Kenichi Hagiwara, a Japanese actor and vocalist in a pop band in the 1960s, died from gastrointestinal stromal tumors at a hospital in Tokyo, his office said Thursday. He was 68. (Japan Today)

Japanese people now have a time for the unveiling of the name of the country's new era, which will start when the new Emperor takes the throne on May 1. The Chief Cabinet Secretary says the long-awaited announcement will be made at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Monday. (NHK)

A Japanese government survey has found that more than 600,000 middle-aged people have withdrawn from society. (NHK)

In a retrial held decades after his conviction, a court on Thursday acquitted an 85-year-old man of a 1985 murder in Kumamoto Prefecture. (Japan Times)

The number of people recognized as gangsters by police in Japan dropped to a record-low 30,500 in 2018 amid an intensified crackdown on organized crime, the National Police Agency said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan's oldest penitentiary will reopen as an upscale hotel run by Hoshino Resorts in 2021. (Nikkei)

Police took action against a record 3,578 people in cannabis cases in 2018, up 570 from the previous year, data released by the National Police Agency showed Thursday. (Japan Times)

Yokozuna Hakuho was summoned to explain himself on Thursday after leading an impromptu cheer following his victory at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)

The Japan Meteorological Agency says the average density of carbon dioxide in the air over the country hit a record-high level last year at all fixed-observation points. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have enjoyed viewing cherry blossoms at Kyoto Gyoen National Garden in the ancient capital of Kyoto in western Japan. (NHK)

The Diet on Wednesday enacted a record ¥101.46 trillion ($920 billion) budget for fiscal 2019 that will boost spending on social security and defense and include stimulus measures to buoy the economy after a planned consumption tax hike. (Japan Times)

A Japanese court on Wednesday acquitted a man of illicitly operating computer software after he embedded a program in his website to mine cryptocurrency using the computers of site visitors. (Japan Today)

In many ways, Hooters seems like a concept that would work extremely well in Japan. This is, after all, a nation that itself has produced some startling innovations in breast-related dining, such as the busty waitress Akihabara ramen joint and the “breast slash” cafe. (soranews24.com)

The Japanese government plans to have its top spokesperson announce the name for the era of the nation's new emperor next Monday. (NHK)

Cherry trees came into full bloom in central Tokyo on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, earlier than other cities in the country this spring amid recent warm weather. (Kyodo)

Right before the cherry blossoms start to bloom, prices went up, but it’s still a must-visit bargain. (soranews24.com)

A 10-year-old Japanese girl is set to become the youngest professional player of the Asian board game "Go" next month. (NHK)

Japan hopes to lure high-rolling foreign tourists by mandating that integrated resorts with gambling facilities will have at least 100,000 sq. meters in lodging space to offer several hundred spacious suites. (Nikkei)

Famous for its dozens of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Kotoku-in with its Great Buddha statue, as well as its cozy cafes and charming shopping district, the seaside resort town of Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is one of the most popular day-trip destinations for tourists in the Tokyo area, with over 20 million tourists visiting every year. (Japan Today)

Japan's government has investigated a university in Tokyo where hundreds of foreign students remain unaccounted for. (NHK)

A woman died after being stabbed in the back in her apartment in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on Tuesday, police said. (Japan Today)

About 80 percent of young eels put into aquaculture pools in Japan in December and January may have been smuggled from Taiwan via Hong Kong, according to trade data and sources close to the matter. (Kyodo)

The landscape of Japan's digital map industry is shifting as Google seeks to cash in on a treasure trove of next-generation services requiring maps by increasing its independence from local partner Zenrin. (Nikkei)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have hosted a tea party at the Kyoto Imperial Palace to mark the Emperor's 30 years on the throne. (NHK)

Do you dare take the challenge and ride into an endless mineshaft? (soranews24.com)