A 31-year-old man has been arrested for spraying a taxi driver with a fire extinguisher and attempting to flee the scene by stealing the vehicle in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's new regional party and allies scored a landslide victory in Sunday's metropolitan assembly election. (NHK)

The city of Brookhaven, Georgia, on Friday unveiled a statue dedicated to the "comfort women," becoming the first location in America's Deep South to install a controversial memorial to the women and young girls forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels. (Japan Times)

There’s a saying in Japan, Nama byoho wa kega no moto. That is, Half-baked knowledge of the martial arts is the cause of great injury. (thedailybeast.com)

Voters are going to the polls Sunday to choose representatives for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. (NHK)

The Justice Ministry is considering immigration procedures for Japanese passengers using automated gates equipped with a facial recognition system for identity verification at major airports from next fiscal year, according to sources. (the-japan-news.com)

Ibarki Prefectural Police are seeking the help of the public in locating a man who wielded a knife in the robbery of a convenience store in Ryugasaki City early Saturday, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has apologized for what she called a misleading remark in her speech supporting a candidate in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election. (NHK)

A new ordinance to regulate dating services pairing up men with teenage schoolgirls came into force Saturday in Tokyo. (Japan Today)

Police in Tokyo said Thursday they have arrested an unemployed 20-year-old man on a charge of forcible obstruction of business after he posted a message on the 2channel online bullet board, in which he said a bomb was set to go off at Shibuya Station in Tokyo. (Japan Today)

A Bank of Japan policymaker praised Adolf Hitler's economic policies on Thursday, but said they enabled the Nazi dictator to do "horrible" things to the world. (Japan Times)

Three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the company that operates the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, pleaded not guilty Friday as they stood trial for their alleged failure to prevent the nuclear meltdown disaster triggered by the 2011 tsunami. (Japan Today)

An advisory panel to education minister Hirokazu Matsuno recommended Thursday that the enrollment limit at 12 private universities in Tokyo's densely populated 23 wards be allowed to increase overall by 2,183 in fiscal 2018 from the previous year. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police utilized a sting operation in netting a woman, 31, in the attempted fraud of a man in Katsushika Ward, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

An underground ice wall being built to keep groundwater from entering the crippled nuclear reactor buildings in Fukushima is expected to be completed soon. (NHK)

Japan Tobacco Inc said on Wednesday it hoped to catch up with Philip Morris International Inc in smokeless tobacco by expanding the number of smoke-free restaurants and public places that allow its vaping product. (Japan Today)

The frequent tests and growing sophistication of North Korean missiles is prompting the Japanese government and the general public to think carefully about civil defence. What if Pyongyang actually did fire missiles at a major Japanese city? (aljazeera.com)

Sony Corp. said Thursday it will resume production of vinyl records for the first time in three decades this fiscal year as the format sees a resurgence in popularity. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two men suspected in the swindling of hundreds of persons via a site that claimed to provide fee-based horse racing tips, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a male programmer for allegedly producing so-called “dangerous drugs” in his residence in Nerima Ward earlier this year, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police have revealed that a 44-year-old man accused of stalking a member of popular idol group HKT48 in Fukuoka City also pursued another member, reports TBS News. (tokyoreporter.com)

The yen may face a test of confidence as Tokyo aims to boost the currency’s presence abroad at a time when China has been eclipsing Japan’s clout on the world stage. (Japan Times)

Japan and Russia started their first study Tuesday to assess the potential for joint economic activities on disputed islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. (Japan Today)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a male employee at an institution for the disabled for allegedly engaging in illicit acts with a female pupil, who was 13 at the time, in Hiratsuka City last month, reports Nikkan Sports (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police used data from a social media application in apprehending a male teacher alleged in the molestation of a woman in Fussa City earlier this month, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)