have a bet or wager. (newsonjapan.com)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan last month was more than 140,000, surpassing 100,000 for a second straight month. (NHK)

Microsoft bids farewell to Internet Explorer on Thursday, stirring a sense of panic among many businesses and government agencies in Japan that waited to update their websites until the last minute. (Nikkei)

Japan wrapped up its 150-day regular Diet session Wednesday, with the ruling and opposition parties swinging into high gear for the House of Councillors election set for July 10. (Japan Today)

A bill to prevent young people from being exploited in pornographic productions was passed into law Wednesday, marking a step in efforts to end abuses of those involved in the industry in Japan. (Kyodo)