Another important part of the upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is taking shape. Just 50 days before the events kick off, organizers gave aspiring athletes something to dream about: a look at where and how the world's best will be given their medals. (NHK)

Police in Tachikawa, Tokyo, have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder after he fatally stabbed a 31-year-old female sex worker at a hotel on Tuesday. (Japan Today)

NHK has learned that doctors in charge of medical service at competition venues in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are withdrawing. Some of them have cited their busy work schedule. (NHK)

A Japanese government panel is calling for investing in equipment to make products that are highly effective in de-carbonization and also for building a system to secure a stable supply of semiconductors. (NHK)

A developing low-pressure system and a seasonal rain front are expected to bring heavy rain to wide areas of Japan from Kyushu to Hokkaido through Friday. (NHK)

NHK has learned that the Japanese government plans to set new targets to speed the country's transition to eco-friendly vehicles. (NHK)

Japan has administered COVID-19 vaccines to more than 10 million people, the Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday, as the country tries to speed up inoculations that are lagging far behind other developed countries. (Japan Times)

Japanese farmers are turning to digital technologies to grow and sell their products as the coronavirus pandemic depresses sales to restaurants and the graying of Japan's population complicates the drive to raise productivity in the labor-intensive sector. (Kyodo)

Hospitals in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa are moving to limit the number of patients they see or admit as the rapid spread of the coronavirus has caused a shortage of hospital beds. (NHK)

A 23-year-old police officer was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing luxury watches and a ring worth a total of about 10 million yen ($91,400) from a house in the central Japan prefecture of Mie, police said. (Kyodo)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has pledged to provide an additional 800 million dollars to an international framework aiming for a fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide. (NHK)

COVID-19 cases are still high and hospitals remain under strain despite a state of emergency as Japan on Thursday marks 50 days before the start of the Tokyo Olympics. (Japan Today)

Internet portal Yahoo Japan Corp. said Wednesday that it had introduced a system allowing its workers to take leave of absence for fertility treatment for up to one year. (Japan Times)

Japan is preparing to hold next month’s Olympics with some spectators present, even as experts warn it would be difficult to stage the games unless the pace of infections falls in the capital, according to media reports. (Bloomberg Quicktake: Now)

People in Tokyo rallied around Naomi Osaka after the world number two withdrew from the French Open in a row about post-match media duties, saying she had been suffering from depression and anxiety. (Reuters)

Two Japanese regional airlines have reached an agreement to integrate their operations as they struggle to recover from the pandemic. (NHK)

Students at public high schools in Okinawa have begun attending school on alternate days as the prefecture bids to tackle high numbers of coronavirus cases. (NHK)

China has reacted harshly to Japan's proposal to offer coronavirus vaccines to Taiwan, saying vaccine assistance should not be a political tool. (NHK)

On Monday, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) issued a warning to crypto exchange Bybit over unregistered operations. (yahoo.com)

I have been wanting to make this video, but didn’t have big enough balls to go bald and actually do it. (SHUNchan)

With less than eight weeks to go to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the host city remains under a coronavirus state of emergency and is battling negative publicity at home and abroad. (NHK)

The Japanese government is planning to introduce a 6-day self-isolation period for people entering the country from Vietnam and Malaysia. (NHK)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced on its website that the agency has plans to put a Transformable Lunar Robot on the moon. (phys.org)

Japan is riddled with millions of vacant homes, called akiya, that local governments hope will sell for next to nothing. (nypost.com)

How do start a conversation with Japanese girls? Get some cute dogs of course! (Oriental Pearl)