Japan Railway companies plan to begin offering free Wi-Fi on all Shinkansen lines during the current fiscal year that ends in March. (NHK)

Tokyo police have arrested a man on suspicion of breaking a restraining order he was given for stalking the actress Momoko Kikuchi. (NHK)

There were multiple reports of whale sightings in Tokyo Bay on Sunday, following many others in recent days. (NHK)

As Airbnb home-sharers in Japan quit the market in droves, following a new law that considerably increases red tape, their search for a smooth exit has brought a surge in new businesses. (Nikkei)

Things may be looking up for creditors of Mt. Gox, which was the world’s biggest bitcoin exchange before going in flames after saying thousands of bitcoins had disappeared. (Japan Times)

Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested the principal of a special night school in Kamagaya City for allegedly trespassing into a toilet at the institution to take illicit photographs, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.comt)

Japan Airlines Co. on Friday kicked off flights of a passenger jet featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters to mark the 35th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo Disney Resort. (Japan Times)

Police in Tokyo said Friday they have arrested a 37-year-old woman on suspicion of abusing her 4-year-old daughter by pressing a hot frying pan against her back and beating her about the head and face. (Japan Today)

The proportion of parents with infants in the country who want to have more children stands at around 70 percent, a private survey found Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's largest banks have buoyed earnings with high-interest cash advances over the last few years, but these loans are starting to take a toll as irrecoverable debt piles up. (Nikkei)

Following Mercari's blockbuster stock market debut Tuesday, Japan's lineup of unlisted startups valued above $1 billion has shrunk to basically two, underscoring the domestic tech industry's persistent failure to cultivate unicorns. (Nikkei)

An emerging number of Japanese schools are introducing genderless uniforms or flexible uniform codes in an effort to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. (Kyodo)

The Japanese operator of a popular app that matches buyers and sellers of used goods has gone public. (NHK)

Japanese soccer fans have been celebrating their national squad's 2-1 win over Colombia in its first group match in the World Cup finals. (NHK)

For a Filipino man visiting Tokyo in May last year, the tour of the capital was supposed to be a fun sightseeing trip. (Japan Times)

An estimated 1.3 million Japanese people aged 15 to 64 have used marijuana, surpassing for the first time the number of those who have abused inhalants such as paint thinner, a survey by a national institute showed Sunday. (Japan Today)

More than 2,000 venomous fire ants have been discovered in a shipping container from China that arrived at a port in Osaka Prefecture earlier this month, leaving two people hurt, government officials said. (Japan Today)

Jurina Matsui of SKE48, one of the AKB48 family of all-female idol groups, has taken the No. 1 spot in the franchise’s annual popularity contest, which was the first to let its Thai and Taiwanese members join the 10-year-old event. (Japan Times)

An earthquake shook Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Sunday afternoon. No major damage has been reported. (NHK)

The father of a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl allegedly killed by a male neighbor near Tokyo in 2017 demanded capital punishment at a court hearing on Friday. (Kyodo)

Japan’s new law on minpaku (private lodging) businesses took effect Friday, but stringent rules may dampen the entry of homeowners into the market, despite hopes that it could help counter a shortage of accommodation amid a growing number of foreign tourists. (Japan Times)

Princess Kako, a granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, has returned to Japan after studying in Britain for about 9 months. (NHK)

The government has instructed West Japan Railway Co. to investigate why a driver of one of its bullet trains that hit and killed a man did not report any abnormal sound at the time, the transport minister said Friday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have accused three male university students of unlawfully obtaining a large quantity of tickets for concerts featuring all-girl idol group AKB48 for the purpose of resale, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A day before a new law on minpaku (private lodging services) takes effect, Airbnb Inc. on Thursday welcomed the change and reinforced its commitment to the Japanese market with fresh initiatives. (Japan Times)