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)

A private Japanese think tank has ranked Tokyo third in its annual assessment of major cities around the world. (NHK)

The number of homeless people in central Tokyo has dropped 7% from a year ago, the metropolitan government says, with the robust job market receiving much of the credit. (Nikkei)

Ayako Moriya, the third daughter of the late Prince Takamado and now a commoner, has given birth to a boy, her first child, the Imperial Household Agency said Sunday. (Japan Times)

Sources close to the investigation of Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri say she has admitted to using illegal drugs for some time. (NHK)

Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri was arrested Saturday on suspicion of possessing the synthetic drug MDMA at her home in Tokyo, police said. (Japan Today)

Niigata Prefectural Police are hunting for a 25-year-old man after a woman was fatally stabbed in a business district in Chuo Ward, Niigata City on Friday, reports Jiji Press (Nov. 16). (tokyoreporter.com)

November is usually peak travel season in Hakone, one of the most popular resorts within easy reach of Tokyo. Visitors flock to the area in autumn to watch the leaves turn and enjoy a dip in the hot springs. (Nikkei)