The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May was down 99.6 percent from the pre-pandemic year of 2019 as a result of tougher travel restrictions to prevent the spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants, government data showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government adopted a policy Tuesday to strengthen support for foreign residents who may face hurdles in getting coronavirus vaccinations, together with local municipalities. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee said Friday it has sold tickets for 42 percent of the venues' capacity and expects to see up to about 225,000 spectators per day in the Japanese capital if all ticket holders attend. (Kyodo)

Japan widened its scope to allow elderly people nationwide to book coronavirus vaccinations at state-run mass vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka, the government said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Shohei Ohtani went deep in the first inning, crushing his 17th home run of the season 470 feet (143 meters) to right field in the Los Angeles Angels' 8-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Japan is considering maintaining the current order of imperial succession, with the discussion on whether female monarchs will be allowed to ascend the throne to be held in the future, government sources said Monday. (Kyodo)

Ryota Yamagata ran 100 meters in 9.95 seconds on Sunday at a race in Tottori in western Japan, shaving 0.02 off the national record set by Abdul Hakim Sani Brown in June 2019. (Kyodo)

The European Union said Thursday that it has added Japan to a small list of countries for which restrictions on nonessential travelers should be lifted. (Kyodo)

Japanese farmers are turning to digital technologies to grow and sell their products as the coronavirus pandemic depresses sales to restaurants and the graying of Japan's population complicates the drive to raise productivity in the labor-intensive sector. (Kyodo)

A 23-year-old police officer was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing luxury watches and a ring worth a total of about 10 million yen ($91,400) from a house in the central Japan prefecture of Mie, police said. (Kyodo)

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka said Monday she has withdrawn from the French Open while revealing that she has suffered depression since 2018. (Kyodo)

Commercial facilities in Tokyo, Osaka and other prefectures are stepping up preparations to resume operations on Tuesday, as the government hopes to strike a balance between curbing coronavirus infections and reviving the battered economy after extending the COVID-19 state of emergency to June 20. (Kyodo)

The organizers of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics plan to require athletes to acknowledge that they may face health risks or death caused by coronavirus infections and intense summer heat if they compete in the games, a document detailing conditions for participation showed Friday. (Japan Times)

Japan's parliament enacted a law Friday to make it harder for educators dismissed for sexual misconduct at work to return to the profession, a response to cases in which teachers have repeatedly offended against students. (Kyodo)

Japan will allow Myanmar residents to extend their stay for an additional six months as an emergency measure due to the unrest following the Feb. 1 military coup in the Southeast Asian country, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Friday. (Kyodo)

Kagoshima has overtaken Shizuoka in output equivalent to green tea sales, gaining the top spot in Japan, with differences in cultivation methods between the two prefectures and changes in consumer tastes behind the shift. (Kyodo)

A 23-year-old man was found guilty Wednesday of killing a protected deer in a popular park in the western Japan prefecture of Nara earlier this year. (Kyodo)

Residents of Japan were able to catch a glimpse of a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday evening for the first time in almost three years, made extra special as it also coincided with the latest supermoon for the country. (Kyodo)

Japanese actress Kyoko Fukada has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder and will take a break from work to focus on her treatment for the time being, her agency said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

The number of pregnancies reported in 2020 reached a new low amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

A UNESCO advisory panel recommended Wednesday that the Jomon Era archeological sites in northern Japan be added to the World Cultural Heritage list. (Kyodo)

Twelve-year-old Kokona Hiraki in women's park skateboarding is set to become the youngest Japanese summer Olympian on record after finishing fifth at a Dew Tour event, the final Tokyo Olympics qualifier. (Kyodo)

Japan remained the world's largest creditor at the end of 2020 for the 30th straight year, although the yen's appreciation against the U.S. dollar cut the value of its foreign assets, the government said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved Monday a cross-party bill to promote greater awareness among the public of sexual minorities in Japan. (Kyodo)

Kei Komuro, the boyfriend of Princess Mako of Japan, has graduated from Fordham University's law school in New York, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. (Kyodo)