Philip Morris International, the U.S. tobacco giant that makes Marlboro and Lark brand cigarettes, plans to stop selling cigarettes in Japan within 10 years, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

Three major earthquakes have struck offshore Sendai and Fukushima, Japan, in the past three months. (temblor.net)

We're taking on Japan's longest roller slide, a slide of 247 meters in length situated on the slopes of the mountains around Tabayama an hour outside of Tokyo. (Life in Japan)

A Japanese city will reinvestigate alleged bullying that was denied by education officials two years ago after a 14-year-old girl was found dead in a neighborhood park. (ABC News)

The International Olympic Committee announced Thursday it will provide athletes attending this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics with doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, free of charge. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government is considering stricter travel restrictions for incoming travelers from India as new cases swamp the South Asian country, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkein)

East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said Thursday that it has decided to cancel coronavirus-linked train service reductions planned on some lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area during the morning commuting hours Friday, as the measure is now expected to create crowds. (Japan Times)

Police in Kitakyushu City have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of arson after he set a high-end car on fire. (Japan Today)

Japanese retailer Nitori Holdings is getting into the restaurant business, where it will apply the same cost-cutting model it has honed in its furniture business to steakhouses. (Nikkei)

There’s nothing quite like classic entertainment to put you in a good mood. (newsonjapan.com)

A harried commuter rushes through a Tokyo station hoping to catch the next train home. (Nikkei)

When it comes to online casino games, one can only expect fun and entertainment — all without having to move a muscle. (Amit Maji)

Mao Ichiyama won the women’s section of the Sapporo Challenge Half Marathon with a personal-best time on Wednesday, beating out fellow Japan Olympic team members Honami Maeda and Ayuko Suzuki. (Japan Times)

Trains can feel quite old fashioned, in a lot of ways. With long distance travel very much the preserve of the plane in modern culture, a long-distance train as a mode of public transport can be seen as quirky, rather than the go-to option. Japan, though, is determined to change that. (Tech Vision)

The Bank of Japan expects the national COVID-19 vaccination programme to spur an economic boost from households venturing out, armed with $183 billion in “forced savings” accumulated last year during pandemic-busting, stay-at-home policies. (Reuters)

The younger brother of Japanese NBA player Rui Hachimura has revealed a message received online that targets the two with anti-black insults, saying in his Twitter post sharing the racial slurs that he hopes to increase awareness of discrimination faced by minorities in Japan. (Kyodo)

Behind the newly-minted Asian record-setter Shoma Sato in the men’s 200m breaststroke at last month’s Japanese Olympic Trials, Ryuya Mura stunningly claimed 2nd place in a huge personal best. (swimswam.com)

As the global challenge of climate change mounts and the coronavirus pandemic magnifies economic inequalities, Karl Marx, who pointed to the contradictions and limitations of capitalism, is gaining new admirers in Japan, particularly among the young. (Japan Today)

Japan's Nissan Motor says it will sell all of its roughly 1.5-percent stake in Germany's Daimler through a placement to institutional investors. Nissan's French partner Renault made a similar announcement in March. (NHK)

Fumie Takino, 89, founded the cheer squad Japan Pom Pom in 1996. While the team’s average age is 72, the women believe that age does not matter when it comes to dancing. (South China Morning Post)

There are concerns over the link between obesity and the severity of COVID-19 infections, with Fukushima Prefecture having 4th highest incidence of metabolic syndrome in Japan. (JapanNutrition.com)

CBD products continue to gain popularity all over the world. (newsonjapan.com)

In support of the 'big nose, big hose' theory, a scientific study has found that men with larger noses do indeed have longer penises. (nation.lk)

Traditionally, Japan is a world leader in new technologies, particularly those related to the entertainment industry and to the internet as a whole. (newsonjapan.com)

Online casinos have become so popular these days, especially due to the fact that most people are confined to their homes due to the pandemic. (newsonjapan.com)