Large and strong Typhoon Hinnamnor may bring fierce winds and torrential rain to some areas of western Japan. (NHK)

Buddhist deathbed rituals in medieval Japan. (Linfamy)

The COVID-19 situation continues to ease worldwide with a 20% weekly drop in cases to around 573,000 daily and a 17% decline in deaths to about 1,800 each day though the virus continues to rage in Japan and South Korea with 41% of the infections. (UPI)

Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympic organizing committee executive arrested in a bribery case involving a sponsorship contract for a clothes retailer, may also have been asked to favor publishing company Kadokawa Corp, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday. (Japan Today)

Weather officials in Japan say the country has just experienced its second-hottest summer on record. (NHK)

A 28-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of killing his 54-year-old adoptive mother last year has died after being found unresponsive in his detention cell in Osaka, authorities said Friday. (Japan Today)

The number of women teaching at universities in Japan hit a record high this May, a more than fourfold increase from 30 years ago, recently released preliminary government data showed. (Kyodo)

One Piece Film: Red landed in theaters last July and made a sensational debut at the box office, both in Japan and in France. (thesaxon.org)

Nowadays a weird phenomenon is occurring in Japan since this corona pandemic started people all over the world have been obligated to wear masks. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

While debate still rages in the US over the repeal of Roe v Wade, a much less noisy argument is unfolding in Japan over the legalisation of so-called medically induced abortions. (BBC)

Google plans to accept the use of third-party payment services on its smartphone app in most major countries such as Japan and India, but not the U.S., marking a turning point in its conflict with foreign authorities who have been calling for the opening of payment systems to the outside to promote competition. (Nikkei)

Japan's health ministry has decided to start coronavirus vaccinations targeting the Omicron variant for the elderly and medical workers as early as mid-September. (NHK)

The Japanese government decided Friday to introduce penalties for major hospitals that fail to provide outpatient care and prepare beds for patients with COVID-19 and other infectious diseases against prearrangements with local governments. (Kyodo)

Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita, one of a trio set to make history this autumn in Qatar as the first women referees to officiate at a men's #FIFAWorldCup, feels both pressure and excitement at the prospect of being a pioneer. (Reuters)

Children living in Japan’s hottest city will be given specially designed umbrellas to protect them from the heat, after a summer that saw record-breaking temperatures in many parts of the country. (theguardian.com)

Nissan Motor says it will stop taking orders of its Leaf model until it raises the car's retail prices. The Japanese automaker will temporarily suspend sales of the electric vehicle in Japan from September 22nd. (NHK)

The PGA Tour has told the organizers of the Japan Golf Tour that any of its members who participated in LIV Golf Series events this year or LIV Golf Tour events during the 2022-23 season will be barred from competing in PGA Tour-run tournaments, including the Zozo Championship and the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. (si.com)

U.S. soldiers and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces fired Javelin missiles during the opening of Orient Shield 22, a bilateral field training exercise taking place across the island nation. (militarytimes.com)

A contest to find the heaviest watermelon has been held in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan. (NHK)

Takashi Wakasugi's offbeat sense of humour helps him pay the bills. (abc.net.au)

The yen plunged to a new 24-year low against the dollar on Thursday as Japan sticks with its long-standing monetary easing policies in contrast to tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve. (Japan Today)

Japan’s digital minister, who’s vowed to rid the bureaucracy of outdated tools from the hanko stamp to the fax machine, has now declared “war” on a technology many haven’t seen for decades -- the floppy disk. (business-standard.com)

The government may start inoculating the public specifically against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus by the end of September, rather than mid-October as originally planned, government sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party will sever ties with the former Unification Church. (Nikkei)

Pretax profits among nonfinancial Japanese companies jumped 17.6% from a year earlier to a record 28.32 trillion yen ($203 billion) in the April-June quarter, government data showed on Thursday, boosted by a weak yen and the waning impact of the COVID-19 pandemic despite surging commodity prices. (Nikkei)