Japan's exports were up in December from the same month the previous year on stronger demand from customers in China and other Asian countries. (NHK)

The chief of Japan's COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday denied media reports that vaccinations for the general public may start in May, as the country battles a third wave that has brought record numbers of infections and serious cases. (Japan Times)

This film introduces Japan's efforts to achieve an inclusive society through the latest technology to promote social participation of people with disabilities. (外務省 / MOFA)

More than a dozen stores closed in Tokyo's high-end Ginza Six mall this week as the coronavirus pandemic kept big-spending foreign tourists and other luxury shoppers away from an upscale shopping district famous for brand-name boutiques. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide defended the government's policies against the coronavirus while answering questions about his recent policy speech in the Diet. (NHK)

Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of masterminding the robbery of the Tokyo apartment of porn film actress Yuria Satomi last October. (Japan Today)

Young Shinto priests in loincloths have poured icy water on themselves in a traditional ritual of purification to pray for safety throughout the year. (NHK)

Three men were found dead inside a tent in a forest in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture, on Monday morning. (Japan Today)

Skyrocketing numbers of people on waiting lists for hospitalization underline how officials are now being forced to limit medical care to the most critically ill COVID-19 patients amid bed shortages, with the vast majority of less urgent cases consigned into unsupervised home care. (Japan Times)

Taro Kono, newly appointed as minister in charge of rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, said Tuesday he would tackle the challenge with a complicated logistics plan to deliver an effective blitz of vaccinations quickly. (Japan Times)

Japan’s wholesale electricity prices hit the maximum possible for a third day after the government set upper limits on moves last week amid the worst power crunch since the Fukushima disaster nearly a decade ago. (Reuters)

Among the young sumo wrestlers lifting weights in the ring, 10-year-old Kyuta Kumagai stands out. (Reuters)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 52-year-old man from Mie Prefecture who is suspected of using a government-supported campaign to travel to the capital to carry out a bag theft, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

One of Japan's top sporting venues is about to get a new owner. The Tokyo Dome, home ground of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, will be part of real estate company Mitsui Fudosan's portfolio. (NHK)

Scoop up the rich tapestry of traditional culture and natural beauty of Ojiya, a small city in Niigata Prefecture's snowy mountains that's had to scale back as it steers through a global pandemic. (NHK)

With an unemployment rate below three percent and a reputation for a strong social safety net, Japan also appears well placed to weather the pandemic's economic fallout. (yahoo.com)

Major Japanese retail chain Don Quijote opened its first Taiwan store on Tuesday, under the brand name Don Don Donki. (Formosa TV English News)

Tokyo police arrested two Chinese exchange students Tuesday for their alleged involvement in fraudulent money withdrawals related to mobile phone carrier NTT Docomo Inc.’s Docomo Koza e-money service. (Japan Times)

Japan's government plans to hold the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year without making vaccination against coronavirus a condition of participation. (7news)

Heavy snowfall blanketed wide areas of northern and northeastern Japan on Tuesday, causing a fatal multiple-vehicle collision on an expressway, with the weather agency warning of gales and snowstorms disrupting traffic. (Kyodo)

Train services in greater Tokyo are scheduled to end earlier at night starting from Wednesday, due to a state of emergency declared in the region over the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

A person taking Japan's new standardized university entrance exam on Saturday was disqualified for failing to properly wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

The amount of liquid marijuana seized in Japan has been surging, putting police and customs authorities on high alert. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters Monday that a new ministerial position has been created to ensure the smooth rollout of Japan's vaccination program. (Nikkei)

Japan's health ministry says three people in the country have been confirmed to be infected with a new strain of the coronavirus now prevalent in Britain. (NHK)