A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for killing an information technology expert and well known blogger after a seminar in Fukuoka last year. (Japan Today)

A teacher at a prestigious Tokyo junior high school allegedly kicked a student as corporal punishment in mid-September and left him with a broken rib, investigative and other sources with the knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The Olympic Games is one of the most awaited world events. Every year, different countries host the Olympic Games, and Japan was chosen as the venue for 2020. Despite the current pandemic, Japan puts its best foot forward and continuously make improvements in their facilities, such as the Olympic aquatics center. (Japan Today)

The push to reduce overtime in Japan is starting to have wide-ranging effects on Japanese society, from shifting traffic patterns to boosting part-time work six months after a law was passed to improve the country's notoriously lacking work-life balance. (Nikkei)

Shinzo Abe, who became Japan's longest-serving prime minister on Wednesday, was groomed for politics from birth and has cemented his power with shrewd diplomacy, unwavering nationalism, and a knack for surviving scandal. (Japan Today)

Actress Erika Sawajiri, arrested for allegedly possessing the synthetic drug MDMA, has tested negative in a urine test for MDMA and other illegal drugs, police said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

From chemicals to beer and travel, the chill in Japan and South Korea's relations is casting a wider shadow on their economic ties, the latest statistics show. (Nikkei)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan marked the largest percentage drop in more than seven years in October with a 5.5 percent on-year fall, as a devastating typhoon and a continued plunge in South Korean tourists more than offset the effect of the Rugby World Cup, government data showed Wednesday. (Japan Times)

The government and ruling coalition are planning to allow tax-free shopping for specific vending machines in a bid to spur spending by foreign tourists, sources said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Two new Pokemon video games sold around 1.37 million copies in Japan within the first three days of their release, a record for any title developed for Nintendo Co's Switch console, an estimate by a weekly game magazine showed Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Police in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, said Monday they have arrested a 56-year-old professor at Keio University on suspicion of stealing women’s underwear. (Japan Today)

Shinzo Abe has become Japan's longest-serving prime minister after breaking a record set more than a century ago. (NHK)

Japanese retailers are gearing up for Black Friday sales this week, including an initial foray by Amazon Japan, hoping the event will give consumer spending a much-needed shot in the arm after last month's consumption tax increase. (Nikkei)

All construction works for the main stadium of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have finished. (NHK)

In Japan, there’s a common understanding that public places are spaces are to be respected, which is the reason why people talk quietly on public transport, hold back on eating while walking, and stand patiently in orderly queues. (Japan Today)

The Lower House signed off Tuesday on a trade deal with the United States that cuts tariffs on farm and industrial products, taking a step toward its entry into force next year. (Japan Times)

Japan and South Korea have failed to hammer out their differences over Japan's export controls in the second round of bilateral talks at the World Trade Organization. (NHK)

East Japan Railway says it will tear down Harajuku Station, the oldest wooden station building in Tokyo, after the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in the metropolis. (NHK)

Police have questioned, on a voluntary basis, four teachers involved in the alleged bullying of a male colleague in Kobe, western Japan, according to sources close to the matter. (NHK)

A private Japanese think tank has ranked Tokyo third in its annual assessment of major cities around the world. (NHK)

The number of homeless people in central Tokyo has dropped 7% from a year ago, the metropolitan government says, with the robust job market receiving much of the credit. (Nikkei)

A 71-year-old woman in central Japan suspected of murdering her husband has told investigators she strangled her in-laws as well, local police said Monday, pointing to the stress of being the sole caregiver in the family as a possible motive. (Japan Times)

For most city residents, trains and subways are an integral part of daily life, and few countries have embraced rail travel like Japan. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that one of the best train museums in the world is found here: the Kyoto Railway Museum — and it’s a great place to visit with kids. (Japan Times)

The industry ministry said Monday it would be safe to release water contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean, stressing that on an annual basis the amount of radiation measured near the release point would be very small compared to levels to which humans are naturally exposed. (Japan Times)

Police arrested a man wanted over the slaying of a 20-year-old woman in the city of Niigata. (Japan Times)