Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested a male temporary worker in Narita City suspected in the abuse of everal cats, video footage of which was posted online, reports the Asahi Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

Twenty-four-hour gyms are proving popular not only in the cities but also in the suburbs, giving busy workers a cheaper option to exercise. (Japan Times)

Ammunition and a hand grenade were found in garbage brought into a waste-processing facility on the island of Amami Oshima last week, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

The parents of a 27-year-old former part-time city worker who committed suicide in 2015 filed a lawsuit Tuesday demanding ¥13 million in compensation from the Kitakyushu Municipal Government, claiming their daughter was overworked and harassed by a supervisor. (Japan Times)

Investigative sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police revealed on Wednesday that security camera footage shows a man suspected in the murder of his 26-year-old former girlfriend carrying a suitcase, possibly containing her body, out of the residence they shared, reports Nippon News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Police divisions from Tokyo and Ibaraki Prefecture on Wednesday announced the arrest of five persons, including an organized crime member, and seizure of more than 30 billion yen in stimulant drugs in the bust of a suspected trafficking ring. The seizure is the largest confiscation nationwide this year, police said, reports Jiji Press (tokyoreporter.com)

Hotel occupancy rates of leading hotels in Tokyo are sliding despite high inbound tourist numbers, owing to the rapid rise of competitors such as new hotels and home-sharing services. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 52-year-old male tax counselor from Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture for allegedly killing stray cats, video footage of which was posted online, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Sea Shepherd has pulled the plug on its decade-long mission to stop Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, saying it can't match the economic and technological power of the government in Tokyo. (9news.com.au)

Investigative sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police revealed on Monday that a man undergoing questioning over the disappearance of his 26-year-old former girlfriend, who was later found dead, has committed suicide, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

At the opening of the trial of a male Chinese national accused of killing his wife and dumping her body inside a suitcase last year, the defendant denied an "intent to kill," reports TBS News. (tokyoreporter.com)

A police dog on Monday received an award from the Metropolitan Police Department for locating a gun that led to the arrest of a crime syndicate member. (Kyodo)

A 35-year-old police officer, stationed at a koban (police box) in front of Tokyo Station, has been arrested on suspicion of theft after he stole a wallet that had been handed in as a lost-and-found item. (Japan Today)

Ishikawa Prefectural Police have arrested a man after a stabbing incident at a residence in Kanazawa City left two officers injured, report TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

Police in Tokyo have arrested an unemployed 39-year-old man on suspicion of extortion after he threatened to beat up a smartphone user unless he paid money for "bumping" into him. (Japan Today)

A 33-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged possession of marijuana and a special form of the same banned drug at his residence in Isehara City, reports the Mainichi Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

A Tokyo high school student is in critical condition after suffering heatstroke during a basketball club practice, the metropolitan education board said Friday. (Japan Today)

After a hiatus of nearly a month that was lauded by the U.S., North Korea launched three short-range ballistic missiles early Saturday, with two flying roughly 250 km and the other exploding almost immediately, the U.S. military’s Pacific Command said. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two men in the alleged trafficking of stimulant drugs in the Kabukicho red-light district of Shinjuku Ward, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

FamilyMart Uny Holdings Co. and discount chain Don Quijote Holdings Co. said Thursday they reached a basic agreement to forge a capital and business alliance. (Japan Times)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 43-year-old male coach of a girl's basketball team who is suspected of molesting a player, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

The mayor of Montreal expects Air Canada's decision to introduce direct year-round service to Japan will increase foreign real estate purchases but he's not worried it will lead to price spikes seen in Toronto and Vancouver. (ctvnews.ca)

More than 40,000 tax-free shops are ready to welcome overseas tourists to Japan -- even those who step into more rural regions. (Nikkei)

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday signed a decision to designate four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a longstanding territorial issue with Japan as a special economic zone. (the-japan-news.com)

The head of a neighborhood council is believed to have solicited a number of school girls for illicit encounters at his residence, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)