The Japanese government plans to take measures to make regional labor markets accessible to foreign blue-collar workers to avoid them concentrating in large cities such as Tokyo when the country starts accepting them under the new visa system next year, the government's top spokesman said Thursday. (Japan Today)

A Japanese government panel says a run of growth that began in December 2012 has now become the second-longest period of expansion in the post-war era. But that verdict comes as Japan struggles with sluggish wage growth and a chronic labor shortage. (NHK)

Traditional female entertainers in Kyoto have started offering early New Year greetings. (NHK)

The northern Japan town of Kutchan in the popular Niseko ski resort area is to introduce a lodging tax after the town assembly passed an ordinance on Thursday. (Japan Today)

A court in Beijing has sentenced a Japanese man in his 70s who was arrested in China in June 2015 to 12 years in prison for spying, sources well-informed about Sino-Japanese relations said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

As the global shortage of skilled information technology experts hits Japan hard, companies are scrambling to lure and keep top talent with hefty annual pay packages. (Nikkei)

Japan is seeking to possess its first aircraft carrier to allow for the deployment of U.S.-made stealth fighters as it seeks to bolster its arms capability under a new 10-year defense plan. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government said Tuesday it will offer free rubella vaccinations for three years to men who were unvaccinated in their childhood amid an outbreak of the disease that threatens to dampen demand for travel to Japan. (Japan Today)

Rakuten Inc and Walmart Inc officially opened the first Walmart e-commerce store in Japan, the Walmart Rakuten Ichiba Store, on the Rakuten Ichiba internet shopping mall. (Japan Today)

Prosecutors sought a 23-year prison term for a 26-year-old man on Monday over an alleged road-rage incident near Tokyo last year that left a couple dead and their children injured. (Japan Times)

Japan may have assimilated so many western cultural influences, yet it still remains exotic and enigmatic. (newsonjapan.com)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to do all he can to ensure the smooth operation of a new program that will bring more foreign workers to the country. (NHK)

Tokyo prosecutors have indicted former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn for understating his past compensation by tens of millions of dollars. They have also served an additional arrest warrant on him over similar allegations relating to his pay in the last 3 years. (NHK)

Major Japanese restaurant chain Gusto on Monday stopped providing plastic straws at its 1,300 locations nationwide. (NHK)

Japan's government has decided to revise its procedures for purchasing telecommunications equipment, a move that would effectively exclude Chinese telecom giants. (NHK)

Winter bonuses at Japanese companies averaged an all-time high of 834,391 yen ($7,400) this year, according to a Nikkei survey released Monday, notching a sixth straight year of growth on strong corporate earnings. (Nikkei)

Crown Princess Masako, who turned 55 on Sunday, vowed to make her best effort to serve the people as she is set to become Empress following May’s Imperial succession. (Japan Times)

Japan is set to extend the copyright period on works such as novels and paintings to 70 years after the authors’ deaths from the current 50 years, effective Dec. 30, when the revised copyright law goes into force. (Japan Times)

Ishikawa Prefectural Police have arrested two station attendants at West Japan Railway Co. over the theft of 5 million yen from an office in Kanazawa City earlier this year, reports TV Asahi (Dec. 7). (tokyoreporter.com)

The Diet on Saturday approved an economic partnership agreement with the European Union that’s set to create a free trade bloc accounting for 30 percent of world output. (Japan Times)

A Chinese court has sentenced a Japanese woman to six years in prison for spying, a source privy to bilateral relations said Saturday. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government plans to revise the rules for its procurement of telecommunications equipment to take into consideration the risks related to national security. (NHK)

Japan's ruling coalition has pushed a controversial bill through the Diet with just a few days left before the current session ends. It will allow more foreign workers into the country. (NHK)

Steak lovers across Japan have reason to celebrate. From Friday, they will pay less for a slab of Australian beef at hundreds of outlets run by a major retailer nationwide. (NHK)

SoftBank's mobile service outage Thursday across much of Japan disrupted operations ranging from flights and trains to amusement parks and logistics companies, illustrating both corporate and consumer dependence on wireless communications networks. (Nikkei)