Japan's opposition party Hope, led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, has elected Lower House lawmaker Yuichiro Tamaki as its co-leader. (NHK)

The manager of a used car dealership in Chofu City was slashed with a sword during a robbery by three men on Thursday, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested an organized crime boss over the cultivation of marijuana in Nagano Prefecture, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Multilingual robot concierges have been unveiled in Tokyo prior to trials that will gauge their ability to welcome visitors to the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. (NHK)

A reporter for one of Japan's leading newspapers, Asahi Shimbun, was arrested for allegedly recording video up women's skirts while riding a train on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo. According to police, the suspect, 35-year-old Keisuke Masuda, confessed, "I've been doing it for months, and I couldn't stop." (rocketnews24.com)

A major Tokyo aquarium suffered a massive die-off inside its largest fish tank late Tuesday and early Wednesday, likely due to lack of oxygen. (Japan Times)

Anti-drug authorities in Japan have arrested 6 people on suspicion of possessing a large supply of so-called "dangerous drugs." The drugs are mixtures of herbs and chemicals, similar to illegal narcotics. (NHK)

Japan's prime minister said his round of golf with visiting President Donald Trump was a good chance to relax and discuss difficult issues. (Japan Today)

US online retail giant Amazon has launched a line of voice-controlled AI speakers capable of understanding Japanese. (NHK)

This is how my first-ever day in Japan went. Arrive at Tokyo’s Narita airport, sushi for lunch in the city, bullet train (shinkansen) to Kyoto, train to Yamazaki. (thedailybeast.com)

After receiving a tip during an investigation, Fukushima Prefectural Police have begun digging for the body of a missing man in a riverbed in Aizuwakamatsu City, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

A helicopter carrying 4 people has crashed near Tokyo, killing everyone on board. (NHK)

The IMF on Wednesday urged Japan to maintain its massive monetary stimulus to boost consumer prices, a view echoed by a central bank board member, reinforcing expectations policy will remain accommodative. (Reuters)

Troubled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba said Thursday it logged a net loss of $436 million for the fiscal first half, as it moves to complete the multi-billion-dollar sale of its chip business to restore its balance sheet. (nationmultimedia.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are searching for a man who robbed an outlet of a pizza delivery chain in Shinjuku Ward on Wednesday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Police on Wednesday arrested the president and a former employee of failed travel agency Tellmeclub, which offered budget overseas tours, on suspicion of defrauding a bank of about ¥200 million ($1.76 million) in loans by window-dressing earnings data. (Japan Times)

While visiting Japan, President Trump ate a hamburger, setting off a Twitter firestorm of those both praising and criticizing the choice. (foxnews.com)

The men's road cycling race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is expected to cover a 270-km route starting in the Tokyo suburbs of Chofu, going past Lake Yamanaka and the foot of Mounbt Fuji, and finishing at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture, a source said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A dashboard camera mounted inside a taxi in Sapporo captured footage of a passenger attacking the driver on Monday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

A construction project to create frozen soil walls that encircle the ground beneath Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is nearly finished. (the-japan-news.com)

Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested the manager of a boxing gym in Asahikawa City for allegedly assaulting the driver of a vehicle during a road-rage incident earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo police say the suspected serial killer of 9 people bought ropes and a saw before moving to the apartment where dismembered bodies were found. (NHK)

Ohitorisama — doing things alone — has been a thing in Japan. For instance, restaurants and karaoke spots try to accommodate solo customers so they don’t feel uncomfortable on their own. Now the fad is spreading to overseas tours, and travel companies are cashing in on the trend. ()

Tokyo stocks extended their winning streak for a fourth day Tuesday, lifting the Nikkei Stock Average to its highest close in more than 25 years. (Nikkei)

The number of visitors to the just-ended 45th Tokyo Motor Show totaled 771,200, down 5.1 percent from the 812,500 attendance at the last show in 2015, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has said. (Japan Times)