Japan's prime minister said his administration will consider revising the law so that subsidies and penalties can be used in combination to enforce shorter business hours at bars and restaurants. (NHK)

Tokyo reported a record 949 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday as infections continue to climb throughout the country. (Japan Times)

Japan's two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu made a stylish return to competition Friday after skipping the Grand Prix season over fears of coronavirus infection. (Japan Times)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday corrected statements he had made in the Diet, apologizing for what he said were mistakes regarding a political funding scandal that has also cast a pall over the current prime minister, Yoshihide Suga. (Japan Today)

Former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe will not be charged over allegations his political funding group illegally subsidised parties for hundreds of voters in a case casting a shadow over the current prime minister. (straitstimes.com)

About 18 percent of more than 1,000 universities and other higher education institutions in Japan continued to reduce their in-person teaching to less than half of their total as of October due to the coronavirus pandemic, the education ministry said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

If you thought Japanese beer meant Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo, think again. ( VICE Asia)

Japanese authorities have reported more than 3,200 new coronavirus cases so far on Wednesday -- the highest daily tally ever. (NHK)

Japan has set its 2021 catch limit for large whales at 383, the same as for the current year, in line with calculations to avoid a negative impact on cetacean resources, according to the Fisheries Agency. (Kyodo)

Japanese affordable home furnishing chain Nitori’s slogan is “Onedan ijo,” which loosely translates to “quality beyond its price.” Unfortunately, it turns out that some of Nitori’s products have also gone above and beyond expectations for how much asbestos they contain. (soranews24.com)

In Japan, you will see lots of cute things. In fact, there is a Japanese word for it– Kawaii means a "culture of cuteness." (wthr.com)

A 28-year-old teacher in custody over the alleged sexual abuse of a boy overseas has been accused in two other cases, police have revealed, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

Qantas has made its first significant move to restart international flying after revealing it has plans to launch a new business with Japan Airlines in July. (australianaviation.com.au)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says 888 new cases of coronavirus infection, a new daily high, were confirmed in the Japanese capital on Thursday. (NHK)

Follow along as Shizuka dons a kimono and enters through a tiny sliding door into a “chashitsu” tea room. (Japan by Food)

Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry and Kyoto University are planting the seeds for a 2023 launch of the world's first satellite made out of wood. ()

Yahoo Japan Corp. said Wednesday it will delete hateful and defamatory comments from all of its online posting sites with the use of artificial intelligence, beefing up efforts to tackle cyberbullying after the suspected suicide of a reality show star. (Kyodo)

The Inagawa-kai criminal syndicate is cancelling various events typically held around the New Year’s holiday due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, police have revealed, reports the Asahi Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

The number of teachers at public schools in Japan who received disciplinary action or a reprimand for sexual misconduct in fiscal 2019 stood at 273, the second-highest figure on record, education ministry data showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

The coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games will cost at least ¥1.64 trillion ($15.9 billion), organizers said Tuesday, unveiling a final budget swollen by the unprecedented postponement and a raft of pandemic measures. (Japan Times)

Japan's former Emperor Akihito turned 87 on Wednesday, having spent much of the year quietly at his residence in Tokyo amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Japan and other Asian countries are adding to the cascade of global restrictions on travel from the U.K., amid fears of a new coronavirus variant believed to be more transmissible than strains seen so far. (Nikkei)

Japanese actor Yusuke Iseya was sentenced Tuesday to one year in prison, suspended for three years, for possessing cannabis. (Kyodo)

The Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday eight senior officials, including its top two officers, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and will be working remotely under quarantine. (Japan Times)

US President Donald Trump's nomination for Washington's next ambassador to Japan is likely to be scrapped now that the current session of Congress is all but over. (NHK)