Japan's major restaurant chain Zensho Holdings, operator of the Sukiya beef bowl chain, announced on Thursday that it will acquire Lotteria, a burger franchise held by Lotte Holdings. (Nikkei)

A 35-year-old man who shot fireworks over a crowd at Tokyo’s famous Shibuya scramble crossing last year has been sent to prosecutors. (Japan Today)

A court plans to show footage of a Sri Lankan woman who died in detention during proceedings for a damages suit filed by her bereaved family, a lawyer for the family said. (Japan Today)

In one of his last diary entries, Japanese teacher Yoshio Kudo lamented workdays that started early and could last until nearly midnight. Two months later, he suffered "karoshi" -- death from overwork. (AFP)

Inbound tourism to Japan has begun to recover since the easing of COVID-19 border controls but a shortage of staff has become an increasing problem for the airline industry, as many who left their jobs during the pandemic have not returned. (Japan Times)

Japan's government said Tuesday that three unidentified flying objects spotted over the nation's territory in three years from 2019 are "strongly suspected" to have been Chinese spy balloons. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Wednesday to boost Japan's budget for child-rearing to 4 percent of the country's gross domestic product to tackle the falling birthrate, but he did not elaborate on how to secure the costs. (Kyodo)

A poll carried out by a public junior high school in Kochi City, western Japan, shows that only about 20 percent of third-year students want to take their masks off for their graduation ceremony next month. (NHK)

A team of Japanese and US researchers says releasing too much young fish into rivers disrupts their ecosystems and reduces river fish populations. (NHK)

This Tokyo Ekiben Guide shows what Shinkansen (Bullet Train) bento box to buy when at Tokyo Station for Japan travelers. (SAMURAI JUNJIRO Channel)

A Chinese woman triggered a stir across social media after revealing her purchase of a deserted island in Japan's Okinawa prefecture. (myind.net)

Heidi & Shelley experience what it's like to make and taste authentic matcha green tea from a 1st degree Chado instructor in Tokyo. (GaijinPot)

Japan's government named academic Kazuo Ueda as its pick to become next central bank governor, a surprise choice that could heighten the chance of an end to its unpopular yield control policy. (Reuters)

Police in the city of Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, have arrested a man on suspicion of injuring a bus driver and four passengers in an apparent road-rage incident. (NHK)

Momo Hirai, inspired by Namie Amuro as a child, moved to Korea at the age of 16 to start her career with TWICE along with Sana.

After more than two years under some of the world’s tightest border controls, Japan is once again open for business. Tourist spots are packed. Hotels are booked out well in advance. And it’s getting harder to get a seat at many of the country’s best restaurants. (nytimes.com)

Shoichiro Toyoda, who as a son of the company’s founder oversaw Toyota’s expansion into international markets has died. He was 97. (AP)

Japan’s new Japanese horror film Re/Member could be the perfect thing to put at the top of your watch list. (ustimespost.com)

Young girls these days are so clever. They tend to choose money more than love for marriage. They learn love grows cold but money doesn't through their parents. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

I tried eating over 50 plates of sushi at Sushiro - Japan’s top conveyor sushi chain at their flagship Tokyo restaurant. (Abroad in Japan)

Police on Monday referred a man, indicted for murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to prosecutors for allegedly making a gun and damaging a building by test-firing it, according to investigative sources. (Kyodo)

Nearly three-quarters, or 73%, of Japanese public high schools have no framework for accepting foreign resident students, putting them at a serious disadvantage in visa status and work opportunities, a Nikkei survey shows. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government is drawing up a bill to create a new immigration category for "quasi-refugees" fleeing conflict, after the war in Ukraine highlighted shortfalls in its current framework. (Nikkei)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided Monday to skip a planned speech in the afternoon after undergoing endoscopic surgery for nasal congestion late last week, a government official said. (Kyodo)

Naomi Watanabe (渡辺 直美) is a Japanese comedian, actress, and fashion designer who rose to fame in 2008 for her imitation of Beyoncé, after which she was given the title “the Japanese Beyonce”.