Japanese investigative sources say unidentified objects suspected to be drones have been spotted above several places in Tokyo, including an area near the Imperial Palace. (NHK)

Tourists visiting Japan often find that paying with a credit card can be a hassle. This is still largely a cash-based economy, despite the fact that the General Credit Card Study of 2016 showed that 84% of the Japanese population owned credit cards. This means that tourists can be taken by surprise when they realize that many small to medium-sized business in the country simply don’t accept payments by card. (newsonjapan.com)

A man was found dead Wednesday morning at an imperial burial site on the outskirts of Tokyo after an apparent suicide, police said. (Japan Times)

Several cars were damaged by fire in the parking lot of a discount retailer in Nasushiobara City on Sunday, police said, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

It's the first day of the new Reiwa era in Japan -- full of celebrations and rituals. Emperor Naruhito took the throne at the start of Wednesday -- and has spent the day taking part in ceremonies to mark the historic occasion. (NHK)

Free Wi-Fi has become available at all 108 shinkansen bullet train stations in Japan ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, data from the transport ministry showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will vacate the Imperial Palace some time after Tuesday’s abdication to make way for the new emperor and his family, handing over their public duties and looking forward to leisurely days. (Japan Times)

Takakeisho's name was officially placed among the sumo elite on Tuesday when the rankings for next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, the first of the Reiwa era, were released by the Japan Sumo Association. (Japan Today)

Saitama Prefectural Police arrested a 47-year-old man after more than 20 persons were sickened by pepper spray at a mall in Koshigaya City on Monday, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

A 56-year-old man has admitted to leaving knives on the desk of Prince Hisahito at a junior high school in Tokyo, investigative sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

A 77-year-old woman riding a moped was injured after she was knocked off the bike by a nylon rope stretched across a road in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, on Monday morning. (Japan Today)

Canadian and Japanese leaders on Sunday jointly trumpeted a rebooted Pacific trade pact that came into effect at the start of the year, without the United States. (Japan Times)

Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate, bringing the three-decade-long Heisei era to a close. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at the Imperial Palace. (NHK)

Police in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of molesting a 23-year-old woman in a shopping arcade. (Japan Today)

US President Donald Trump hopes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will work to reduce US trade deficit with Japan. He says he thinks Abe "will be fair." (NHK)

The body of a 7-year-old boy was found floating in the sea at a port in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Sunday morning. (Japan Today)

Masayoshi Son is often called Japan's Warren Buffett. It is a useful comparison as the SoftBank billionaire scours the globe for value investments, and, as with Buffett, some of his choices leave observers perplexed. (Nikkei)

A 46-year-old man working for Kyodo News was arrested for allegedly damaging a vehicle in Kanagawa Prefecture, police said Sunday. (Japan Today)

A woman in her 70s drove her car onto the train tracks in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday night. (Japan Today)

The Immigration Services Agency plans to strengthen its eligibility standards for Japanese-language schools, it was learned Saturday. (Japan Times)

Japan's first museum of folklore monsters opened Friday in Hiroshima Prefecture, allowing visitors to get immersed in a strange world of yokai through historical artifacts and interactive digital installations. (Japan Today)

Japan's second-largest opposition Democratic Party for the People absorbed Friday a smaller opposition party in an attempt to expand its strength ahead of an upper house election this summer. (Japan Today)

Hospitals have been scrambling to secure enough doctors during the unprecedented Golden Week holiday period that began Saturday, which was extended to 10 days to accommodate the Imperial succession. (Japan Times)

Two knives were found at the classroom desk of Prince Hisahito, the 12-year-old grandson of Emperor Akihito, with security camera footage showing a man had trespassed on the grounds of his Tokyo junior high school, police said Saturday. (Japan Today)

An unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday started Saturday in Japan ahead of the imperial succession, with bullet train stations, airports and expressways crowded with travelers heading to their hometowns, major cities and overseas destinations. (Japan Today)