The Japanese government is considering an exemption of coronavirus-related quarantine requirements for business travelers entering the country for short stays of up to 72 hours. (NHK)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. is considering sharply scaling back its staff and budget for developing the first domestically manufactured passenger jet, effectively freezing the operation amid a slump in demand caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Bullying cases recognized by elementary, junior high, high and special-needs schools in Japan in fiscal 2019 grew by some 60,000 from the previous year to a record 612,496, the education ministry said Thursday. (Japan Times)

A coronavirus testing center will open next month at Narita Airport near Tokyo, enabling departing travelers to obtain a negative test result certificate within two hours, the operators said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japan is an incomprehensible country for European minds. Even those who have lived there for more than a dozen years cannot solve all its secrets. ( Top10 videosworld)

A computer file containing data on 2,750 business partners of a unit of Japan Post Co. has been leaked, the parent company said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's health ministry has suggested that many women in the country may have opted out of pregnancy due to the coronavirus epidemic. (NHK)

Japan is considering creating a hub where financial firms can file regulatory paperwork in English as Tokyo aims to recruit banks and brokerages away from Hong Kong and other parts of the world, according to people familiar with the matter. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government will soon pledge to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero by 2050, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

East Japan Railway Co. said Wednesday it will bring forward last train departure times on 17 lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area by up to some 40 minutes from next spring, as late-night passengers continue to decline amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Researchers in Japan say they have confirmed that face masks are effective in both retarding the spread of viruses and reducing the intake of them. (NHK)

More than 10,000 foreigners were denied entry to Japan last year. It was the first time in 12 years that the number has exceeded this figure. (NHK)

Taiwan reported one more imported COVID infection on Wednesday, a 10-year-old boy from Indonesia. (Formosa TV English News)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he has agreed with the leaders of Vietnam and Indonesia to work together to build a peaceful and prosperous future in the Indo-Pacific region. (NHK)

Japan has a rich sporting culture characterized by both traditional and modern games. (newsonjapan.com)

A bear wandered into a large shopping center in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Monday morning and remained there all day until it was killed. (Japan Today)

Wild deer at Nara Park in western Japan, a major tourist attraction, have often suffered from eating plastic bags discarded by visitors, but local companies have now succeeded in developing paper bags that the animals can digest. (Japan Today)

A former top bureaucrat accused of murdering his socially reclusive son last year entered a plea of not guilty on the grounds of self-defense at the first hearing of his appeal trial Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Japan and China are expected to agree as early as this month on resuming travel by both short- and long-term businesspeople between the two countries, Japanese government sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and President Joko Widodo have called for continued cooperation on matters including health, security and the economy. (NHK)

A man suspected of fatally stabbing a 30-year-old woman in a car in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on Sunday night, has been found dead in a hotel room in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government's "Go To Travel" subsidy campaign covered 25.18 million domestic overnight stays for about two months since its launch through the end of September, the tourist ministry's preliminary figures showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Under normal circumstances at this time of year, hundreds of companies would bring to life the Makuhari Messe venue in the city of Chiba with cutting-edge products from robots to cars and AI to internet-connected devices, for the annual event known as CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies). (Japan Times)

The parents of 3-year-old and 1-year-old girls were given a suspended prison sentence Tuesday for leaving their daughters at home in Kagoshima while the couple stayed at a hotel for more than a week after receiving the government’s COVID-19 cash handout. (Japan Times)

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