Japan will consider resuming its subsidy program aimed at promoting domestic tourism only in some parts of the country even if the current state of emergency over the novel coronavirus is completely lifted, tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Thursday. (Kyodo)

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the benchmark Nikkei Average briefly dropped by more than 1,000 points at one time on Friday from the previous day's close. (NHK)

Two teenagers have been accused of pushing shopping carts down escalators at a shopping center in Tokyo, with one of them posting the video of his act on social media. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has confirmed 270 new coronavirus cases in the capital on Friday. (NHK)

Yamanashi Prefectural Police have arrested a police officer over the alleged molestation of a girl after she reported a theft, reports NHK. (tokyoreporter.com)

Since 1999, the Bank of Japan has done virtually everything imaginable to defeat deflation. It pumped untold trillions of dollars of liquidity into markets, cornered government bond trading, hoarded stocks and pushed interest rates negative. (forbes.com)

A panel of experts at Japan's health ministry has pointed out that the number of new cases of the coronavirus in the country has been declining at a slower pace since mid-February. (NHK)

It’s no secret that the best Japanese whisky can be hard to find – even in Japan. Despite all the limited-edition bottles and the re-releases of old single malts, the good stuff is in chronically short supply. In fact, there’s even less Japanese-made whisky out there than you think. (timeout.com)

Japan's Olympics minister said Wednesday that coronavirus vaccinations would not be a prerequisite for participation at this summer's Olympics and Paralympics, despite a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal that athletes be inoculated. (Kyodo)

Roughly 1,000 volunteers who were to help out at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have quit in the wake of sexist comments by former organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori, the committee said Wednesday. (Kyodok)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 340 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Thursday. (NHK)

Fukushima Prefectural Police are hunting for the gunman who shot and killed a 37-year-old man at a used car dealership in Sukagawa City on Monday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 27-year-old woman over the alleged stabbing of her husband in Isehara City, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Former Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa told a Japanese court Wednesday he believed the compensation for his predecessor Carlos Ghosn was too low “by international standards,” and so he supported Ghosn’s retirement packages to prevent him from leaving. (Japan Today)

Since last year, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (Tepco) left two broken seismometers unrepaired at the No. 3 reactor within its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, officials said Monday. (Japan Times)

The Tokyo Metropolitan government says it confirmed 213 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday. (NHK)

"Omotenashi" is the Japanese concept of providing hospitality that goes above and beyond. It is reflected in craftsmanship across every era, from Edo Kiriko (cut glass) to the Tokyo Tower, a timeless philosophy that endures even in an increasingly modernizing world. (Discovery Channel Southeast Asia)

A 40-year-old woman died after being buried by an avalanche while snowboarding at a ski resort in the Hakkoda Mountains near Aomori City on Sunday. (Japan Today)

Japan has received its second shipment of the coronavirus vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer. (NHK)

Komadori-Sanso is located on Mt. Mitake which is only one and a half hour train ride from Tokyo.　It's a Shrine Lodging of Musashi Mitake Shrine which is run by Shinto Priest Baba-san and his family. (WAO RYU!ONLY in JAPAN)

Aichi Prefectural Police have arrested a 31-year-old man who stabbed a girl in Nagoya last year after she requested he do so via social media, reports the Asahi Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Electric Power Company has found that the pressure inside one of the reactor containment vessels at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has dropped. (NHK)

The Japan Sumo Association imposed the second most severe punishment on stablemaster Tokitsukaze on Monday, recommending he retire for violating coronavirus protocols when he made nonurgent, nonessential outings during a basho. (Kyodo)

Tokyo officials say they have confirmed 178 new coronavirus cases on Monday. (NHK)

Japanese municipalities with large populations of foreign residents are planning to provide interpretation services for them at coronavirus vaccination sites. (NHK)