A "devastated" Japan head coach Akira Nishino took the blame for the 3-2 loss to Belgium that knocked his team out of the World Cup on Monday, saying he made tactical errors. (Kyodo)

Japan head coach Akira Nishino revealed Saturday that he apologized to his players for making them hold onto the ball and avoid attacking late in their final World Cup group game against Poland, in a tactical move which saw them loudly jeered by spectators. (Kyodo)

Legoland Japan unveiled Thursday a water play area -- an attraction added to the amusement park for the first time since opening in April 2017 -- as the park operator hopes to boost the number of visitors during the summer break. (Kyodok)

The operator of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka unveiled to the press Tuesday its two new attractions featuring characters from the picture book series "Curious George" and the animated film series "Minions" ahead of their weekend debut. (Kyodo)

Japan Airlines Co. on Friday kicked off flights of a passenger jet featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters to mark the 35th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo Disney Resort. (Japan Times)

Police have arrested a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of murdering her 40-year-old brother by making it look like he committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. (Japan Today)

Yuya Osako exacted sweet revenge for Japan on Tuesday as the Blue Samurai beat Colombia 2-1, becoming the first Asian side ever to beat a South American team at the World Cup. (jacarandafm.com)

An emerging number of Japanese schools are introducing genderless uniforms or flexible uniform codes in an effort to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. (Kyodo)

The U.S. naval hospital ship Mercy arrived Saturday in Japan, which is considering building such floating hospitals to provide medical care after disasters like the 2011 catastrophe. (Kyodo)

The father of a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl allegedly killed by a male neighbor near Tokyo in 2017 demanded capital punishment at a court hearing on Friday. (Kyodo)

The government has instructed West Japan Railway Co. to investigate why a driver of one of its bullet trains that hit and killed a man did not report any abnormal sound at the time, the transport minister said Friday. (Kyodo)

Two men arrested earlier this week in connection with the death of a 29-year-old nurse are suspected of following her from a building housing a gym that she went to before they kidnapped her in a nearby parking lot, investigative sources said Thursday. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government said Thursday foreign travelers with unpaid medical bills will be denied entry to the country in the future, with the number of foreign visitors set to surge in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. (Kyodo)

One of the famed deer roaming in the western Japan city of Nara has been found with a paper dart lodged in its neck, local authorities said Wednesday, prompting police to launch an investigation. (Kyodo)

Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday approved a plan to scrap a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant northeast of Tokyo over a 70-year period with the cost projected at 1 trillion yen ($9 billion). (Kyodo)

A Japanese high court has decided not to grant a retrial to an 82-year-old former professional boxer in a 1966 murder case. (NHK)

The International Tokyo Toy Show 2018 opened to buyers and the media on Thursday with "global" being a keyword for Japan's largest toy industry showcase as it began a four-day residency at Tokyo Big Sight. (Kyodo)

The suspicious death of a wealthy but troubled Japanese man dubbed "Don Juan" has brought into focus the personal life of the 77-year-old self-proclaimed womanizer who married a 21-year-old earlier this year. (Kyodo)

Central Japan Railway Co. showed a new shinkansen bullet train model to the media during a test run on Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Police are investigating the sudden death in May of a wealthy man in western Japan, dubbed a Japanese "Don Juan" for being a womanizer, as possible murder after stimulants were detected in his body, investigative sources said Monday. (Kyodo)

The president of Nihon University has apologized over a violent incident in an American football match earlier this month. (NHK)

Andrés Iniesta has signed for the Japanese side Vissel Kobe after bringing down the curtain on his brilliant Barcelona career. (theguardian.com)

Uber Technologies Inc. said Tuesday it will start its first taxi-hailing service in Japan this summer on a western island, targeting foreign tourists and residents, in a step toward a full-fledged entry into the country's huge taxi market. (Kyodo)

A sake produced by a brewery in the western Japan prefecture of Yamaguchi won the top prize in its category Friday for the second year in a row at an international sake contest held in northeastern Japan. (Kyodo)

A Suntory Holdings Ltd. subsidiary will suspend selling two leading whisky brands due to a shortage of unblended whisky amid the growing popularity of the spirit at home and abroad. (Kyodo)