Emperor Akihito has harvested rice at a paddy field in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, as part of an annual event. (NHK)

The city of Kyoto will propose collecting a minimum 200 yen per night tax on guests staying at hotels or other lodgings in the popular tourist area, municipal officials said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefectural Police have launched an investigation into Keisuke Koide over an alleged “inappropriate relationship” with a girl under the age of 18, the details of which appeared in a weekly magazine last month, reports Nippon News Network (July 13). (tokyoreporter.com)

Saga Prefectural Police have arrested a male government official for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a woman for two hours at a park in Saga City earlier this year, reports the Asahi Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Aichi Prefectural Police on Monday arrested the chairman of the key affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi and five others in the extortion of a restaurant in Nagoya's Naka Ward, reports Jiji Press (tokyoreporter.com)

Hyogo Prefectural Police have launched a manhunt after a shooting incident in Kobe left a man believed to be a bodyguard of the boss of a rival gang to the Yamaguchi-gumi dead, likely the result of a yakuza feud, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Aichi Prefectural Police are searching for a man who assaulted a woman at her residence in Toyohashi City after she finished showering, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

A male police sergeant was re-arrested for allegedly leaking investigation details to an acquaintance following his previous arrest for allegedly buying marijuana from the same person, reports TBS News . (tokyoreporter.com)

Japanese said Monday it would sell off another chunk of the country's massive postal service in a share sale that could raise up to 1.4 trillion yen. (Japan Today)

The body of a woman was found on the roof at Narita International Airport in Narita City, police revealed on Monday, NHK reports. (tokyoreporter.com)

A stone monument has been unveiled near a levee that collapsed 2 years ago on the Kinugawa River, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called for boosting the country’s defenses in the face of North Korean threats, warning that Tokyo needs to be able to protect itself. (Japan Times)

A tour bus caught fire and burned up Saturday on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Aichi Prefecture, but the driver and his 40 passengers escaped without injury. (Japan Times)

A 24-year-old male professional dancer was arrested after stealing a taxi in Tokyo and injuring the 41-year-old male driver, police said Saturday. (Japan Today)

A worker dismantling tanks at Japan's wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was found to have been exposed to a small amount of radiation during a routine safety check on Friday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a mail order service based in a Nerima Ward that sold about 1 million illegal pornographic DVDs each year since 2012. The operation is believed to have funded organized crime, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

Walk into any Japanese convenience store, and you'll find a row of magazine racks, usually just inside the windows that run along the front of the store. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 60-year-old man suspected in a series of thefts of women's underwear, reports Fuji News Network. (tokyoreporter.com)

Hakuho on Friday pulled out of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament getting underway Sunday due to pain in his left knee, becoming the third yokozuna to withdraw from the meet after Kisenosato and Kakuryu. (Japan Times)

Democratic Party lawmaker Shiori Yamao, a prominent adversary of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Diet debates, tendered her resignation from the party Thursday evening amid allegations of an extramarital affair, dealing a heavy blow to the nascent leadership of the struggling opposition. (Japan Times)

Aomori Prefectural Police have arrested a 23-year-old man in the stabbing death of his mother at a unit of a municipally managed housing block they shared in Goshogawara City on Wednesday, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Sept. 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

McDonald's Japan is turning to stay-at-home wives as the restaurant industry struggles with a severe labor crunch. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe a botched burglary resulted in a safe weighing about 100 kilograms being dumped outside a jewelry store in Shibuya Ward early Tuesday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Three Asian universities made the top 30 for the first time in an influential ranking of the world's top 1,000 institutions released Tuesday. (Japan Times)

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, a record 24.04 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2016. Of that figure, nearly 40 percent (or about 9.4 million) went to Osaka. (tokyoreporter.com)