Cannabis has been legalized in some parts of the world. But the chief executive of next year's Tokyo Olympics has reminded potential visitors to the games that the substance is against the law in Japan. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is set to launch a subsidy to help prevent accidents involving elderly drivers. (NHK)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency says Empress Emerita Michiko has been diagnosed with heart disease. (NHK)

Japanese rail companies are known for implementing “manners campaigns”, where they ask passengers to consider the comfort of fellow commuters with reminders to refrain from talking on the phone and speaking too loudly while onboard. (soranews24.com)

Following recent stabbing incidents involving middle-aged hikikomori, or social recluses, and their parents, the number of inquiries received by support groups and similar organizations that support such individuals has surged. (Japan Times)

Japan is bringing in more foreign workers to help address a labor shortage, and the government wants to make sure Tokyo and other major cities are not the only places that benefit from the additional manpower. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a yakuza boss over the alleged attempted extortion of a male acquaintance in Shinjuku Ward, reports TV Asahi (June 10). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Saturday arrested a 41-year-old man for allegedly stalking popular adult video starlet Masami Ichikawa, reports Nikkan Sports (tokyoreporter.com)

Police in Tokyo said Sunday they have arrested a 53-year-old woman on suspicion of abandoning the body of her 72-year-old husband after she left his corpse in their apartment in Edogawa Ward for four months. (Japan Today)

Ministers in charge of trade and digital economy from G20 countries will discuss trade issues on Sunday, the second day of their meeting in Tsukuba, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

Government statistics show that Japan's population is shrinking at a faster pace as births hit a new record low. (NHK)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency says Empress Emerita Michiko will undergo a heart exam in the coming days after a blood test showed a higher risk of heart failure. (NHK)

Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of Japanese all-male idol group Kat-tun, was released on bail Friday after he was charged with possessing marijuana. (Japan Times)

Airbnb Inc. says it’s back in business in Japan, a year after stricter short-term lodging regulations forced it to freeze a major portion of its listings in the country. (Japan Times)

Emperor Emeritus Akihito has visited the mausoleum of his grandfather, Emperor Taisho, as part of the ceremonies for his abdication. Empress Emerita Michiko accompanied him. (NHK)

Following last month’s arrest of Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of boy band KAT-TUN, over the alleged possession of marijuana, police have revealed that the musician started smoking the banned drug while still a member of the band, reports TBS News (June 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

Japanese sprinter Abdul Hakim Sani Brown clocked 9.96 seconds with wind assistance of 2.4 meters in the men's 100-meter semifinal at the NCAA championships in Texas. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a high school teacher over the alleged molestation of an 11-year-old inside a park toilet last month, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 5). (tokyoreporter.com)

NHK has learned Japan's government will go ahead with a planned increase in the consumption tax in October. (NHK)

Japanese musician and actor Pierre Taki appeared in court on Wednesday and admitted to using cocaine. (NHK)

In a move to better compete with a rival train operator's famous "seven-minute miracle" for cleaning a bullet train between its arrival and departure, Central Japan Railway Co will shave off two minutes from its own shinkansen cleaning work, beginning next spring. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a high school teacher over the alleged molestation of an 11-year-old inside a park toilet last month, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A Japanese woman Wednesday sued three Tokyo medical schools she says rejected her because of her gender and age, in a case her lawyer said was the "tip of the iceberg". (Japan Today)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police have arrested a 48-year-old independent businessmen over the alleged possession of marijuana at his residence, a crime he admits to committing to produce marijuana cookies, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

With Japan's annual shareholders meetings season coming up later this month, institutional investors are ramping up pressure on companies to appoint more and better external directors who can improve corporate governance. (Nikkei)