The operators of Japan's famed bullet trains increased their mutual cross-shareholdings last fiscal year to strengthen their relationships, bucking a broad trend of unwinding such arrangements amid criticism from investors. (Nikkei)

A 15-year-old girl was hit and killed by a train in an apparent suicide in Fujimi, Saitama Prefecture, on Saturday. According to police, the incident occurred at around 10 a.m. between Tsuruse and Mizuhodai stations on the Tobu Tojo Line, Sankei Shimbun reported. (Japan Today)

About 20 companies in Japan will start accepting "partnership certificates" in July for same-sex couples issued by a nongovernmental organization as a way of providing employees with spousal and familial benefits available to straight married couples, people familiar with the matter said Saturday. (Kyodo)

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. said Thursday it would no longer lend to new coal-fired power plants from May 1, a day after peer Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said it would stop financing new power projects involving the fossil fuel. (Japan Times)

Japanese companies are moving to prevent sectors vital to modern society from shutting down if the government declares an emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

The parent of Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is looking into a roughly 100 billion yen ($920 million) syndicated loan from seven lenders as the carrier fortifies its balance sheet to cope with the drop-off in air travel demand. (Nikkei)

Japan's economy grew at a faster-than-expected clip in the second quarter, official data showed on Friday, helped by celebrations to usher in a new imperial era. (Japan Today)

Some of the capital's most iconic hotels have already stopped taking room reservations during next summer's Olympic Games as the city stares down a 14,000-room shortfall for an expected 10 million visitors when the festivities get underway. (Nikkei)

Airbnb and other home-sharing services are recovering in Japan in the wake of strict regulations introduced almost a year ago, and some industry experts say there is more room to flourish, especially in rural areas. (Nikkei)

The body of a man struck by an oncoming train at a station in Fujimi City hit and injured two women on the platform, police said on Friday, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

Japanese messaging app provider LINE is teaming up with Mizuho Financial Group to launch a bank. It will not have any outlets and specialize only in providing services for smartphone users. (NHK)

The Bank of Japan last week decided to allow the yield on the 10-year government bond to move in a wider range. (NHK)

The Bank of Japan's decision on Tuesday to continue "powerful monetary easing" but to also allow long-term interest rates to move in a wider band reflects the dilemma faced by Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda. (Nikkei)

The influx of cash into Japan's biggest banks and their parking of such money at the Bank of Japan are putting large commercial banks on the verge of having to pay the central bank interest on deposits there for the first time in two years. (Nikkei)

Internet portal operator Yahoo Japan said Friday that it will start a mobile payment service this autumn, becoming the latest to join the cashless payment bandwagon. (Nikkei)

Imagine wrapping up a tough work week and jumping into a three-day weekend　and find out the whole ATM system is down until the following Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A woman stabbed by a male Filipino national at her residence in Hamura City earlier this week has died, police said on Wednesday, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's largest banks have buoyed earnings with high-interest cash advances over the last few years, but these loans are starting to take a toll as irrecoverable debt piles up. (Nikkei)

With Japan now planning to open its doors to more foreign workers, academics and other observers are beginning to wonder exactly what kind of turn the country is in for -- one that lifts the economy or one that delivers discord. (Nikkei)

Police in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, have arrested a 31-year-old woman on suspicion of abandoning the dismembered body of her 58-year-old her mother along a riverbed. (Japan Today)

The likes of Tokyo and Kyoto may still be top of many visitors' itineraries, but Japan's tourism industry is changing as more and more people head west in search of new experiences. (Nikkei)

Japan is moving toward legalizing initial coin offerings, even as countries such as China and the U.S. restrict the fundraising method because of the risks it presents for investors. (Japan Times)

Smartphone users in Japan may soon start enjoying a faster and easier shopping experience. The country's 3 major banks say they're going to join hands to standardize a single payment system using QR code. (NHK)

Aichi Prefectural Police have re-arrested a 38-year-old man over the fatal robbery and attempted rape of a female relative at her residence in Mizuho Ward last month, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly stabbing his male roommate at their residence in Yokohama early Saturday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)