The Resort Shirakami runs on the Gono line through the stunning seaside scenery of Shirakami-Sanchi, a World Heritage Site. (ONLY in JAPAN * GO)

Kyushu Electric Power Co has restarted the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant in southwestern Japan after completing mandatory upgrades to protect the facility against terrorist attacks, a spokesman said. (Japan Today)

Japan reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak of the virus, with Tokyo also confirming a daily record in what experts say could be the third wave of the pandemic in the country. (Japan Today)

More than 150 women in Japan have made use of a major Denmark-based sperm bank amid an absence of rules on business transactions related to sperm and ova, the company said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A significant pair of retirement announcements came in the middle of the ongoing November Grand Sumo Tournament. (Japan Times)

SoftBank Group Corp.’s founder Masayoshi Son said he has $80 billion (Y8.3 trillion) in cash to buy back more shares and continue investing in both private and public companies. (Japan Times)

Budget carrier AirAsia Japan filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday due to headwinds from the coronavirus. (NHK)

For generations people have been saying there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and in the modern era we could probably add that there’s no such thing as a free-to-play mobile game. (soranews24.com)

The Japanese unit of Malaysia's budget airline AirAsia Group said Tuesday it has filed for bankruptcy due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on travel demand, with a lawyer saying the unit is unable to refund around 23,000 air tickets. (Kyodo)

As the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on education systems worldwide, a Japanese program to welcome more than 300,000 foreign students is at a crossroads. (NHK)

Members of the SpaceX Crew Dragon are now settling into the International Space Station -- their home and workplace for the next six months. (NHK)

The excitement of catching Mahaze [マハゼ/Yellowfin Goby] lures anglers to the brackish waterways winding through the middle of Tokyo. (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

Japanese supercomputer Fugaku has retained its position as the world's fastest. (NHK)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says his country and Australia have reached broad agreement on a pact related to joint exercises by the Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military. (NHK)

Veteran singer Masahiko Kondo has admitted to an extramarital affair and will be indefinitely suspended from activities as punishment, his management agency said in a statement released early Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Santa Claus has cancelled his annual visit to Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

A Japanese sushi chain has introduced a totally contactless dining experience amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Ruptly)

The president of the International Olympic Committee says foreign athletes and visitors to the Tokyo Games next year should be vaccinated for the coronavirus before entering Japan if a vaccine is available. (NHK)

Two years after the stunning arrest of Carlos Ghosn over alleged financial misconduct, discussions are underway inside Nissan Motor Co. that could fundamentally reshape the world’s biggest car alliance and unwind a key part of its former chairman’s legacy. (Japan Times)

The Hokkaido government on Tuesday officially raised its alert level in Sapporo, asking the city's residents to avoid nonessential outings and refrain from visiting other areas in the prefecture amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. (Japan Times)

The International Olympic Committee has awarded former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo its highest honor for his contribution to the Olympic movement. (NHK)

NHK has announced the lineup of its annual New Year's Eve live music show. (NHK)

A subtle change in Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's phrasing of a key Japanese foreign policy concept -- a "free and open Indo-Pacific" -- has raised questions about whether Tokyo has shifted its stance. (Kyodo)

Hokkaido's local government heads agreed Monday to ask residents of Sapporo to refrain from nonessential outings following back-to-back days of record coronavirus infections in the region. (Japan Times)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has conveyed to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hope for a stronger bilateral partnership to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. (NHK)