Japan's top-ranked sumo wrestler Hakuho has been released from hospital after being treated for a coronavirus infection, Japanese sports daily Sports Hochi reported on Thursday. (yahoo.com)

The government's new program to provide one-off cash benefits of up to Y400,000 to pandemic-affected small companies will cover not only suppliers for eating and drinking facilities but also ryokan Japanese-style inns and taxi operators, the industry ministry has said. (Japan Times)

Japan’s wholesale prices fell 2.0% in December from a year earlier on sliding fuel costs, data showed on Thursday, a sign that the hit to demand from the coronavirus pandemic is weighing on the world’s third-largest economy. (Reuters)

Japanese experts are warning the current wave of coronavirus infections is putting increasing strain on the medical system in the capital. (NHK)

Counseling is a varied and interesting career path and is especially rewarding for those that love helping and working with different people. (newsonjapan.com)

Toyota will pay $180 million to settle U.S. government allegations that it failed to report and fix pollution control defects in its vehicles for a decade. (Japan Todayj)

Fast Retailing Co.’s lineup of functional and casual attire continued to lure value-conscious shoppers whose preferences are changing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to push the Uniqlo operator’s first-quarter earnings close to an all-time high. (Japan Times)

Panasonic aims to make cobalt-free batteries available for Tesla's electric vehicles in two to three years, as the Japanese electronics manufacturer tries to keep pace with the U.S. automaker's ambitious mission to bring EVs into the mainstream quickly. (Nikkei)

With a workforce consisting of more than 18 million people, the healthcare sector is a major employer in the U.S. (newsonjapan.com)

Domestic violence cases in Japan hit a record high of over 130,000 in fiscal 2020, with people more stressed and worried about life as the coronavirus pandemic forces them to spend more time at home, according to a government survey released Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The number of Muslims living in Japan has more than doubled in the past decade, according to statistics. (Islam Channel)

The Japanese government is stepping up coronavirus countermeasures for people entering the country. (NHK)

Japan is working to isolate and analyse a new variant of the coronavirus detected in four people who arrived from Brazil, a health ministry official said Tuesday. (FRANCE 24 English)

Japan’s currency in circulation and bank deposits rose at a record pace in December, data showed on Wednesday, as a resurgence in coronavirus infections prompted companies and households to continue hoarding cash rather than spending it. (Reuters)

More than a million people in Japan turn 20 this year, the age at which they can legally drink alcohol, smoke and get married without parental approval. (WION)

Following moves by its rivals, KDDI Corp. said Wednesday it will roll out new cut-price smartphone plans, further intensifying competition among mobile phone carriers under intense pressure from the government. (Japan Times)

A 24-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a 46-year-old police officer in a koban (police box) and shooting to death a 68-year-old school security guard with the officer’s gun in 2018 went on trial in Toyama City on Thursday, (Japan Today)

Tokyo's benchmark stock index continued its rise on Thursday, buoyed by better-than-expected figures for machinery orders across Japan. The gains propelled the Nikkei Average to a fresh 30-year high. (NHK)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has declared a state of emergency for seven more prefectures, to curb the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 1,502 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Thursday. (NHK)

Chiba prefectural police have arrested a 39-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of killing his mother and elder sister at his parents' home in Nagareyama City on Dec 31. (Japan Today)

One of the world's largest technology-trade fairs has kicked off. The "Consumer Electronics Show" normally attracts over 100,000 visitors who crowd into a venue in Las Vegas. (NHK)

A former employee of SoftBank Corp was arrested Tuesday for illegally taking information from the major Japanese wireless carrier on its ultrafast 5G technology before moving to a smaller rival company, police said. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government is considering giving greater legal authority to prefectural governors in an effort to respond to the spread of the coronavirus more effectively. (NHK)

Some Japanese celebrated Coming of Age Day on January 11 amid a record Covid-19 surge. (South China Morning Post)