Japanese authorities and experts are preparing for the next steps in the fight against the coronavirus as a crucial three-week period draws to a close. (NHK)

The number of people who killed themselves in Japan in November increased 11.3% from a year earlier to 1,798, rising for the fifth straight month, data from the National Police Agency shows. (Japan Times)

A textile designer travels to Okinawa on a quest to unravel the mysteries behind an enigmatic fabric. (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

A Japanese think tank has ranked Tokyo third in its list of the world's most attractive cities. The Institute for Urban Strategies has given Japan's capital the same spot for the past 5 years. (NHK)

A university in Japan is introducing an entrance exam method in which applicants can use smartphones and tablet computers to search for information. (NHK)

Japan's government and ruling parties agreed Thursday to stop paying 'special' child benefits to households with an annual income of Y12 million or more. (Japan Times)

Japan's initial budget for fiscal 2021 is on track to set a record for the ninth straight year as the government increases reserve funds to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and due to rising outlays for defense and social security, government sources said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Emperor Naruhito will make his New Year address by video message after a decision last month to cancel his annual greeting event due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday. (Japan Times)

In Japan, the spike in coronavirus cases continues to reach new peaks and upend daily life for people across the country. Tokyo reported more than 600 new infections on Thursday... a record daily tally. (NHK)

The Japanese government will earmark ¥50 billion in the planned fiscal 2020 third supplementary budget to promote research and development on 6G advanced wireless communications services, Jiji Press learned Thursday. (Japan Times)

Business sentiment among large companies in the October-December period rose for the second straight quarter, remaining positive after a plunge earlier this year due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, a government survey showed Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japanese prosecutors will indict a 42-year-old man on murder and other charges over an arson attack in July last year on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio that killed 36 people and injured 33 others, investigative sources said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Reservations for Shinkansen bullet trains for the year-end and New Year holidays have fallen to a record low due to the spread of the coronavirus in Japan. (NHK)

Popular Japanese actress Erika Toda and actor Tori Matsuzaka have married, their respective agencies announced Thursday. (Kyodo)

NHK has learned that the number of elderly people found to be infected with the coronavirus has nearly doubled in Tokyo from the figure in August, when Japan was hit by the second wave of infection. (NHK)

The thirty years of the Heisei Era in Japan was a time of economic inactivity and inertia. (newsonjapan.com)

The Japanese government is considering a scheme to exclude celebrities from running in next year’s Olympic torch relay in order to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection from roadside crowds coming to see them, a source with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Japanese authorities reported more than 2,700 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. That's a record daily tally. The healthcare system is threatening to buckle under the weight of the spike. (NHK)

The government will establish in March a center for monitoring the health of visitors from overseas during their stay amid the coronavirus pandemic, as it plans to accept small group tours ahead of the postponed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

In this installment of Cinematic Asia we travel to Mt Aso in Kumamoto prefecture Japan. (Blue Pacific Media)

In the last few decades, japan's marriage and birth rates have tumbled and to combat this problem the government has now devised an interesting solution matchmaking on Artificial Intelligence. (WION)

Japanese rugby star Goromaru Ayumu is set to retire after the coming season. (NHK)

A working group of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is set to propose making the country's leading academic body independent of the government. (NHK)

Lawmakers from Japan's ruling party have approved the Defense Ministry's plan to construct two new vessels equipped with the Aegis anti-ballistic missile system. (NHK)

Canadian e-commerce company Shopify rang up $5.1 billion in global transactions during the crucial Black Friday-Cyber Monday period last month for a 76% increase on the year, and Japan led major markets with a jump of around 350%. (Nikkei)