Japan now has the most powerful passport on the planet, a key to visa-free travel to more destinations than Singapore and Germany, according to the 2018 Henley Passport Index. (usatoday.com)

A host of tourists and work trainees in Japan sought refugee status in Japan last year, fueling a jump in applications. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government will require long-stay visitors from 6 Asian countries to be tested for tuberculosis before they travel to Japan. (NHK)

The number of people who applied for refugee status in Japan last year reached a record high of 19,628, up 80 percent from the previous year, the Justice Ministry announced Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Myanmar's Rakhine state on Saturday after meeting with the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in the capital of Naypyitaw a day earlier. (Nikkei)

Japanese's foreign minister on Friday urged Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to guarantee the safe and voluntary return of Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in troubled Rakhine state. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to work toward the return of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh. (NHK)

New rules requiring greater scrutiny of applicants from five countries have landed Japanese-language schools with that little bit more paperwork. (Japan Times)

Schools in Japan that train certified care workers - who play a core role in nursing care - have seen a rapid increase in the number of foreign students. (lmtonline.com)