Japan will enter the Rugby World Cup believing they have made the necessary preparations to achieve their goal of a berth in the quarterfinals, head coach Jamie Joseph said Saturday. (Kyodo)

An undeclared North Korean ballistic missile base in the country's southwest hosts medium-range missiles capable of striking half of Japan and anywhere in South Korea, a U.S. think tank says. (Japan Today)

Japan has decided to reject South Korea’s offer to extend a military intelligence-sharing pact scheduled to expire in November in exchange for Tokyo easing retightened trade controls, government sources said Friday. (Japan Times)

Cutting interest rates "further into the negative zone is always an option" for the Bank of Japan, Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda told Nikkei, as the central bank grows increasingly concerned about mounting downside risks to the global economy from the U.S.-China trade war. He said rate cuts are one of the four options BOJ has presented before. (Nikkei)

The number of children waiting to enter authorized day care facilities fell to a record low of 16,772 as of April 1, down 3,123 from the previous year, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

Renowned for melding East and West, old and new with its architecture and design, The Okura Tokyo opened its doors to the press for the first time Friday after three years of renovations, ahead of its public opening on Sept. 12. (Japan Times)

Japanese scientists have identified a new species of dinosaur from a nearly complete skeleton that was the largest ever discovered in the country, measuring eight meters long. (Japan Times)

SoftBank Corp. said Friday that from next week it will stop giving its mobile phone users two-year contracts that offer discounts on monthly communication fees but impose substantial penalties for canceling early. (Japan Times)

Japan's Meteorological Agency says a strong typhoon may bring downpours to Pacific coastal areas of western and eastern Japan. (NHK)

It’s not an exaggeration to say many Japanese have a complex about speaking English. Most Japanese study English for three years in junior high school as a requirement, and those who graduate from university will have studied the language for 10 years. Yet many Japanese say they’re not good at speaking English. (Japan Times)

The trial of Carlos Ghosn, the former head of Nissan Motor Co who has been charged with financial misconduct in Japan, will begin as early as March, Kyodo News said on Thursday, citing his defense lawyer. (Japan Today)

Bubble tea’s popularity has positively exploded in Japan. The mad rush has inspired many novel and creative ways to serve up the chewy beverage, including "drinkable sun block," Halloween zombie boba, and even a bubble tea theme park. (Japan Today)

An express train collided with a large truck on Thursday in Yokohama, killing the driver of the truck and injuring 33. (Japan Times)

Police in Shibuya Ward continued their crackdown on graffiti with the arrests Irish rapper Rejjie Snow and Tanner Dale, a DJ, early Wednesday, reports Nippon News Network (Sept. 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

South Korean Olympic officials have called on Japan to ban its "rising sun" flag at the 2020 Tokyo Games after claiming it represents a "militaristic and imperial past." (Japan Today)

Powerful typhoon Lingling is moving north near the main island of Japan's subtropical Okinawa Prefecture. It has already pummeled Miyakojima and nearby islands, leaving about 20,000 households without power. (NHK)

Large numbers of pearl oysters have been found dead in Ago Bay in central Japan. (NHK)

Summer temperatures have yet to cool off, and meteorologists believe that this year’s scorching heat may have pushed back the arrival of autumn foliage season — predicting its start will likely be later than usual across almost all regions of Japan. (Japan Times)

Police in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, said Wednesday they have arrested a 47-year-old unemployed woman on suspicion of attempting to kill her 10-year-old daughter at their home. (Japan Today)

Nissan Motor CEO Hiroto Saikawa is under suspicions that he improperly added 47 million yen ($443,000) to his compensation by tweaking the terms of a performance-based bonus, according to an internal investigation by the Japanese automaker. (Nikkei)

Titles featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and more can be seen through the Shonen Jump+ app. (soranews24.com)

It is not ground breaking news to hear that Japan's ski industry is booming, each winter record levels of international tourism are achieved, driven largely by a growing global awareness and explosion in Asian ski culture. (newsonjapan.com)

A new attraction at Tokyo Disney Resort is drawing big crowds that help sustain a major round of investments in the 36-year-old theme park site. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has submitted an amendment that would oblige cyclists in the capital to purchase liability insurance policies, following a series of bicycle accidents in which pedestrians were severely injured and secured huge compensation payments. (Japan Times)

Empress Emerita Michiko will have surgery for breast cancer on Sunday, the Imperial Household Agency announced Tuesday. (Japan Times)