In December, the central government finalized its basic policy for so-called integrated resorts (IRs) hosting casinos as well as shopping malls, hotels and other facilities. (Japan Times)

Japanese games have created a powerful impact in the gaming industry. Filled with originality and creativity, they are not your typical kind of video games. (newsonjapan.com)

Airlines that were hoping to turn the corner this year after a rough 2020 may be in for a rude awakening. Major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is planning to slash international flights during the summer by 50 percent. (NHK)

Japan's Crown Prince Akishino has made an online inspection of hospitals treating coronavirus patients. (NHK)

The death toll related to snow shoveling has reached 70 this winter, a Jiji Press tally showed. (Japan Times)

Japan's government has drafted a law revision to encourage more men to take paternity leave. (NHK)

If you plan to fly into Tokyo, Haneda Airport is where you want to land. Sure, rival Narita Airport sometime gets called “Tokyo International Airport,” but it’s actually all the way out in Chiba Prefecture, while Haneda is the one truly located within Tokyo. (Japan Today)

Japan's three major telecoms -- NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank -- are gearing up for a rate war in spring. (Nikkei)

At least 15,058 people were on waiting lists for a hospital or a designated accommodations after testing positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month in the 11 prefectures covered by a state of emergency, a Kyodo News survey found, as public health centers have been swamped with a surge in cases cases. (Japan Times)

Automakers in Japan, where almost 30% of the population is 65 or older, are taking the lead on adapting cars so the nation's legions of elderly drivers can feel more confident -- and be safer -- behind the wheel. (nwaonline.com)

Japan's major restaurant chains saw a record fall in sales last year due to the pandemic as people refrained from eating out and many businesses closed temporarily or shortened their opening hours. (NHK)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have suspended a 27-year-old officer after he was accused of splashing his own bodily fluid on women last year, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

The snow this winter on Japan’s ski runs and the powder on the off-piste is probably the best it has been in a decade. (South China Morning Post)

A Japanese research team says the "Go To" travel campaign launched last July may have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus in its initial phase. (NHK)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga acknowledged on Monday that he has a sore throat and had lost his voice, raising concerns that heavy pressure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and criticism over the administration’s response has been taking a physical toll on him. (Japan Times)

Data compiled by Japan's health ministry shows that the number of people self-isolating at home after testing positive for the coronavirus has been continuing to soar across the country. (NHK)

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a high court ruling that significantly reduced compensation for the parents of a junior high school student who killed himself after being bullied by classmates. (NHK)

Japanese sumo wrestler Kotokantetsu was uneasy. Coronavirus was raging through Tokyo and ripping through the sumo wrestling fraternity, whose lives are controlled by trainers and handlers. (washingtonpost.com)

Japan is considering using its national ID system for its coronavirus vaccine rollout program, hoping to avoid the pitfalls and confusion that was created when the government dispersed economic aid earlier in the pandemic. (Nikkei)

Japan's COVID-19 death toll topped 5,000 with total cases surpassed 360,000 on Saturday as the country struggles to contain the resurgence of infections, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities. (Xinhua)

Japan's space agency has allowed the media to see the first and second stages of the country's next mainstay H3 rocket. (NHK)

Companies in Japan have not promoted teleworking much, despite a call by the government to reduce the number of workers in offices by 70% during the second coronavirus state of emergency, a survey by the Japan Productivity Center has shown. (Japan Times)

Oden is a type of Japanese stew, the ingredients are vegetables and meat and seafood. (Kimono Mom)

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred late at night on Saturday 23 January 2021 at 10:12 pm local time near Iwaki, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima, Japan, as reported by NIED. (JS Media)

Weather officials are warning of more snow in the areas surrounding Tokyo, mainly in mountainous regions. But they say it is unlikely to accumulate in central Tokyo as the temperatures at high altitude did not dip as much as expected. (NHK)