The Japanese government will issue online COVID-19 vaccination certificates, starting in December. (Nikkei)

One day after Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's abrupt decision to pull out of his party's presidential election, possible candidates within the main ruling party are gearing up for the race to succeed him. (NHK)

The Chinese authorities have shut a £928 million Japanese-themed shopping centre just two weeks after it opened after protests by locals that it represented a “cultural invasion”. (The Times)

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed footballer on social networks and one of the most appreciated. (Soccer Stories - Oh My Goal)

When Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Friday that he would not seek re-election as head of Japan’s governing party, the decision created an unexpected opening to replace him. (nytimes.com)

With a violin bow fixed to her prosthetic arm, Manami Ito, a Paralympics swimmer and a qualified nurse performed at the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony. (Hindustan Times)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed his willingness to continue peace treaty negotiations with Japan, which include the issue of four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan. (NHK)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's sudden announcement of his intention to resign at a time when the country is battling a resurgence of COVID-19 infections was met Friday with surprise and criticism by many people in Japan, with medical workers lamenting his slow and inadequate response to fight the virus. (Kyodok)

We love Kyoto and this was our second time visiting! It’s usually super busy and packed to the brim with tourists, plus it was summer (Kyoto gets especially muggy compared to the rest of Japan lol). (Javis and Lea)

Japanese artist Monami Ohno creates detailed sculptures of fighter jets and anime robots out of little more than cardboard boxes and glue. (South China Morning Post)

The Shinkansen is a fantastic bullet train in Japan. From Tokyo station to Sendai station it's just 90 minutes via the Akita Line (Tohoku Shinkansen) and it was the best transport during the Olympics (yes, there were competitions outside of Tokyo too). (Renata Pereira)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he will not run in the upcoming leadership election for the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. This means he is giving up the premiership, and Japan will soon have a new prime minister. (NHK)

Yokozuna Hakuho's participation in this month's Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament remains up in the air despite the 36-year-old testing negative for the coronavirus, the Japan Sumo Association revealed Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan has confirmed its first infections with a new coronavirus variant classified as one of interest by the World Health Organization. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Emeritus became the oldest of the country's monarchs, past and present, on Thursday at the age of 87 years and eight months. (NHK)

Major Japanese cosmetics maker DHC Corp., which has been criticized for being discriminatory against ethnic Korean residents of Japan, said Thursday it will withdraw from the South Korean market. (Kyodo)

A survey by Japanese researchers suggests that two shots of a coronavirus vaccine have a 95-percent efficacy rate in protecting the recipients from infection. (NHK)

To enhance employee health, Japan's largest brokerage company, Nomura, has advised its workers not to smoke during working hours, even if they work from home. (WION)

Japan's Digital Agency was launched on Wednesday as the country attempts to speed up the digitalisation of local and central government services amid the Covid-19 pandemic which has highlighted the need for reform, local media reported. (sify.com)

Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, who has faced a barrage of criticism for suddenly biting an Olympic softball player’s gold medal last month, on Wednesday tested positive for the coronavirus, the local government said. (South China Morning Post)

Japan has started printing new 10,000 yen banknotes which are expected to enter circulation in the first half of fiscal 2024. (NHK)

Xiborg CEO Ken Endo displayed his company's latest prosthetic technology being used and tested on Paralympians in Tokyo on Tuesday. (Ruptly)

The operator of the Uber Eats food delivery service in Japan has stopped hiring new overseas students, a company official said Thursday, after facing allegations that it illegally employed overstayers last year. (Kyodok)

A couple in their 20s were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of disposing of the body of an 18-year-old Tokyo high school girl in Yamanashi Prefecture after she went missing over the weekend, police said. (Japan Today)

Japan's Defense Ministry has finalized a budget request of nearly 50 billion dollars for fiscal 2022. (NHK)