A former professional boxer who spent 48 years in prison for murders he says he did not commit was among some 50,000 people greeting Pope Francis as he entered Tokyo Dome to celebrate Mass on Monday. (Japan Times)

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, one of Tokyo's largest and most popular parks, will start selling entrance tickets online later this week ahead of next year's Olympics with an eye on cutting queuing time, the Japanese government said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Pope Francis has held a mass at Tokyo Dome on Monday in front of a packed audience. (NHK)

Lawyers for parents separated from their children in Japan said on Monday they would appeal a court decision that the government was not responsible for enforcing visitation rights. (Japan Today)

What could be an original piece by the anonymous artist Banksy is on display in Tokyo. The artist is known for his satirical works on buildings and other sites. (NHK)

The approval rating of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet declined 7 points from last month to 50% in the latest Nikkei-TV Tokyo survey, taking a hit from the controversy over supporters being invited to a government-funded event to view cherry blossoms. (Nikkei)

Aichi Prefectural Police launched a murder investigation after a 49-year-old man was found fatally stabbed at his residence in Okazaki City last week, reports TBS News (Nov. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

A bullet-train operator and a locality on the central Pacific Coast are sparring over the environmental impact of a planned ultrafast magnetic-levitation rail, threatening the targeted 2027 start of a service connecting Tokyo and Nagoya. (Nikkei)

One of the criticisms of the “Medicare for All” government-run health care scheme proposed by U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is that eliminating all limits to treatment would lead to “overuse” of the medical care system, meaning people would be seeing doctors for every little perceived ailment, which is wasteful. (Japan Times)

Some 10,000 police officers are on standby as Japan gets ready for Pope Francis's visit from Saturday. (NHK)

A missing high school girl and a 33-year-old man were found inside his residence in Kato City earlier this week, a case that is being treated as murder-suicide, police said, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 22). (tokyoreporter.com)

A massive photo safari of the treasure trove of amazing stuff waiting at Nintendo’s brand-new Shibuya destination store! (soranews24.com)

Earlier this month, water supplies were cut to two terminals of Haneda Airport in Tokyo. (NHK)

Japan intends to devote 220 billion yen ($2.03 billion) to encourage private-sector research and development of technology that will succeed fifth-generation wireless communications. (Nikkei)

The Japan Rugby Football Union said Thursday the Brave Blossoms will take part in a parade in Tokyo on Dec 11 to express their appreciation to their fans following their successful World Cup campaign. (Japan Today)

Sadako Ogata's contribution to the world was not limited to helping millions of displaced people as the head of the United Nations refugee agency. She also inspired many younger Japanese women to follow suit and fulfill professional ambitions on the world stage. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 28-year-old man over the alleged molestation of a woman in Adachi Ward earlier this year, reports Fuji News Network (Nov. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

A teacher at a prestigious Tokyo junior high school allegedly kicked a student as corporal punishment in mid-September and left him with a broken rib, investigative and other sources with the knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The Olympic Games is one of the most awaited world events. Every year, different countries host the Olympic Games, and Japan was chosen as the venue for 2020. Despite the current pandemic, Japan puts its best foot forward and continuously make improvements in their facilities, such as the Olympic aquatics center. (Japan Today)

The push to reduce overtime in Japan is starting to have wide-ranging effects on Japanese society, from shifting traffic patterns to boosting part-time work six months after a law was passed to improve the country's notoriously lacking work-life balance. (Nikkei)

Shinzo Abe, who became Japan's longest-serving prime minister on Wednesday, was groomed for politics from birth and has cemented his power with shrewd diplomacy, unwavering nationalism, and a knack for surviving scandal. (Japan Today)

Actress Erika Sawajiri, arrested for allegedly possessing the synthetic drug MDMA, has tested negative in a urine test for MDMA and other illegal drugs, police said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan marked the largest percentage drop in more than seven years in October with a 5.5 percent on-year fall, as a devastating typhoon and a continued plunge in South Korean tourists more than offset the effect of the Rugby World Cup, government data showed Wednesday. (Japan Times)

All construction works for the main stadium of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have finished. (NHK)

East Japan Railway says it will tear down Harajuku Station, the oldest wooden station building in Tokyo, after the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in the metropolis. (NHK)