This is the day of Shichi-Go-San, a traditional kids ceremony in Japan. We started early in the morning for preparations and tried to get her to wear a kimono, but she didn't want to, so we went to the shrine in her regular clothes and had a prayer. We’re gonna spend the day celebrating her growth with our family. (Kimono Mom)

Mizuho Financial Group Inc. chairman and president as well as the head of its banking unit will resign next spring following a series of system failures that have hurt public confidence in one of Japan's major financial institutions, sources with knowledge of the plan said Thursday. (Kyodo)

A weak yen, once seen as favourable for Japan's exports-focused economy, has now become a pain point as it eats into household finances and confounds policymakers. (investing.com)

Throughout its history, Japan has been the source of a diverse range of art and design forms. Classic woodblock prints such as Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa are recognized all over the world. (businesswire.com)

Swedish retailer Ikea is becoming a landlord in Japan with a tiny apartment it will rent out in Tokyo. (CNN)

NHK has learned that the Japanese government will subsidize efforts by Japanese-language schools to offer online lessons to students overseas who have difficulty entering the country. (NHK)

Plato has been one of the most important philosophers in the West and is now read all over the world. (RoyIntPhilosophy)

Police in Inami, Hyogo Prefecture, have arrested a 51-year-old man on suspicion of killing his two nephews, aged seven and 12, and then setting fire to their house, on Nov 19. (Japan Today)

In a break from tradition, instead of having a new tiara made to mark the occasion, Princess Aiko will use her aunt’s tiara at her coming-of-age ceremony. (nippon.com)

The National Cancer Center said Friday that the number of people in Japan newly diagnosed with cancer in 2020 fell for the first time since it started collecting such data in 2007. (Japan Times)

A deputy prime minister of the Taliban's interim government in Afghanistan called on Japan's ambassador to reopen the country's embassy in Kabul when the two met in the capital of the war-torn nation on Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Individuals in Japan failed to declare taxable income totaling Y20.1 billion related to new forms of economic activity, including the sharing economy, in the year through June, the government said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Black Friday sales have recently been taking root in Japan and this year the nation’s retailers are expecting customers to go on a shopping spree following last year’s weak sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Japan Times)

Japan's Meteorological Agency forecasts higher-than-average snowfall in eastern and western Japan this winter. (NHK)

Princess Mako from Japan is getting her first taste of life as a commoner in New York City where she's now living with her new husband, Kei Komuro, after sensationally giving up her royal title last month. (News 360 Tv)

A 14-year-old student was fatally stabbed in the stomach with a kitchen knife by another pupil at a junior high school in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. (NHK)

Japanese experts have lowered Tokyo's coronavirus healthcare system alert level to the lowest of the four stages in the scale. (NHK)

Tokyo ranked third after London and New York in an annual Global Power City Index report released Wednesday, retaining the position for the sixth consecutive year thanks to greater work flexibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Japan Times)

Kumi Yokoyama, a U.S.-based Japanese footballer who publicly came out a transgender man in June, revealed Tuesday on Instagram they married their girlfriend. (Kyodo)

The autumn leaves are at their peak in many parts of Japan. Visitors have been flocking to the ancient capital of Kyoto to enjoy the colors. (NHK)

Gary Numan has shared a lovely story about how Freddie Mercury went the extra mile to be a friend during a difficult night in the early 1980s. (smoothradio.com)

Japan has conducted tryouts to identify its next Paralympians. Organisers hope the Tokyo event will improve the visibility of para-sports in the country, whose track record for integrating people with different abilities lags many of its peers. (CNA)

The Japanese government is taking the unprecedented step of tapping into its state oil reserves in response to a request from the Biden administration. (NHK)

Running a business means that you have to think through everything to reduce overheads and increase profit. (newsonjapan.com)

Australia will allow eligible foreign visa holders and travelers from Japan and South Korea to enter the country from December, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday. (Kyodo)