Bereaved families and others gathered on Sunday to mourn those who perished in an eruption of Mount Ontake in central Japan six years ago. (NHK)

Tattoos aren't illegal in Japan, but the social stigma against them is severely strong. (soranews24.com)

The latest NHK opinion poll shows that Japan's new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has an approval rating of 62 percent. (NHK)

Two Japanese researchers are among potential Nobel laureates in a list released by a US scientific information service firm. This year's winners will be announced starting from October 5. (NHK)

A Japanese government panel has approved a plan to allow foreign athletes to compete in next year's Tokyo Games even while in a 2-week coronavirus quarantine period. (NHK)

Japan could face a resurgence of coronavirus infections, although the number of cases has been on a downward trend since late July, a group of experts on virus prevention said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan's minister for administrative reform on Thursday ordered all national government offices to stop requiring hanko stamps on official documents as a rule. (Nikkei)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in to take steps to improve the strained relationship between the two countries in their first telephone conversation. (NHK)

The government of Japan may ease restrictions on entry into the country by people from around the world next month. (NHK)

Japan's new prime minister will pursue economic structural reforms through a mixed bag of policies that target specific industries, rather than a grand strategy to reshape society and boost long-term growth. (Japan Today)

The former chairman of Japan Life Co, a now-bankrupt company, was arrested Friday along with 13 others on suspicion of running a "rental owner" investment scam involving clothing, jewelry and other goods it claimed had health benefits, police said. (Japan Today)

The key inflation gauge went negative again last month, driven down by government discounts meant to boost consumer spending and help the pandemic-hit travel industry. (Japan Times)

A member of the House of Representatives has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was admitted to a hospital, the Lower House’s secretariat said Friday, the first confirmed infection of a Japanese lawmaker. (Japan Times)

An international research team including a Japanese scientist on Thursday won the Ig Nobel Acoustics prize after showing that an alligator’s pitch rises after it inhales helium-enriched air. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government has decided to set up a system to exempt athletes competing at next year's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games from entry restrictions currently placed on 159 countries and regions due to the novel coronavirus that forced the games' postponement, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has confirmed 220 new coronavirus cases on Friday. (NHK)

A woman fleeing from a molester in Katsushika Ward was attacked a second time after she fled to a koban police box only to find it unmanned, police have revealed, reports NHK (Sept. 17). (tokyoreporter.com)

Two high school students suffered injuries after they were hit by an athletics hammer on the sports ground of their school in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, on Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Policymakers at the Bank of Japan have decided to keep their current monetary-easing policy unchanged. (NHK)

Tourism businesses in Japan are starting to sell travel packages to and from Tokyo under the government's "Go To Travel" campaign to stimulate domestic tourism. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hit the ground running on day one, meeting with ministers in charge of top policy goals from cutting red tape and digitizing the government to combating the new coronavirus. (Nikkei)

Shinzo Abe, Japan's outgoing and longest-serving prime minister, left his office in Tokyo for the last time on September 16, 2020. Abe had announced his plans to resign in August, citing health problems related to ulcerative colitis. (SCMP Clips)

Developers have released the details of a major construction project that's underway in central Tokyo. (NHK)

Tokyo Disneyland's new area with attractions featuring characters and sets from 'Beauty and the Beast' will welcome the public starting Sept. 28, operator Oriental Land Co. said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japan's new prime minister says he will prioritize measures against the coronavirus and its economic fallout. Suga Yoshihide is taking over from Abe Shinzo, a close ally who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. (NHK)