No sooner had Okinawa crossed a tourism milestone than the coronavirus pandemic closed Japan's borders. Now, as the leading Japanese resort destination looks to make a comeback, it needs to find ways to bring in more cash and not just more visitors. (Nikkei)

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Japan’s preparations for the planned discharge of treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant are proceeding largely in line with international safety standards. (Japan Times)

The Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that the object found on the seabed off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan is the tour boat that went missing on April 23. (NHK)

It’s often said that the four pillars of hip hop culture are rap, DJing, break dance, and graffiti, the last of which is easily the most controversial, challenging concepts of public space, freedom of expression, and the very nature of what defines “art.” (Japan Today)

Travelers wearing masks crowded train stations and airports across Japan as the Golden Week holiday began Friday without the issuance of a coronavirus state of emergency for the first time in three years. (Japan Today)

About 14,000 years ago, prehistoric hunter-gatherers in southern Japan were making pottery. There are no signs whatsoever that the late Pleistocene inhabitants of Tanegashima Island had begun to settle down and grow food. They were foragers, hunter-gatherers and fishers, not farmers. (haaretz.com)

The governor of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa says Australian Defence Force personnel are not welcome on the 150 islands he administers, as fears grow that rising tensions between China and US allies will lead to conflict in the region. (afr.com)

Funny owner of a ramen shop who loves animation ( MOGUMOGU - Food Entertainment - モグモグ)

Over the last three decades, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has employed the world's easiest monetary policy. (advisorperspectives.com)

A man in his 30s armed with what appeared to be a shotgun was found dead early Friday after allegedly stabbing a woman and then holing up in a Tokyo apartment in a standoff with police that lasted approximately four hours, the police said. (Japan Today)

People in their 30s feel the most lonely and isolated of all age groups in Japan, while those in their 70s are the least likely to feel that way, a government survey showed. (Asahi)

Japan's health ministry says two more children have been hospitalized with an unidentified type of acute hepatitis. (NHK)

Ukraine and Japan have signed an agreement on a $100 million loan for 30 years at 1% per annum with a grace period of 10 years, the Ministry of Finance reported. (interfax.com.ua)

The yen's rapid decline coupled with soaring crude oil prices are expected to raise the expenses of the average Japanese household by 60,000 yen ($468) this year, private-sector estimates show. (Nikkei)

Falling to his knees and placing his forehead on the floor, the president of the tour boat company operating the Kazu I, which disappeared Saturday in the Sea of Okhotsk with 26 people aboard, apologized Wednesday, saying that the ship’s captain made the decision to go ahead with the tour that morning. (Japan Times)

The health ministry adopted a plan Wednesday to limit eligibility for fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines to those age 60 or over, as well as those who are age 18 or over with underlying conditions. (Japan Times)

Japan’s jobless rate fell to 2.6% in March, hitting its lowest rate since April 2020 as the easing of COVID-19 restrictions helped support the labour market, according to government data. (hrmasia.com)

This video is a Tokyo Food Guide for cheap tokyo food ideas at a Japanese izakaya making it a perfect Japan guide for travelers on a budget. ( SAMURAI JUNJIRO Channel)

Tokyo has lodged a protest with Moscow over its decision to expel eight Japanese diplomats, the top government spokesman said Thursday, arguing Russia is fully responsible for the deterioration of bilateral relations. (Kyodo)

As if war, COVID-related disruptions and higher material costs weren’t enough, Japan’s retailers now have to contend with a weaker yen that’s raising import prices and forcing them to deal with a phenomenon unseen for the better part of three decades: inflation. (Japan Times)

Asahi Breweries will increase prices across the vast majority of its beverage lineup, passing on surging ingredient and packaging costs to customers in a move that could spur rivals to follow suit. (Nikkei)

Scratch cards are available online. "How can you scratch a card online?" you might wonder. (newsonjapan.com)

The Bank of Japan said it will continue to conduct unlimited buying operations of Japanese government bonds, aimed at keeping long-term interest rates from rising. (NHK)

You would have thought it was a simple process for any casino operator to prove their casino games are completely fair and random, much more those that operate online seeing as they use software to power their games and random number generators to determine the outcome. (newsonjapan.com)

Wishma Sandamali, a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman, died in a Japanese detention centre in March of last year. Her death sparked debate on the treatment of the 1,500 asylum seekers currently in detention in Japan. (france24.com)