Yomiuri Giants captain Hayato Sakamoto was among the 28 players named Tuesday to the Japan national team for the upcoming Premier12, an international baseball event that doubles as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Japan Times)

A baby sea lion that was missing since last week has been found safe at a zoo in Osaka City, western Japan. (NHK)

Mention the town of Nara to many people in Japan, and the first thing they’ll think of isn’t one of the city’s historical temples or shrines, nor the city’s former status as the capital of all Japan. Nope, for a lot of people, the next word that springs to mind after they hear “Nara” is “deer.” (soranews24.com)

The parents of a 7-year-old girl who went missing at a mountainous campsite in Doshi-mura, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Monday spoke publicly for the first time about their agony and hope for their daughter’s safe return. They also gave permission for the police to release a photo of their daughter, Misaki Ogura. (Japan Today)

A South Korean F-15 fighter jet has flown over the Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan as part of an Armed Forces Day ceremony. The islands are controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan. (NHK)

A record high percentage of Japan's male government officials took childcare leave in the fiscal year that ended in March. (NHK)

Media have been invited to view the renovated exterior of an ancient castle tower in southwestern Japan, which was seriously damaged by earthquakes in 2016. (NHK)

In Japan, the consumption tax rose from 8 to 10 percent on Tuesday. The government says the increase was needed to help cover ballooning social security costs and pay down massive public debt. (NHK)

The last remaining pager service in Japan is being terminated on Monday. (NHK)

The extent of SoftBank Group's exposure to the recent woes at WeWork is the talk of the town, as the U.S. office-sharing startup said Monday that it will officially scrap an initial public offering planned for this month. (Nikkei)

A large and strong typhoon is bringing heavy rains and powerful winds to parts of southwestern Japan. (NHK)

Yakiniku restaurants, establishments where customers grill their own meat on tattoo inspiring little BBQs, are extremely popular in Japan. Here, customers can quickly cook up whatever cuts of meat they like from tongues to tails and everything in between. (soranews24.com)

World Cup organizers have briefed both France and the United States on "contingency options" for their Pool C match in Fukuoka on Wednesday if the game is affected by Typhoon Mitag, which is developing off the south-west coast of Japan. (Japan Today)

Typhoon Mitag is expected to move close to the Sakishima Islands in the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa on Monday. (NHK)

Donald Trump may be famous -- among other things -- for his book "The Art of the Deal." But last week Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe schooled the obsessively transactional U.S. president on how a real deal is done. (Nikkei)

In the Rugby World Cup, host nation Japan has defeated world-ranked No.2 Ireland in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Ireland is seen as one of the favorites to win the cup. (NHK)

Kounotori8, Japan’s unmanned cargo spaceship loaded with supplies, docked at the International Space Station at an altitude of about 400 kilometers Saturday, the country’s space agency said. (Japan Times)

Japan's education ministry says as many as 20,000 foreign children living in the country are believed not to be receiving school education. (NHK)

Tickets promised to let fans "Experience what it’s like to be an AKB48 member’s lover." (soranews24.com)

The head of a minor opposition party, whose primary goal is to "crush" Japan's public broadcaster NHK, makes a remark hinting that genocide is the solution to overpopulation in a video uploaded to YouTube on Friday. (Kyodo)

The Justice Ministry said Friday it will launch a study by the end of this year on whether to introduce a system of joint custody in Japan, where child custody is awarded to one parent after divorce. (Japan Today)

Strains of Ebola and four other deadly viruses have been imported to Japan for the development of diagnostic kits ahead of the expected influx of visitors for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, a governmental research institute said Friday. (Japan Today)

Rice has been harvested at two sites in Japan to prepare for the Daijosai, or Great Thanksgiving Ceremony. The ceremony in November will be one of the key events to mark Emperor Naruhito's ascension to the throne. (NHK)

If you ask people in the street about bullying, the chances are you will hear that most of them believe that bullying is something that happens and stays in high school. (newsonjapan.com)

Eddie Jones' smile was wider than it's been at the Rugby World Cup so far. (Japan Today)