A Japanese H-2A rocket launched Japan’s first Optical Data Relay Satellite with a laser communications payload in geosynchronous orbit. (Raw Space)

Japan and China are resuming business travel between the countries on Monday, as part of efforts to ease entry restrictions and promote economic activities. (NHK)

A 73-year-old woman has received a doctoral degree for her research into representations of the folklore theme of a night parade of demons, saying her embrace of lifelong learning has brought joy to her life. (Kyodo)

Taiya Ryokan is a traditional Japanese Inn with a history going back 300 years! (ONLY in JAPAN * GO)

Japanese trend-setters can now protect against the coronavirus in luxurious style with opulent masks adorned with diamond and pearls for a cool million yen ($9,600) each. (Reuters)

One girl’s mesmerising voyage through Japan is cut short when she encounters another girl — a recurring stranger — haunting her path. (NOWNESS)

A rare nine-legged octopus was discovered off the coast of northeastern Japan earlier this month, with those curious about the unusual creature now able to see it on display at the town's local nature center. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Monday reported 311 new cases of the coronavirus, down 107 from Sunday. The number is the result of 5,117 tests conducted on Nov 27. (Japan Today)

Sightseeing spots across Japan have been welcoming visitors on the first Sunday since the government declared the next three weeks as crucial to curbing the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

A man died and 11 others were injured after a leisure fishing boat capsized following a collision with a cargo vessel at a port in eastern Japan early Saturday morning, the Japan Coast Guard said. (Kyodo)

Police in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, have arrested a common-law couple on suspicion of leaving the body of an infant inside a refrigerator at their apartment. (Japan Today)

A record 2,684 people were found to have been infected with the coronavirus in Japan on Saturday. (NHK)

With its enormous cities and towering skyscrapers brightly clad in neon lights, Japan is a fun country to visit, full of history and with a rich cultural heritage. (touropia)

The Diet on Friday gave the green light to stop Saturday as well as next-day delivery of standard postal mail to address a worker shortage and falling demand due to increased use of the internet. (Japan Today)

Tokyo stocks ended higher Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei extending its rally to a fourth straight day and renewing a 29-year high, as buying in real estate and high-tech shares wiped out initial losses on the yen's rise. (Japan Today)

Bars, karaoke lounges and restaurants serving alcohol in parts of the city of Osaka began operating under shorter hours Friday, a day after the prefecture saw a record daily total of 12 deaths due to COVID-19. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday that shorter hours for bars and restasurants serving alcohol would be "crucial" in stemming the coronavirus spread, with other major cities Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo having already taken or getting set to take similar steps. (Japan Today)

Japanese property developer Mitsui Fudosan plans to acquire Tokyo Dome, eyeing a tender offer of more than 100 billion yen ($960 million) for the ballpark and hotel operator. (Nikkei)

Japanese prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for a 30-year-old man charged with murdering nine people at his apartment in the city of Zama, near Tokyo. (NHK)

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks may be in the middle of an epoch-making run in Japanese baseball that could — if other teams can emulate the way they operate on and off the field— cause a shift in the game. (Japan Times)

Japan's asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 has completed its engine thrusts to adjust the orbit for returning its capsule to Earth next month. (NHK)

In the waters off Ise-Shima, "ama" (sea women) continue the tradition of free-diving for seafood. (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Friday it has decided to cancel Emperor Naruhito's annual New Year event at the Imperial Palace due to a recent spike in the number of new cases of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

Officials at Japanese beverage maker Kirin Holdings say they will sell their Australian drink business to a dairy maker in the country. (NHK)

NHK has learned that the Olympic rings will return to Tokyo Bay on December 1, following safety and maintenance checks. (NHK)