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)

Japan's top telecommunications company is getting 7.3 billion yen in taxpayer money to design mobile tracking software to curb the spread of coronavirus infections during the Tokyo Olympics. (nzherald.co.nz)

Japan's messaging app Line has stopped its Chinese affiliates and contractors from accessing the personal information of Japanese users, the company said Tuesday, in response to growing scrutiny over its data management practices. (Nikkei)

The Olympic torch started its journey across Japan on Thursday morning after a yearlong delay. That's because the Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed due to the global pandemic. (NHK)

Tokyo and nearby prefectures decided Wednesday to extend their requests for businesses to shorten operating hours until next month as part of efforts to curb the risk of a rebound of the novel coronavirus in the metropolitan area. (Kyodo)

Tokyo’s Cherry Blossoms are early this year. 12 days early! (ONLY in JAPAN)

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on Monday that cherry blossoms in Tokyo are now in full bloom. (NHK)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former star on YouTube who is suspected of soliciting nude photographs from girls, reports NHK (March 17). (tokyoreporter.com)