Five people have been arrested after repeatedly performing dangerous drift driving on a road in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, sending up clouds of white smoke in the middle of the night and drawing police scrutiny.

The Japanese government is considering the use of chartered aircraft to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East as tensions in the region escalate, with around 8,000 Japanese nationals currently staying across several countries.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced plans to draw up guidelines for the introduction of a so-called dual pricing system that differentiates between foreign visitors and local residents.

Police plan to arrest a Japanese doctor in his 60s who lives in the United States and is suspected of spraying an oil-like liquid at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Chiba Prefecture in 2015, with the suspect expected to arrive in Japan as early as March 4th, investigators said.

Large amounts of what appear to be illegally dumped garbage line the roadside at the Tokyo Metropolitan Kirigaoka Danchi in Kita Ward, where a decline in residents has left fewer eyes to monitor the sprawling public housing complex that first opened in the 1950s.

PayPay’s market capitalization is expected to exceed 2 trillion yen as the company prepares for a listing on the U.S. Nasdaq exchange.

A report session for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s "Be Smart Tokyo" project, an initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of residents through the power of digital technology as part of the broader goal of creating "Smart Tokyo," was held on March 4th.

The Osaka Loop Line, which circles central Osaka, has 19 stations and runs for about 21 kilometers. Despite its circular design, surprisingly few trains actually operate in a full loop. During daytime hours, only about one in three trains runs the complete circuit, while destination boards often display locations such as Nara or Wakayama—names that seem out of place on a circular urban railway.

A Tokyo-based investment firm that had planned to take over the closed zoo North Safari Sapporo in Minami Ward, Sapporo, and develop a new zoological park has decided to scrap the plan as of March 3rd.

All Nippon Airways held a press conference to announce a change in leadership, with Executive Vice President Hisaichi Hirasawa set to assume the role of president on April 1st, stating that sweeping reforms to the airline’s struggling domestic operations are urgently needed as profitability continues to deteriorate.

With company information sessions for university students set to graduate next spring opening in March, Japan’s job-hunting season has entered full swing, once again unfolding under what is widely seen as a candidate-driven seller’s market.

NTT’s next-generation optical communications infrastructure, known as IOWN, is moving toward global standardization as the company steps up efforts to promote the technology in Europe.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on Iran to exercise restraint during a Lower House Budget Committee session on March 2nd, as tensions escalated following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, underscoring Japan’s commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at calming the situation in the Middle East.

Shogakukan has come under mounting criticism after it was revealed that its manga app “Manga One” appointed a male manga artist as the original author of a new serialized work despite being aware of his past sexual misconduct, prompting the publisher to apologize and announce on March 2nd that it would establish an independent third-party committee to investigate the matter.

Japan byFood and Shizuka visit Tsukishima, Tokyo’s street food hotspot, to meet Bon-Chan, the famous tortoise adored by locals and visitors. (Japan by Food)

Tokyo Metro and Toshiba have launched Japan’s first demonstration test allowing passengers to pass through ticket gates without touching them by using their smartphones’ Bluetooth function.

Motors are embedded in countless electronic devices, from home appliances and robots to automobiles, quietly generating the power that underpins modern life, and now a Japanese startup is challenging long-held assumptions by developing a next-generation motor that delivers both high efficiency and high output while eliminating the need for rare earth materials.

The Tokyo Marathon was held on March 1st along a course running from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to Tokyo Station, with Suguru Osako, who holds the Japanese national record and competes for Li-Ning, finishing 12th in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 59 seconds to post the best result among Japanese runners in the men’s race.

Japan is known for keeping tradition amidst modernization. While travelers visit temples that date back centuries, they will also see modern day neon skyscrapers.

This is behind the counter in Japan at Eiraiken, a small machi-chuka, or Japanese style Chinese restaurant, tucked away in a quiet Yokohama neighborhood. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

The number of foreign visitors staying at accommodation facilities across Japan reached a record 177.87 million guest nights last year, marking the highest level ever recorded and highlighting a continued shift toward regional destinations.

Honda announced on February 26th that it will introduce a new model of its SUV, the CR-V, with prices starting at 5,122,700 yen.

The name of a Japanese figure involved in a national government project has appeared more than 8,000 times in investigative records related to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking and other crimes, sparking controversy and raising concerns over the future of the state-backed initiative.

Mizuho Financial Group has decided on a policy to improve operational efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence, aiming to reduce administrative work equivalent to as many as 5,000 employees over the next decade.

An AI startup that emerged almost overnight, Akari had long been known only to insiders due to its limited media exposure, but after receiving investment from Mitsubishi Electric at the end of January and seeing its corporate valuation surge past 100 billion yen, the Tokyo-born venture has rapidly positioned itself as a leading unicorn candidate in Japan’s AI sector.