A South Korean court has approved the seizure of Mitsubishi's assets over the Japanese industrial giant's use of forced labor during World War II, an activist group said Monday. (Japan Today)

The organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Games have unveiled the torch that will carry the Paralympic flame. Its motif is a cherry blossom, the same as for the Olympic torch, but the color is more pinkish, which the organizers characterize as "cherry blossom pink." (NHK)

Official campaigning for the Osaka mayoral election began Sunday, with Osaka Prefecture’s former governor, Ichiro Matsui, facing off against a ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed challenger opposed to the controversial idea of restructuring the city into a metropolis. (Japan Times)

Princess Kako, the 24-year-old granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, expressed her wish for her sister's happiness in a written answer to the media on the occasion of her graduation from International Christian University in Tokyo on Friday. (Kyodo)

A key part of the business model for convenience stores is their round-the-clock service. But a shortage of staffers is prompting some operators to consider shrinking their business hours. (NHK)

Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki of the US Major Leagues' Seattle Mariners has announced his retirement. (NHK)

The cherry blossom season officially arrived in Tokyo on Thursday after officials from the Meteorological Agency confirmed that more than five blossoms had opened on a Somei-Yoshino cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward. (Japan Times)

Police on Wednesday arrested an American man on suspicion of fatally stabbing his Japanese wife at a court where they were to settle a divorce. (Japan Today)

The head of the Japanese Olympic Committee has announced he will step down when his term expires in June. (NHK)

The average price of all types of land in urban areas rose last year for the first time since 1992 as the growing influx of foreign tourists rejuvenated real estate investment, the government said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A rush went through the crowd as Ichiro Suzuki settled underneath the ball Shunta Tanaka hit high into air in the third inning. (Japan Times)

As part of an effort to streamline markets and attract more investors, the Tokyo Stock Exchange may demote about a third of its largest listed companies and cut down the bourses it operates to three from four, according to media reports. (Japan Times)

One of the most unusual stations in the whole country is now open and ready for business. (soranews24.com)

Japanese rock singer Yuya Uchida died of pneumonia on Sunday. He was 79 years old. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four male employees of a hostess club in Adachi Ward over the alleged assault of a fifth male employee, who later died, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

An amusement park themed on the world of Finland's Moomin fairytale characters opened Saturday in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, aiming to attract 1 million visitors a year. (Kyodo)

Chiba Prefectural Police on Friday announced the arrest of a 38-year-old man over the alleged theft of children’s slippers from schools across the country, reports the Asahi Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

The Tokyo District Court has sentenced the former head of a digital currency exchange to 30 months in prison suspended for four years for altering data in a Bitcoin account. (NHK)

With so many maid cafes in Tokyo it can be hard to pick just one to visit if you’re pressed for time and on a tight itinerary. (soranews24.com)

Trains in and around the Japanese capital will run later into the night during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to allow spectators to get home easily from events. (NHK)

A 46-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of strangling to death her six-year-old daughter at their home in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward. (Japan Today)

For idol singer fans in Japan, the biggest event of the year isn’t the release of a single or opening of a concert tour, but the AKB48 General Election. (soranews24.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly filming a teenage girl in suggestive poses, the footage of which he posted on a pay-to-view site, reports the Mainichi Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

In 1999, all-girl idol group Morning Musume topped the Oricon singles chart for three straight weeks with “Love Machine.” (tokyoreporter.com)

Pierre Taki, a member of Japanese techno-pop duo Denki Groove and the Japanese voice of snowman Olaf in the hit Disney anime movie Frozen, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of using cocaine, investigators said. (Kyodo)