Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has visited the northeastern prefectures of Miyagi and Iwate to see their recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. (NHK)

Tokyo public prosecutors indicted Alfresa Corp. and two other major Japanese drug wholesalers on Wednesday on charges of rigging bids to supply prescription medicines to an independent administrative body. (Japan Times)

Toyota Motor has launched a new version of its hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle, the Mirai. The car, which emits no carbon dioxide, can travel up to 850 kilometers on a single tank. (NHK)

Mongolian-born sumo wrestler Kakuryu has obtained Japanese citizenship. (NHK)

The operator of an online-shopping site selling goods related to a Japanese pop group says it has been targeted by cyberattacks. (NHK)

Empress Masako, on the occasion of her 57th birthday on Wednesday, expressed her desire to overcome the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus pandemic together with the Japanese people, saying they are "invaluable" people and wishes for their happiness. (Kyodo)

A capsule released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's space probe Hayabusa2 arrived at a lab near Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday. (NHK)

Japan's Prime Minister says the government has compiled an additional stimulus package worth over 700 billion dollars to tackle the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. (NHK)

At least two people have been killed and more than 140 injured in Japan in the last six months as the number of bear sightings in populated areas has reached a five-year high and the country is facing its worst year ever for attacks. (FRANCE 24 English)

The only female member of a town assembly in Japan has been voted out of her seat after she accused the mayor of sexual assault, in a setback for the country’s nascent #MeToo movement. (theguardian.com)

Japan's Environment Ministry says the country's greenhouse gas emissions for the fiscal year that ended in March hit a record low. (NHK)

Russian citizens of the disputed Kuril Islands are, according to US officials, actually Japanese – a result of the US’ policy of insisting much of the archipelago, governed by Moscow since World War II, rightly belongs to Tokyo. (RT)

Japanese junior high school students are improving their scores in mathematics while elementary school students' scores in science are declining. (NHK)

Athletes competing at next year's Tokyo Olympics will have a shorter than usual stay at the world's biggest multi-sports event due to tight COVID-19 health protocols. (yahoo.com)

The government will dispatch nurses from the Self-Defense Forces to Asahikawa in Hokkaido, as the city faces a shortage of health care workers due to a recent spike in coronavirus infections, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The Japanese Mushroom Big 7 (Shiitake, Maitake, Eringi, Enoki, Nameko, Bunashimeji) are found in almost every supermarket in Japan. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Japanese electronic payment service PayPay says it was hacked from Brazil late last month. (NHK)

Japanese sushi and hamburger chains are opening new outlets in Tokyo despite the coronavirus scourge. They are counting on rising demand for quick bites and take-out food to boost revenues. (NHK)

Medical institutions in Japan are straining to cope with clustered infections. (NHK)

Sail through the network of canals winding their way through Omi-hachiman, a once bustling castle town overlooking Lake Biwa. (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

Eighty-eight Japanese companies including Toyota Motor and the country's three mega banks joined the Japan Hydrogen Association that was set up on Monday to encourage the wider use of hydrogen by establishing a fund and supporting new projects. (Nikkei)

Yuya Yoshida won the Fukuoka International Marathon held in southwestern Japan on Sunday to earn his first career victory over the 42.195-kilometer distance. (Kyodo)

While Kyoto once struggled with over tourism, it has been comparatively empty for some time now. ()

Japan’s government is considering the resumption of inbound tourism on a limited basis from the spring as Tokyo prepares to host a delayed summer Olympics, the Asahi newspaper reported on Sunday. (Japan Times)

More and more medical workers in Japan are warning that care systems in the nation are in peril as daily case counts have topped 2,000 for several days running. (Japan Times)