Mitsubishi Electric and Yaskawa Electric are among 100 major Japanese manufacturers set to share production data with each other to improve efficiency, using blockchain technology to ensure their information remains secure, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

Japanese manga needs a new superhero. Battered by a shrinking population and changing consumer tastes, the once undisputed champion of the country's pop culture is on the ropes as readership plummets. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government has been requesting the United States for concrete evidence to back its assertion that Iran is to blame for the attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, government sources said Sunday. (Japan Today)

The number of private lodgings in Japan has increased eightfold since the law legalizing them took effect a year ago to relieve a shortage of hotel rooms in the wake of the inbound tourism boom, according to data released by the government. (Japan Today)

Although the visual kei style of Japanese rock group X Japan is often dark and violent, fans know all too well how sweet and endearing its members really are. From the occasionally befuddled charm of drummer Yoshiki to the Christmas pancakes of singer Toshi, these guys don’t seem to have a bad bone in their body. (Japan Today)

A law to prohibit ticket scalping for concerts and sports events came into force Friday ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (Japan Today)

Iran's supreme leader told Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday that it was pointless to reply to a message he had brought to Tehran from U.S. President Donald Trump, as a peacemaking visit was overshadowed by attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. (Japan Today)

Japan Airlines has become the first career in the country to take delivery of an Airbus A350 passenger jet. The plane arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Friday. (NHK)

A Japanese firm has shelved an advertising campaign intended to promote gender equity at home after its #beWHITE hashtag sparked concern about racial sensitivities. (Japan Today)

Japanese trade minister Hiroshige Seko said Thursday that two tankers carrying "Japan-related" cargo were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. (Japan Today)

Japan leads the world in paid leave set aside for fathers, but few take advantage of it, according to a new report by the U.N. Children's Fund based on legal entitlements from 2016. (Japan Today)

A Japanese exchange student in the US state of Washington has sparked an online debate about a high school's use of a mushroom cloud logo. (NHK)

One of the toughest problems retirees face is making sure their money lasts as long as they do. (Japan Times)

A 31-year-old woman in Niigata Prefecture has been arrested on suspicion of killing her 3-month-old daughter by repeatedly dropping her on the floor, police said Thursday. (Japan Today)

A record 3,129 people were stranded on Japanese mountains last year amid a continued boom in activities such as climbing and walking, a police report revealed Thursday. (Japan Today)

A 23-year-old male university student was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing a doctor at her apartment in Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture, last month, local police said. (Japan Times)

Police in Muko, Kyoto Prefecture, said Wednesday they have arrested two men on suspicion of abandoning the body of a woman, wrapped from head to toe in a tarp bound by white adhesive tape, in the parking lot of an apartment building. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday to avoid a further escalation of tensions and an unintended military conflict in the Middle East, as he sought to nudge Tehran toward dialogue as a mediator with the United States. (Kyodo)

The Diet on Wednesday passed a bill requiring dog and cat breeders to microchip animals, and owners to voluntarily do the same to their pets, in a bid to reduce the number of strays. (Japan Times)

The government on Tuesday made a decision on a regulatory reform measure to allow foreign students to start their own companies. (Japan Times)

Yuriyan Retriever really blew the judges away…though it’s hard to say if that’s a good thing or not. (soranews24.com)

Miyako Shirakawa was a 19-year-old college student when she was raped by an older man. She said that when the attack started, her mind went blank and she froze up. (Japan Times)

Organizers have marked 100 days to go before the opening of the Rugby World Cup by saying the challenges of staging the sport's showpiece event in a non-traditional rugby nation have largely been overcome, most particularly with ticket sales. (Japan Today)

A Tokyo government website tasked with tackling child abuse unintentionally appeared to do the exact opposite when a caption under an image of a mascot skipped a vital word, government officials said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Food delivery staff working in Japan for ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc said Wednesday they plan to form a labor union in a bid to improve what they see as disadvantageous treatment for being classified as independent contractors rather than employees. (Japan Today)