Subways in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv stopped operations following the launch of attacks by Russian troops. Stations, as deep as 105 meters underground, became temporary bomb shelters as citizens brought in blankets and tents to protect themselves from Russia's threat of nuclear attack. (Nikkei)

A growing number of Japanese companies are setting their sights on "sleep tech" to help people deal with common sleep problems, such as insomnia. (Nikkei)

From June 2022, revisions to Japan’s Law on Welfare and Management of Animals will go into effect and make microchipping of dogs and cats mandatory. (medium.com)

Japan has decided to require listed companies to disclose in their annual securities reports the ratio of women in management positions, in a bid to increase female leaders in the country's male-dominated corporate world. (Kyodo)

A Japanese trade union organization has staged a May Day rally in Tokyo, demanding corrections to pay gaps and long working hours. (NHK)

It depends on each area and school, but generally speaking, Japanese schools have quite strict rules. (Nobita from Japan)

Tokyo's Minato Ward has expanded a multi-language information service on its website to 108 languages from previous four. Around 17,000 people from about 130 countries live in the ward. (NHK)

A pair of typical blue jeans might not cost you much, but it could set you back a few hundred dollars if it's the renowned Japanese selvage variety. ( Business Insider)

Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is restoring the world's largest passenger planes for its connection to Hawaii starting in July, after the double-decker jets stopped regular flights more than two years ago. (Nikkei)

Japanese film director Takeshi Kitano was honored Friday with a lifetime achievement award at the 24th Far East Film Festival in Italy for his contributions to the industry over more than 30 years. (Kyodo)

No sooner had Okinawa crossed a tourism milestone than the coronavirus pandemic closed Japan's borders. Now, as the leading Japanese resort destination looks to make a comeback, it needs to find ways to bring in more cash and not just more visitors. (Nikkei)

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Japan’s preparations for the planned discharge of treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant are proceeding largely in line with international safety standards. (Japan Times)

The Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that the object found on the seabed off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan is the tour boat that went missing on April 23. (NHK)

It’s often said that the four pillars of hip hop culture are rap, DJing, break dance, and graffiti, the last of which is easily the most controversial, challenging concepts of public space, freedom of expression, and the very nature of what defines “art.” (Japan Today)

Travelers wearing masks crowded train stations and airports across Japan as the Golden Week holiday began Friday without the issuance of a coronavirus state of emergency for the first time in three years. (Japan Today)

About 14,000 years ago, prehistoric hunter-gatherers in southern Japan were making pottery. There are no signs whatsoever that the late Pleistocene inhabitants of Tanegashima Island had begun to settle down and grow food. They were foragers, hunter-gatherers and fishers, not farmers. (haaretz.com)

The governor of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa says Australian Defence Force personnel are not welcome on the 150 islands he administers, as fears grow that rising tensions between China and US allies will lead to conflict in the region. (afr.com)

Funny owner of a ramen shop who loves animation ( MOGUMOGU - Food Entertainment - モグモグ)

Over the last three decades, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has employed the world's easiest monetary policy. (advisorperspectives.com)

A man in his 30s armed with what appeared to be a shotgun was found dead early Friday after allegedly stabbing a woman and then holing up in a Tokyo apartment in a standoff with police that lasted approximately four hours, the police said. (Japan Today)

People in their 30s feel the most lonely and isolated of all age groups in Japan, while those in their 70s are the least likely to feel that way, a government survey showed. (Asahi)

Japan's health ministry says two more children have been hospitalized with an unidentified type of acute hepatitis. (NHK)

Ukraine and Japan have signed an agreement on a $100 million loan for 30 years at 1% per annum with a grace period of 10 years, the Ministry of Finance reported. (interfax.com.ua)

The yen's rapid decline coupled with soaring crude oil prices are expected to raise the expenses of the average Japanese household by 60,000 yen ($468) this year, private-sector estimates show. (Nikkei)

Falling to his knees and placing his forehead on the floor, the president of the tour boat company operating the Kazu I, which disappeared Saturday in the Sea of Okhotsk with 26 people aboard, apologized Wednesday, saying that the ship’s captain made the decision to go ahead with the tour that morning. (Japan Times)