A glance at the World University Rankings, published last September by the Times Higher Education, reveals the following major changes in the rankings compared with the previous year. (Japan Times)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police are hunting for a gunman who shot the wife of a boss in the Inagawa-kai criminal syndicate and his male driver on a road in Kawasaki City on Thursday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Look carefully and you’ll see Japan’s Benny Hill sandwiched in between these women. (soranews24.com)

The government decided Thursday only male adult imperial family members will attend one of the key ceremonies to mark Crown Prince Naruhito's ascension to the throne on May 1, following the example set by Emperor Akihito's enthronement in 1989. (Japan Today)

A Japanese court has turned down an appeal from Carlos Ghosn's defense team over a decision to deny the former Nissan Motor chairman bail. (NHK)

Executives at major Japanese food maker Ajinomoto say they are raising prices of instant soup stocks and salt for home use, citing higher costs. (NHK)

Grand champion Kisenosato, the only Japanese wrestler at sumo's highest rank, decided to retire Wednesday after three straight losses at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. (Japan Today)

Japan’s most beloved flowers are often associated with April, but they’ll be at their most beautiful in Tokyo before that, says forecast. (soranews24.com)

A Japanese court has ruled that a subway firm's severe evaluation of personnel with beards or mustaches was unfair, and ordered that damages be paid. (NHK)

Being an idol singer in Japan is at least as much about the personality you radiate as the vocals you produce. Sure, idol songs may be almost invariably sweet and sugary, but the performers themselves are expected to be even more cheerful, cultivating the sort of earnest, plucky persona that attracts loyal fanbases. (Japan Today)

A Tokyo court has denied bail to Nissan Motor's former Chairman. Carlos Ghosn has been in detention for nearly two months since November. (NHK)

Haruhiko Kuroda may rue the day he visited Nagoya. In a Nov. 5 speech to business leaders in the city, the Bank of Japan governor came close to declaring the end of deflation and the dawn of a new era. (Japan Times)

Tokyo tax authorities have found that Google Japan failed to declare about ¥3.5 billion in income for 2015, a source close to the matter said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The workforce in 2040 is projected to be 20 percent smaller than in 2017 due to overall population decline if the economy sees no growth and women and the elderly continue to have difficulty landing jobs, according to government study released Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The head of Japan's Olympic Committee is denying any wrongdoing related to allegations he used bribes to help secure the 2020 Tokyo Games. (NHK)

Japan's oldest chimpanzee, Johnny, has died at the estimated age of 69, a zoo in western Japan said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

A winter phenomenon known as "diamond dust" has been observed in the town of Biei in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. (NHK)

Japan Airlines has been excluded from a list of the world's 20 safest airlines. The carrier had been on the list for 3 years in a row from 2016. (NHK)

A 59-year-old man believed to be one of the main suspects in a bogus land deal in Tokyo has been arrested, a key development in the investigation into a mass-scale fraud that swindled billions of yen from the country’s leading house builder. (Japan Times)

Etsuko Ichihara, a veteran Japanese actress known for her role in a popular long-running TV drama series, has died of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital, her office said Sunday. She was 82. (Japan Times)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 30 million for the first time ever in 2018. (NHK)

The Japanese talent company that runs the popular AKB48 band and its numerous spin-off groups is in hot water over its handling of the assault of a member of one of its local girls units, with the victim having to apologize in public for "the trouble caused" after coming forward with her ordeal. (Kyodo)

French authorities say a judge is considering charging the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee with corruption. It's in connection with the awarding of the 2020 Tokyo Games. (NHK)

At least one in eleven people identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a survey conducted by advertising giant Dentsu Inc., while more than two-thirds of respondents were familiar with the acronym LGBT. (Kyodo)

A Buddhist monk in Japan is refusing to pay a fine he was issued for driving in a religious robe. (NHK)