TOKYO -- Signs of a hole in Japan's measures to lock down its borders against the coronavirus have been spotted in an unexpected place: a department store in downtown Tokyo's ritzy Ginza district. (Nikkei)

Taiwan's foreign ministry has expressed gratitude to Japan for donating more than one million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The vaccines arrived at an airport near Taipei on Friday afternoon. (NHK)

When it comes to eating on the road, there are a few schools of thought. Some pack pretzels, fruit, and lunch meats into a cooler with Tetris-like precision. Others prefer rolling the dice on roadside stands and gas station burritos. (outsideonline.com)

A Japan Olympic Committee board member has blasted the Games' organisers for ignoring public concerns about the coronavirus. (CNA)

Japan's restaurants and retailers will soon have to stop giving away plastic forks, spoons and containers under a law passed Friday to cut down on such waste, instead looking into such options as charging for utensils, switching to biodegradables, or letting customers fend for themselves. (Nikkei)

Japan has donated 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine to Taiwan. The vaccines landed in Taoyuan early Friday afternoon. (Formosa TV English News)

Japan's government statistics show that both the fertility rate and the number of births continued to drop in 2020 for a fifth consecutive year. (NHK)

Let's learn Japanese with Sutan! (Kimono Mom)

Representatives of sexual minorities have called on Japan's main ruling party to swiftly pass a bill designed to enhance public understanding of LGBT. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced that a person could have been infected with a coronavirus variant that has not been previously detected in Japan outside of airport quarantine stations. (NHK)

The European Union said Thursday that it has added Japan to a small list of countries for which restrictions on nonessential travelers should be lifted. (Kyodo)

Heavy rain caused by low-pressure systems and rain fronts is forecast to hit areas from western through northern Japan on Friday. (NHK)

Japan has rejected South Korea's objection to a Tokyo Olympics map, which marks a group of South Korean-controlled islands as Japanese territory. (ABC News)

The Japanese government will prioritize students hoping to attend university abroad in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout ahead of the new semester from September, sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Motherboard goes to Japan to visit the Henn-na Hotel, which is staffed almost entirely by robots. Our host Ben Ferguson meets some of our future android companions and talks to CEO Hideo Sawada about his vision to replace human workers with machines. (VICE)

Japanese Director Hamaguchi Ryusuke's "Drive My Car" has been nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize. (NHK)

Follow the awesome people behind this video! (Japanese Ammo with Misa)

In this video, we will teach you Japanese Kanji for Body Organs. (Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com)

The president of Japan’s Olympic committee says she is “100 percent” certain the Games will go forward this summer, but says there is still a possibility spectators will be banned. (TODAY)

Another important part of the upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is taking shape. Just 50 days before the events kick off, organizers gave aspiring athletes something to dream about: a look at where and how the world's best will be given their medals. (NHK)

Police in Tachikawa, Tokyo, have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder after he fatally stabbed a 31-year-old female sex worker at a hotel on Tuesday. (Japan Today)

With cannabis cultivation expanding due to legalization in many countries, everywhere from home grows to professional operations many growers are considering autoflower crops. (newsonjapan.com)

NHK has learned that doctors in charge of medical service at competition venues in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are withdrawing. Some of them have cited their busy work schedule. (NHK)

A Japanese government panel is calling for investing in equipment to make products that are highly effective in de-carbonization and also for building a system to secure a stable supply of semiconductors. (NHK)

A developing low-pressure system and a seasonal rain front are expected to bring heavy rain to wide areas of Japan from Kyushu to Hokkaido through Friday. (NHK)