TOKYO (TR) – Over the past few months, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have been busting maid cafes in Chiyoda Ward for operating without licenses, reports the Asahi Shimbun (May 20). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two women who are suspected of swindling nearly two dozen men by luring them to hotels, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Japanese regulators recommended the approval of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca PLC on Thursday, paving the way for the country to speed up its slow-moving vaccination campaign. (Reuters)

TOKYO -- Japan will consider cutting off all official development assistance to Myanmar, even for ongoing projects, if the situation there does not improve, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Nikkei. (Nikkei)

Less than 30% of Japan's medics have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in major cities with just 65 days to go before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Wednesday, amid growing calls for the Games to be canceled. (Japan Today)

Cancelling the Tokyo Olympics in response to mounting public opposition in Japan to holding the Games during the Covid-19 pandemic would be an unparalleled act in peacetime. (deccanherald.com)

TOKYO -- Japan plans to boost defense spending without worrying about sticking to its long-standing limit of 1% of gross domestic product, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told Nikkei on Wednesday. (Nikkei)

TOKYO (TR) – A woman who was found collapsed with a knife plunged in her abdomen on a road in Nerima Ward on Wednesday later died. (tokyoreporter.com)

World-renowned fashion designer Koshino Junko has been awarded France's highest order of merit, the Legion of Honor. (NHK)

The Japanese government plans to ban foreign VIPs from meeting their countries' athletes during this summer's Tokyo Olympics as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 27-year-old man over the alleged rape of a woman in Toshima Ward earlier this year, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

A Japanese court on Wednesday ordered a man to pay about ¥1.29 million for causing emotional distress to the family of the late Hana Kimura, a cast member of the now-canceled reality TV show "Terrace House," after posting hateful messages about her online after her death. (Japan Times)

The two mass coronavirus vaccination centers set up by the Self-Defense Forces will accept reservations from people in wider areas starting Monday. They will cover residents aged 65 and older in all parts of Tokyo and Osaka. (NHK)

Japanese actor Masakazu Tamura, who appeared in a number of popular TV series and films in his 60-year career, died of heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo last month, people close to him said Tuesday. He was 77. (Kyodo)

Japan's prime minister says he believes that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics can be held in a safe manner by implementing thorough anti-virus measures. (NHK)

Avivid rainbow heralds the arrival of dusk in Tokyo, but the fabled promise of a pot of gold must seem like a cruel joke to restaurateurs in Shimbashi, where office blocks stand in happy proximity to hundreds of watering holes. (theguardian.com)

The Tokyo Stock Exchange will consider extending its trading hours in an effort to boost its competitiveness. (NHK)

Kiyotaka Nishimura has closed the doors for good on the 14-seat wine bar and restaurant that he and his wife, Makiko, operated in suburban Tokyo for about 10 years. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government is facing pressure over its continued commitment to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a recent poll showed 43 per cent of the population want the Games cancelled. (Sky News)

The number of severe COVID-19 cases hit another record high in Japan on Tuesday, adding to the burden of some medical systems in the country. (NHK)

More than 80% of Japanese polled oppose hosting the virus-postponed Olympics this year, a new survey showed yesterday, underlining public antipathy less than 10 weeks before the Tokyo Games. (gulf-times.com)

Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten, speaks to CNN's Selina Wang exclusively that it's a "suicide mission" to be hosting the Tokyo Olympics this year - the opening ceremony for which is set for July 23. (CNN)

Online bookings for elderly people to receive COVID-19 shots at large state-run vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka started Monday, as Japan tries to accelerate its vaccine rollout amid a fourth wave of infections. ()

Japan is a beautiful place, with a vibrant and rich culture. This country is known for its very low crime rates. (Around The World)

Osaka Prefecture logged 620 new COVID-19 cases and 15 coronavirus-linked deaths on Sunday while Tokyo reported 542 cases a day after logging 772 infections. (Japan Times)