We went to Japanese traditional market to buy the good luck charm for coming year! I hope you enjoy it as if you were there with us. (Kimono Mom)

The number of Japanese companies introducing early retirement programs in the first 10 months of the year was more than double the level over the entirety of the previous year amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by a research firm. (Japan Times)

Officials in Japan are reporting more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day. (NHK)

The Japanese government plans to raise public awareness about high-risk situations for contracting the coronavirus and provide assistance to foreign nationals in the country. (NHK)

More than 220 Japanese academic societies of liberal arts have jointly demanded that the government explain why it refused to appoint six nominees for membership in the country's top academic body. (NHK)

A lone daikon radish has been attracting attention from locals after it was recently discovered growing by the foot of a busy pedestrian overpass in the heart of the metropolis of Osaka in western Japan. (Kyodo)

Officials in Japan reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row. In particular, the northern prefecture of Hokkaido is under the spotlight as infections there are surging. (NHK)

Japan and China have basically agreed to resume business travel between the two countries as early as mid-November, a government source said Friday, in a step to revive Asia's two key, interdependent economies hit by the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

As the climb in the global count of COVID-19 cases further dampens hopes for a return to normal life, it has underlined a huge challenge facing Japan, which is set to host the Summer Olympics in eight months' time, experts at an infectious disease conference hosted by Nikkei and the FT have said. (Nikkei)

Victims of sexual violence in Japan contacted support centers for help on more than 23,000 occasions between April and September, up 15.5 percent from a year earlier, partly due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a Cabinet minister said Friday. (Kyodo)

Special signboards with the names of the Kabuki actors starring in yearend performances at Kyoto's Minamiza Theater are being created at a temple in the western Japanese city. (NHK)

Japanese auto giant Toyota is managing to turn a profit despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Yokozuna Hakuho, who has won a record 44 top division titles, has pulled out of the upcoming November Grand Sumo Tournament due to complications with his surgically-repaired knee, the Japan Sumo Association said Friday. (Japan Times)

It’s been over 60 years since the 1957 Australia-Japan Agreement on Commerce. (newsonjapan.com)

Japan Airlines Co. will use biofuels made from household waste starting as early as fiscal 2022 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, company sources said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japan confirmed 1,024 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, with a daily count exceeding 1,000 for the first time since late August. (NHK)

The Japanese history dates back to the Paleolithic period when first people arrived on these lands. (CherepashkaShusha)

A Japanese university and a public job placement office in Tokyo signed an accord Thursday to support foreign students seeking jobs in Japan — the first such agreement concluded in the country. (Japan Times)

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performed Thursday in southwestern Japan as part of its first tour outside Austria in over six months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Japanese midfielder Masaya Okugawa struck his maiden UEFA Champions League goal Tuesday for Red Bull Salzburg in their 6-2 loss to title holders Bayern Munich. (Kyodo)

When US President Donald Trump won his first term in 2016, former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to visit him. (CNA)

The people selected as a Person of Cultural Merit in Japan in 2020 gathered for an award ceremony on Wednesday in Tokyo. (NHK)

Tattoos have long been considered taboo in Japan, where body art is most often linked to criminal gangs. (South China Morning Post)

Japanese health officials have found 164 emaciated dogs crammed into a tiny house in one of the country's worst cases of animal hoarding, an animal rights activist said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Haneda Airport is Tokyo’s major hub for flights domestically and terminal 2 for ANA has a very interesting set of vending machines I think you’ll love! (ONLY in JAPAN)