Campaigning for the leadership race of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to choose Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's successor officially began on Friday, with four veteran lawmakers competing for the top position. (daijiworld.com)

message in a bottle released 37 years ago by Japanese high school students has been found — around 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away in Hawaii. (Japan Times)

Before the end of the year, Japan could start giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to people who are at least eight months removed from their second doses. (Japan Times)

For Hollywood star Johnny Depp, the story of an act of industrial pollution that devastated the southwestern Japanese coastal community of Minamata over half a century ago is one that had to be told, not only for its victims but for current and future generations. (Kyodo)

Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. (Urban Looks)

What makes lycra erotic? Vicky Pattison travels to Tokyo to learn about Zentai... and the surprising origins of this lycra body suit fetish! (Channel 4)

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a majority of people in Japan believe it is necessary to create legislation to make a lockdown possible in the country, a recent opinion poll suggested Friday. (Japan Times)

People across Japan are bracing for some potentially catastrophic weather. Tropical storm Chanthu has brought driving rain and lashing winds to western and central parts of the country. It made landfall in Kyushu on Friday evening and is barreling to the east. (NHK)

A woman chipped her tooth after biting into a hamburger containing a metal-like object at a McDonald's outlet in southwestern Japan earlier this week, McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Friday. (Kyodo)

Japan's former women's empowerment minister Seiko Noda has announced a last-minute run for leadership of the ruling party. (CNA)

US information technology giant Google has launched its News Showcase service in Japan, enabling users to view news content provided by more than 40 publishers in the country. (NHK)

Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, more than 1m tonnes of radioactive water has been building up at the power plant in central Japan. (The Guardian)

Japan's exports extended double-digit gains in August, led by strong shipments of chip manufacturing equipment, although the pace of growth weakened. (Reuters)

Music composed and produced by Arnaud Roy for Amplitude Studios. (HUMANKIND)

Three Japanese have been named in TIME Magazine's list of "100 Most Influential People of 2021" which categorizes people judged to have had the most impact this year into icons, pioneers, titans, artists, leaders, and innovators. (Japan Today)

Kei Komuro, the boyfriend of Princess Mako, plans to soon return from the United States to Japan in order to prepare for their marriage, sources familiar with the situation said Thursday, despite some public discontent over a money dispute involving his mother. (Japan Times)

Japan's Extreme North in Hokkaido is home to some super frigid towns like Kitami, Rikubetsu, and Abashiri. In the middle of winter, at night, one town has a massive meat festival -- and it's outdoors in below zero temperatures. (ONLY in JAPAN)

A Japanese-Peruvian man seeking state compensation for mistreatment at the Osaka immigration bureau in 2017 was shown being held face down by a number of officers in security camera footage submitted Wednesday at trial, a lawyer in charge of his case said. (Kyodok)

Foods with insect extracts and edible insects are being sold in vending machines across Japan. (NHK)

Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is increasing international flights to meet recovering travel demand in North America and Asia, the company announced on Tuesday. (Nikkei)

An election to choose the next leader of Japan's ruling party is getting candidates worked up. The term of current Liberal Democratic Party chief and Prime Minister, Suga Yoshihide, ends this month. (NHK)

Genome-edited tomatoes are set to appear on dining tables in Japan. It is the first time that genome-edited food will be sold and shipped to consumers in Japan. (NHK)

Japan Airlines aims to recycle all cooking waste from in-flight meals into fertilizer as part of its sustainability goals. (Nikkei)

Japan's embassy in Manila on Tuesday confirmed that its government has received information on possible terror attacks in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. (GMA News)

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force on Wednesday started nationwide exercises involving all units for the first time in about 30 years in an attempt to boost deterrence and strengthen its capabilities amid China's ramped-up regional assertiveness. (Kyodo)