The nation's minimum hourly wage will rise by Y1 from the previous year to Y902 on average in fiscal 2020, the labor ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

Japan's department store sales in July dropped 20.3 percent from a year earlier due to the continuing impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the prolonged rainy season, an industry body said Friday. (Japan Today)

Tokyo to Rome, first class for $90 sounds too good to be true. (news.com.au)

As people stay home longer amid the spread of COVID-19 infections, the popularity of pets is increasing, with more people seeking out animals as a buffer against stress. (Japan Times)

The number of people from the University of Tokyo who passed the fiscal 2020 career-track civil service examination has dropped to 249, the lowest since fiscal 1998, when the data first became available, the National Personnel Authority said Friday. (Japan Times)

The number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on Friday is 258.That's the second day in a row it's over 200. (NHK)

Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten has withdrawn its second application to operate a bank in the U.S. amid opposition from potential rivals. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three members of a criminal syndicate over the alleged fatal beating of a man in Shinjuku Ward last year, reports TBS News (Aug. 20). (tokyoreporter.com)

Shiori Ito, a journalist and symbol of Japan's #MeToo movement, sued ruling party member Mio Sugita for damages on Thursday for allegedly clicking the "like" icon on several tweets she says defamed her. (Kyodo)

Teenage shogi sensation Fujii Sota has become the youngest-ever holder of two major professional titles for the chess-like Japanese board game. (NHK)

NHK has learned that the Japanese government is planning to ease the strict re-entry ban that has been in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

The last of the Kounotori unmanned cargo vessels ended its final mission Thursday as it burned up re-entering the Earth's atmosphere after transporting supplies to the International Space Station, the country's space agency said. (Kyodo)

Alcohol sanitizers and clinical thermometers have become two of the most critical must-have items for those working in the food-service industry in Japan as they struggle to recover from the impact of coronavirus. (Japan Today)

In the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in Manchuria, sexual abuse termed then as “sexual entertainment” happened. During the Second World War, some 600 people from the formerly Kurokawa village in Gifu Prefecture settled in Manchuria under a government plan. (TV ASAHI)

The number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on Thursday is 339. It's over 300 for the first time in 5 days. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to work Wednesday after a three-day summer break that included a hospital visit, leading to speculation he is suffering ill health. (Japan Times)

Japan's second largest opposition party, the Democratic Party for the People, has decided to dissolve itself and form a new one through a merger with the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party. (NHK)

A prominent infectious disease expert in Japan is warning that the country is in the midst of second wave of the coronavirus outbreak. The alarm comes as the number of seriously ill patients has been rising. (NHK)

The Japanese government has been criticized by environmental groups for its weak presence and slow response in tackling an oil spill disaster caused by a Japanese freighter that ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean last month. (Kyodo)

Nissan Motor Co. has been ordered to pay several hundreds of millions of yen in back taxes in connection with misuse of funds by the Japanese automaker under former boss Carlos Ghosn, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Olympic organizers have settled on preserving the torch relay schedule developed for 2020 to be used in next year's postponed games, officials with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Osaka became the top prefecture in the number of new coronavirus cases in Japan with 187, eclipsing Tokyo by one. (Japan Times)

You know the world is really upside down when Masayoshi Son decides to become a day trader. (Nikkei)

Fukuoka City, the operator of the key western Japanese port of Hakata, has drawn up a policy that rejects port calls by cruise ships until an effective treatment or vaccine for COVID-19 is established. (NHK)

People in Tokyo are struggling with the scorching summer heat. Health officials say 79 people died of heatstroke in the capital this month. (NHK)