One week after the state of emergency was lifted, the number of new coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures appears to be on an upward trend. (NHK)

A recent survey by Japan’s Ministry of Justice showed that 40.5% of people who as minors went through a parental divorce or separation said they experienced financial difficulties after the event. (Japan Times)

Defense chiefs from a dozen countries, including Japan, released a statement Sunday condemning the bloodbath in Myanmar a day earlier, when at least 90 people — including several children — were killed after security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government is considering ending support for the exportation of coal-fired power plants to follow the lead of the U.S. and Europe on decarbonization, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

From Margaret Thatcher seances to promising to eliminate North Korea, Happy Science is a controversial new religious movement with over 12 million members in 90 countries. (VICE)

Taking on the task of broadcasting an entire Olympic games is, for some, the stuff of which nightmares are made. For others, the challenge no doubt represents a source of intrigue, if not excitement – but, even for the most creative and, for lack of a better word, courageous among us, the prospect still represents a trial of epic proportions. (newsonjapan.com)

An early spring in Japan is drawing cherry blossom fans to Tokyo's parks. (Reuters)

Ten years later, the scars of the earthquake and nuclear disaster are still visible in Fukushima, Japan. (VICE News)

Japan's Environment Ministry has decided to allow drivers to park their eco-friendly vehicles at some national parks and gardens for free, starting in April. (NHK)

Long-considered an overlooked national security vulnerability, Japan will start paying closer attention to just who is buying land close to sensitive areas, aiming to thwart hostile actors from conducting espionage or disrupting operations at defense bases, nuclear plants and other such facilities. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have stopped referring to visitors as “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in their English announcements, opting instead to use gender-neutral terms, operator Oriental Land Co. said Friday. (Japan Times)

What's a Japanese spring without university entrance ceremonies in cherry blossom season? That&'s precisely what happened last year after many festivities were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. (Japan Times)

Fuji Rock, the music festival known for being Japan’s premier showcase for overseas acts, is going completely local this year. (Japan Times)

Lawmakers in Japan have rubber-stamped a record budget. It's worth more than 106 trillion yen, or about 1 trillion dollars, for the new fiscal year that starts on April 1st. (NHK)

The government has finally started discussing ways to ensure stable imperial succession, but it still appears cautious about reaching a conclusion on the matter anytime soon. ()

At least 93 foreigners residing in Japan were granted permission to bring their same-sex spouses to the country under a special visa between 2013 and 2020, the first such government survey showed Friday. (Kyodok)

A total of 47 cases of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction, have been reported after some 580,000 shots of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health workers in Japan, the health ministry said Friday. (Kyodo)

As some regions have fewer cases of Covid-19, prefectural governments have set out to give their residents a small travel allowance to boost local economies. (timeout.com)

Japan reported Friday more than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus in one day for the first time since early February, fanning concerns of a rebound less than a week after a state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures. (Kyodo)

Over the last several months, there’s been an increasing sentiment in Japan that it’s time for schools to take another look at their student conduct rules, and ask if they’re all really contributing to a better learning environment. One of the most controversial policies: schools that say students must wear white underwear. (soranews24.com)

One of Tokyo's landmark hotels is slated for a 2-billion-dollar redevelopment plan. The operator says the project will make the Imperial Hotel Tokyo more competitive as availability of international 5-star accommodation has been increasing in the Japanese capital. (NHK)

A volcanic hazard map for Mount Fuji in central Japan has been revised for the first time in 17 years, doubling the estimated volume of lava flows in the event of a major eruption. (NHK)

欧米から日本を訪れる観光客の大半は、欧米では体験できない日本独自の歴史や文化、そして食事を楽しみにしていますが、日本は旅行中の運だめしやギャンブルを楽しむこともできる場所なのです。 (newsonjapan.com)

The health ministry plans to delay the comprehensive introduction of a system to use My Number social security and taxation identification cards as public health insurance cards, officials said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings 2021 are designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families when making one of the most important decisions of their lives – who to trust with their education. (timeshighereducation.com)