The physical performance of children in Japan worsened in fiscal 2021, which began in April, from two years before as the COVID-19 pandemic deprived them of opportunities for exercise, a survey by the Japan Sports Agency showed Friday. (Japan Times)

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has declined to characterize the decision not to send a government delegation to the Beijing Winter Games as a "diplomatic boycott". (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Emeritus turned 88 on Thursday. He is the country's longest-living monarch on record. (NHK)

A Japanese professor has developed a prototype lickable TV screen that can imitate food flavours, another step towards creating a multi-sensory viewing experience. (The Star)

Authorities in Tokyo have reported the first apparent community transmission of the coronavirus Omicron variant in the Japanese capital. (NHK)

Today I did a Day trip from Tokyo to Nagano Japan to using various trains including the shinkansen. ( Solo Solo Travel)

As Japan starts to cast a wider net to prevent spread of the omicron COVID-19 variant, central and local governments are scrambling to ensure there are enough quarantine facilities for those who have come in close contact with people confirmed as infected with the highly transmissible virus. (Japan Times)

Let's dive in and discuss the History of Christmas in Feudal Japan! (The Shogunate)

Prices of household foods, such as flour products and cooking oil, are set to spike in Japan from early next year. (Japan Times)

A government panel has retained Japan’s male-only imperial succession system despite a sharply shrinking number of men in the royal family. (seattletimes.com)

A panel of experts advising Japan's health ministry has pushed back its decision on approving a new Alzheimer's drug developed jointly by US and Japanese companies. (NHK)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Thursday it successfully launched an H-2A rocket carrying a British communications satellite from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, with the satellite entering its planned orbit about 26 minutes after liftoff. (Kyodo)

On 21 December, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a press conference to address the nation about growing concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19. (soranews24.com)

Britain said on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Japan to develop fighter aircraft engine technologies. (fxempire.com)

Yahoo Japan has released the first report on its actions against guideline-violating posts, such as defamatory comments, in the comment section of its news site. (NHK)

Police in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of attempting to kill his 79-year-old father at their home. (Japan Today)

Japan reported on Wednesday its first instance of community spread infection from the Omicron variant of coronavirus. (fxempire.com)

Archival footage shot by a filmmaker while touring Eastern Asia in March 1972 (Footageforpro.com)

Some 11 million, or 15%, of 71 million cloth face masks in stock prepared by the Japanese government in the early stage of the novel coronavirus crisis but left unused have been found defective, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Today, I spent 4 days in Hokkaido, the northmost island of Japan with some good friends! (Joey)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – A third employee at Camp Hansen, a Marine Corps base on Okinawa, has tested positive for the omicron variant of the coronavirus as new cases on the installation approached 200 since Friday. (stripes.com)

McDonald’s Holdings Company Japan said on Tuesday it would suspend the sale of medium- and large-sized french fries for a week starting on Friday due to supply chain bottlenecks. (Reuters)

Daihatsu Motor Co. said Monday that all of its new models for the domestic market will be electric vehicles (EV) or hybrids by 2030. (the-japan-news.com)

Tokyo's Musashino City Assembly has voted down a draft ordinance that would have effectively allowed the city's foreign residents to vote in referendums under the same conditions as their Japanese neighbors. (NHK)

Japanese snowboarder Hirano Ayumu has become the first to successfully land a difficult trick called the triple cork 1440 in competition. (NHK)