A health ministry panel agreed Thursday to offer COVID-19 booster shots to anyone who has already received two doses. (Japan Times)

Okinawa is known to many as a postcard perfect paradise. In 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel, the island welcomed 10 million tourists. But despite mass tourism, Okinawa is also the poorest prefecture in Japan. (VICE Asia)

Typhoon Malou is expected to be closest to Japan's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific from Thursday evening through Friday while maintaining its strength. People in the region are advised to be on alert for violent winds, high waves and mudslides. (NHK)

Three men were found dead in a residence in Shibushi, Miyazaki Prefecture, on Tuesday night. (Japan Today)

With Japan set to go the polls later this week, Jake Sturmer examines why just 10 per cent of politicians in the Lower House are women, despite a gender equality law being passed in 2018. (ABC News)

Japan's former princess Mako and her husband have started their life as newlyweds at a condo in Tokyo. They are preparing to settle in New York, where husband Komuro Kei works at a law firm. (NHK)

The government plans to ease restrictions on attendance at large-scale events, such as sports games and concerts, from next week in response to a steady decline in coronavirus cases across Japan, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodok)

Japan's top three mobile carriers stopped or will stop charging customers contract cancelation fees, with SoftBank Corp becoming the last to decide on such a plan amid the government's efforts to spur competition in the mobile phone market. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's push to restart Japanese nuclear power plants idled after the Fukushima disaster faces stiff opposition ahead of a general election on Sunday, where his future as leader hangs in the balance if the vote is tight. (Reuters)

Located in the heart of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Japan's most famous and celebrated temples thanks to its iconic 13-meter high wooden stage with a unique view. (TokyoStreetView - Japan The Beautiful)

I took Shin Nihonkai Ferry from Maizuru (Kyoto) to Otaru (Hokkaido). It was a comfortable journey. (Solo Travel Japan)

Hyogo Prefectural Police are questioning a 35-year-old man on suspicion of killing a 34-year-old woman whose body was found buried near a mountain road in Kasai City. (Japan Today)

U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. is in talks with Japan to apply for approval to administer its COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5 to 11, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Japan's nuclear regulator says a massive number of pumice stones drifting in waters in the country's southwest could affect domestic nuclear power plants. (NHK)

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Group will use digital tools to root out customers on its trip platform who are likely to cancel at the last minute, tackling a wider problem that has cost hotels and other businesses billions of dollars. (Nikkein)

A Japanese court is to hand down a ruling in the trial of former Nissan Motor executive Greg Kelly next March. Kelly is charged with underreporting remuneration of ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn. (NHK)

Traditional Japanese female entertainers have cleaned up streets of central Kyoto to welcome tourists after a coronavirus state of emergency was lifted. (NHK)

Kanō Jigorō was the founding master of the martial art and combat sport Judo, as well as outstanding physical education teacher, foreign language translator (English - Japanese) and economist; as well as a member of the Japanese diplomacy. (The Technology)

A tunnel under construction for a maglev train line in Japan collapsed on Wednesday, leaving one worker dead and one injured. (NHK)

Today's speed of life leaves us with little time to look after our health. (newsonjapan.com)

Japan's Digital Agency has picked Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform as the first service providers for its nationwide cloud computing project, giving the U.S. tech groups a foothold in an industry dominated by domestic service providers. (Nikkei)

The new Kings and Generals' historical animated documentary series covering the Pacific War week by week continues with a video on the Meiji restoration, as we see how this set of reforms turned Japan into an empire setting up the Pacific war - the fierce conflict between the USA and the Empire of Japan. (Kings and Generals)

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has instructed the health ministry to accelerate work to make oral COVID-19 drugs available by the end of the year. (NHK)

A Japanese startup has unveiled a $680,000 hoverbike with hopes to persuade wealthy consumers to swap their supercar for a flying bike. (Reuters)

Japan will become the world's third-largest provider of COVID-19 vaccine doses, with donations to 20 countries and regions set to reach 30 million following another planned delivery to Taiwan, the foreign minister said Tuesday. (Japan Today)