Consumers in Japan continued to keep a tight hold on their wallets in the second half of last month. (NHK)

A 12-year-old Japanese girl is set to become the youngest second-dan professional player of the board game Go. (NHK)

Japan is reviewing the idea of vaccine passports as part of efforts to allow Japanese to travel overseas, Taro Kono, minister in charge of the inoculation program, said on Monday. (Nikkei)

Have you ever thought of collecting trash as a fun activity? The street performance group Trash Cleaning Samurai from Japan took picking up trash to the next level by performing as samurai. (Asian Boss)

Nissan has developed a new public transportation model for Namie, a coastal town in Japan impacted by 2011 earthquake. (Nissan)

The presidents of Japan's telecom giant NTT and satellite broadcasting firm, Tohokushinsha Film Corporation, have apologized for a series of wining and dining scandals involving bureaucrats and lawmakers. (NHK)

A music group that counts among its members Japanese percussionist Ogawa Keita has won this year's Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. (NHK)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has received a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of his visit to the United States. (NHK)

Grand champion Hakuho will have surgery for a right knee injury that forced his withdrawal Tuesday from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)

Major travel agency H.I.S. Co. said Monday its sales plunged 80.5% to Y38.86 billion ($356 million) in the November-January quarter from a year earlier due to a sharp decrease in travel demand caused by the continuing novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, a Japanese drummer who was a studio musician for composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, died last week of thalamic bleeding at a Tokyo hospital, his office said Monday. He was 70. (Kyodo)

スキマ時間でルーレットを楽しもう！ (newsonjapan.com)

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of causing injury resulting in death after they got into a fight with a third man on a street in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, on Saturday. (Japan Today)

Tokyo reported 239 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, falling below 300 for the first time in five days. (Japan Times)

The Japan Meteorological Agency has declared the start of cherry blossom season in Tokyo. (NHK)

Researchers at a Japanese cancer center have found that the more alcohol premenopausal Japanese women drink, the more likely they are to develop breast cancer. (NHK)

Finance Minister Taro Aso marked 3,000 days in office Saturday, at a time when he is struggling to rebuild Japan’s finances. (Japan Times)

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson confirmed on Saturday he did not put his name forward for a spot on the U.S. team for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and will instead focus on the PGA Tour. (Japan Times)

The Japan Sumo Association said Saturday a total of 28 wrestlers, all from outside the top two divisions, will miss the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament starting this weekend after a pair of coaches tested positive for the coronavirus. (Japan Today)

Tokyo prosecutors have decided to issue a summary indictment which carries a fine of up to Y1 million to a former top Tokyo prosecutor for gambling with news reporters last year, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. (Japan Times)

A group of researchers studying disaster management say they will call on the government to designate March 11th as the day for teaching about disaster management and handing down disaster experiences. (NHK)

Japan Airlines has concluded a partnership agreement with a university in Russia's Far East in a bid to promote academic and cultural exchanges between the countries. (NHK)

Japan's Foreign Ministry has released two short English-language videos on the Internet to mark the 10th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. (NHK)

The life of a wakashu in Edo Period Japan. Sometimes called Japan's third gender. ()

24hours of Japanese mom and 23 month-old-baby. (Kimono Mom)