Former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn says he's ready to hold a news conference on April 11. (NHK)

Japanese authorities have recognized the October 2016 suicide of a man involved in satellite control operations at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tsukuba Space Center as a work-related death, it was learned Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Police arrested Wednesday an associate professor of a university in Tokyo for killing pigeons in a park by feeding them food mixed with insecticide. (Kyodo)

Japan is struggling with a growing number of foreign patients who fail to pay their medical bills, according to a recent government survey. (Nikkei)

A defense lawyer for Carlos Ghosn says his legal team has asked a Tokyo court to separate the former Nissan Motor chairman's trial from the carmaker's. (NHK)

Hokkaido Prefectural Police have sent two men to prosecutors for cultivating marijuana at a residence in Sapporo earlier this year, reports Kyodo News (tokyoreporter.com)

Ibaraki Prefectural Police have arrested a 47-year-old man for allegedly coaxing his girlfriend to start a fatal fire during a quarrel at their residence in Koga City, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan is relaxing work visa requirements in the food service industry to deal with a chronic labor shortage, but the number of workers who can take the first qualification exams will be limited because industry bodies responsible for developing the tests have not had enough time to prepare for the event. (Nikkei)

A 39-year-old man allegedly killed his 7-year-old son at their residence in Sendai City before attempting to take his own life, police said last week, reports the Sankei Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former video game world champion over a burglary in Nerima Ward earlier this year. During questioning, he admitted to dozens of other similar break-ins, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

A nursery worker has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a colleague to death in her apartment in Tokyo last week, police said. (Japan Times)

An avenue inside the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo has been opened to the public for cherry blossom viewing. The Imperial Household Agency says more than 40,000 people visited the street on Saturday. (NHK)

Kenichi Hagiwara, a Japanese actor and vocalist in a pop band in the 1960s, died from gastrointestinal stromal tumors at a hospital in Tokyo, his office said Thursday. He was 68. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two persons over the alleged assault of a man in Osaka City’s Nishi Ward on Thursday, an incident that was captured by a security camera, reports the Sankei Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

A man used a knife to slash open his abdomen near JR Ikebukuro Station in Toshima Ward on Thursday, police said, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

In many ways, Hooters seems like a concept that would work extremely well in Japan. This is, after all, a nation that itself has produced some startling innovations in breast-related dining, such as the busty waitress Akihabara ramen joint and the “breast slash” cafe. (soranews24.com)

Cherry trees came into full bloom in central Tokyo on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, earlier than other cities in the country this spring amid recent warm weather. (Kyodo)

Right before the cherry blossoms start to bloom, prices went up, but it’s still a must-visit bargain. (soranews24.com)

A 10-year-old Japanese girl is set to become the youngest professional player of the Asian board game "Go" next month. (NHK)

Famous for its dozens of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Kotoku-in with its Great Buddha statue, as well as its cozy cafes and charming shopping district, the seaside resort town of Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is one of the most popular day-trip destinations for tourists in the Tokyo area, with over 20 million tourists visiting every year. (Japan Today)

Kyoto Prefectural Police have sent a middle school girl in Kyoto City to prosecutors over the alleged possession of marijuana and Ecstasy, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's government has investigated a university in Tokyo where hundreds of foreign students remain unaccounted for. (NHK)

A woman died after being stabbed in the back in her apartment in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on Tuesday, police said. (Japan Today)

On April 1st, 2019, major new immigration reform will take effect with a new “Middle Skilled Worker” (tokuteigino) visa status for foreign workers in Japan. (rethinktokyo.com)

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei Average saw its biggest fall of 2019. The drop followed a plunge on Friday on Wall Street that came amid new worries of an economic slowdown. (NHK)