Up to now, it has been a real hassle making advance reservations for Japan's bullet trains from overseas. JR East finally set up an online reservation system a while back, but that was only for trains heading north from Tokyo. (rocketnews24.com)

Hope President Yuriko Koike has conceded defeat and said she has a lot to regret over her party's failure. (NHK)

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 on Monday posted the longest winning streak in its nearly 70-year history as markets cheered the weekend election victory of Japan's pro-business prime minister. (Japan Today)

Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata has obtained another shining treasure. (Japan Times)

Amazon Japan K.K. is running a bar in Tokyo's posh Ginza district for 10 days through Oct. 29, with the aim of promoting a broad lineup of alcohol products the online shopping giant offers, in addition to its traditional business of books and commodity goods. (Kyodo)

A man who has been arrested for assault could be tied to the body of a woman discovered inside a love hotel Tuesday in Mito City, police said on Friday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Law enforcement here on Friday revealed the arrest of a garbage collector over the cultivation of marijuana in Higashiyodogawa Ward, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A giant panda cub at a Tokyo zoo continues to grow steadily about 4 months after her birth. Xiang Xiang was seen walking behind her mother, Shin Shin, during a recent checkup. (NHK)

Tochigi Prefectural Police have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected in the theft of over 150 nameplates for landmarks from as many as three prefectures. (tokyoreporter.com)

An elderly driver has run over pedestrians in Tokyo's busy district of Kichijoji, reportedly injuring 7 people. (NHK)

Miyazaki Prefectural Police have arrested a 62-year-old man in the murder of the manager of a diner in Miyazaki City last month, reports Jiji Press (tokyoreporter.com)

Dressed entirely in black and quick on his feet, he eluded Osaka's finest for nearly a decade. And then, to their surprise, they discovered upon his arrest that he is an elderly man. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested six street touts over the alleged aggressive solicitation of pedestrians in the Ueno area of Taito Ward, reports the Sankei Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

Ever wondered where the best place to enjoy a refreshing Mojito in Japan is? Well, 300Bar, with three locations in Tokyo's Ginza district, is a serious contender. It has just been awarded by the Cuban Embassy in Tokyo 'The most authentic Mojito in Japan' certificate. (Japan Today)

Ibaraki Prefectural Police on Wednesday revealed that a 49-year-old woman whose body was discovered inside a love hotel in Mito City had been beaten, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Miyazaki Prefectural Police plan to arrest a 62-year-old man in the murder of the manager of a diner in Miyazaki City last month, reports Nippon News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Two persons were caught on camera spraying graffiti in the historic Golden Gai district in Shinjuku Ward last week, the latest such incident in what is a worsening problem for bar owners. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the director of a chiropractic clinic for allegedly installing a camera inside a women's bathroom, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

A male high school teacher in the capital was warned by the capital's board of education on Tuesday for paying a female student in cash to teach his class instead. (tokyoreporter.com)

Toyota Motor Corp. is set to unveil a fuel cell concept car that aims to offer 50 percent more driving range than its current hydrogen-powered sedan in a technology push that defies a rising wave of battery-powered vehicles. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested an organized crime member suspected in the trafficking in stimulant drugs who used a special delivery service to send the contraband to customers, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

The Japan Tourism Agency will tighten regulations for travel agencies to protect tourists in the wake of Tellmeclub's bankruptcy in March. (Japan Times)

People dressed as samurai warriors have marched in a procession at a World Heritage site in Nikko, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

A 45-year-old male singer was not prosecuted for allegedly paying a teenage girl for an illicit encounter in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, it was learned on Monday, reports Sankei Sports (tokyoreporter.com)

Osaka Prefectural Police have sent 10 persons to prosecutors for using a public road near theme park Universal Studios Japan as a private track for a specialty form of auto racing, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)