Emperor Akihito took part in an award ceremony in Tokyo on Friday, in what was likely his last official duty outside the Imperial Palace ahead of his abdication next week. (Japan Times)

As most Japanese eagerly await the annual Golden Week holiday that begins on Saturday, small business owners are scrambling to figure out how to survive the longer-than-usual break as many banks and financial services will be shuttered for 10 days. (Nikkei)

Japanese immigration authorities said Friday they have decided to grant the first visas under a new system aimed at accepting more foreign workers to two Cambodian women. (Kyodo)

A female police officer resigned Friday after it was revealed that she’d been driving patrol cars around the city of Kawagoe since November despite the fact she didn’t have a driving license. (Japan Times)

The Bank of Japan told investors it would keep interest rates at superlow levels for at least one more year, indicating a time scale for anticipated rate stability for the first time and seeking to dispel uncertainty over its commitment to ultraloose policies as the economy comes under fresh pressures. (Japan Times)

Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of jail on Thursday night after the Tokyo District Court rejected an appeal by prosecutors to reverse its decision to grant bail. (Nikkei)

Convenience store operators released actions plans Thursday to address acute labor shortages, suggesting they have become more flexible about operating hours. (Japan Times)

Japan's space agency has confirmed that its Hayabusa2 space probe has succeeded in creating an artificial crater on the surface of an asteroid, the world's first attempt to study its interior. (NHK)

Tokyo on Thursday displayed a drawing thought to be the work of Banksy, as the city's governor urged the famous and mysterious street artist to get in touch. (Japan Today)

The Diet enacted legislation Wednesday to pay ¥3.2 million in state compensation to each person who underwent forced sterilization under the nation’s now-defunct eugenics law. (Japan Times)

The Japan Sumo Association has reprimanded yokozuna grand champion Hakuho for leading an unapproved cheer during his victory interview last month. (NHK)

A Japanese space probe is scheduled on Thursday to film an artificial crater made on the asteroid Ryugu in an impact experiment. (NHK)

Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, 59, will star in a Japanese remake of the 1993 movie “The Fugitive,” playing the part of the doctor wrongly accused of murdering his wife. (Japan Today)

Exports of agricultural products produced in Fukushima Prefecture rose about 2 percent in fiscal 2018 to a record 217.8 tons, according to the prefectural government. (Japan Times)

Japan's unprecedented 10-day holiday to celebrate Crown Prince Naruhito's enthronement is expected to give the sluggish economy at least a short-term boost. (Japan Today)

A Japanese university has stopped hiring professors and teachers who light up, officials said Tuesday, as the nation steps up an anti-smoking campaign ahead of the 2020 Olympics. (Japan Today)

A Tokyo-based developer of a laundry-folding robot filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday due to financial difficulties. (Japan Times)

A 17-year-old boy who was arrested for riding his motorbike through a red traffic light escaped from police despite being handcuffed but turned himself five hours later in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, on Sunday. (Japan Today)

One Japanese national was killed and four others injured in terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday. The attacks left at least 290 dead and more than 500 injured. (Japan Times)

Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms have started to bloom on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. (NHK)

Japanese electronics giant Toshiba says it's developed what it calls "the world's fastest" algorithm. The company says the formula will significantly boost the calculation power of standard computers. (NHK)

Police in Tokyo said Sunday they have arrested Naoya Urata, lead singer of the six-member pop group AAA, on suspicion of assault. (Japan Today)

The world's smallest baby boy, who was born in October in Japan weighing as much as an apple, is now ready for the outside world, his doctor said Friday. (Japan Today)

An agreement has been reached at an international conference on managing Japanese eel resources to more effectively clarify the distribution routes of young eels. (NHK)

A law recognizing the Ainu ethnic minority as an indigenous people of Japan has been enacted. (NHK)