At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan braced itself for the devastation of its elderly population. Yet, the biggest demographic blow arrived not in the form of more people dying but fewer people being born. (Nikkei)

As calls mount for the Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled or postponed, the Japanese government's mishandling of the coronavirus crisis has come into sharp focus. (South China Morning Post)

Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda questioned Bitcoin’s use case during an interview yesterday, business news outlet Bloomberg reported. (cryptoslate.com)

In the race to produce the next generation of advanced batteries for electric vehicles, Japan Inc.'s rivals are gathering. (Nikkei)

World number one Novak Djokovic said on Thursday that he would reconsider taking part in the Tokyo Olympics if spectators were banned from attending. (Japan Today)

International students are speaking out against strict entry policies for foreigners imposed by Japan to control COVID-19 transmission and have started a campaign to lobby for entry permits for around 2,000 students unable to take up their places at Japanese universities this year. (universityworldnews.com)

In contrast to Japan’s dwindling birth rate, household pets are on the rise. There are some 20 million cats and dogs registered across the country, and an additional 60,000 pets joined households in 2020, according to the Japan Pet Food Association. (dtnext.in)

Kataoka Hidetaro, a kabuki actor and living national treasure in Japan, has died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Shochiku Co, a producer of kabuki performances, said Thursday. He was 79. (Japan Today)

An advisory panel to the Japanese government has approved an extension of emergency coronavirus measures for Tokyo and eight other prefectures. (NHK)

A 23-year-old man was found guilty Wednesday of killing a protected deer in a popular park in the western Japan prefecture of Nara earlier this year. (Kyodo)

Police in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he doused his home with oil and set his wife on fire. (Japan Today)

A promotional animated video made by France's public broadcaster for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has gone viral. (NHK)

Rugby is a well-known sport all around the world, and some countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and England all know too well that it is a very physical, fast-paced and exciting sport. (newsonjapan.com)

Japan will let Myanmar citizens remain in the country legally even after their visas expire, in response to deteriorating political conditions in the Southeast Asian nation following the February coup. (Nikkei)

Residents of Japan were able to catch a glimpse of a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday evening for the first time in almost three years, made extra special as it also coincided with the latest supermoon for the country. (Kyodo)

Japanese actress Kyoko Fukada has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder and will take a break from work to focus on her treatment for the time being, her agency said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Hackers have accessed information-sharing software developed by Japan's Fujitsu, resulting in data leaks from Japanese government offices. (NHK)

Japan doled out more foreign aid than other countries in the 1990s but now ranks only fifth, partly on the ending of assistance to China. (Nikkei)

The number of pregnancies reported in 2020 reached a new low amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

SHINGU, Wakayama -- A team of researchers in Japan has succeeded in making catfish all female with a compound found in soybeans -- a development that promises to increase the production efficiency of this and other species whose females are more valuable than males in the food market. (The Mainichi)

Caoxian county, a little-known inland county in East China's Shandong Province has become China's latest internet fad built on making 90 percent of coffins sold in Japan. (globaltimes.cn)

Japan's government is considering another cash handout program of up to 100,000 yen each for needy households to help ease the financial strain of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japanese plant-based-meat startup Daiz has kicked off preparations to expand into the U.S., tapping that country's fast-growing market for alternative meats with plans to go global. (Nikkei)

A UNESCO advisory panel recommended Wednesday that the Jomon Era archeological sites in northern Japan be added to the World Cultural Heritage list. (Kyodo)

An international rights group on Tuesday urged Japan to change a law that it says puts “abusive and outdated” burdens on transgender people seeking to have their gender change legally recognized, including sterilization surgery and a psychiatric diagnosis. (Japan Today)