Japan Post Co. on Wednesday began transporting documents by drone in Fukushima Prefecture, the first operation of its kind in Japan, following easing of regulations to cope with labor shortages in the transport industry. (Japan Times)

The transport ministry will prohibit passengers of all trains in Japan from carrying unpacked knives onto trains from next April under new security measures following a fatal stabbing on a shinkansen bullet train in June, officials said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a male employee of Japan Post for allegedly paying a teenage girl for an illicit encounter earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Medical University will admit applicants who were rejected in 2017 and 2018 due to a rigged admission process, if they still wish to attend the school, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

The government plans to set a clear rule that no trademark containing any era name can be registered. (Japan Times)

Suicides by Japanese youth have reached a 30-year-high, the education ministry said on Monday, even as overall suicide numbers have steadily declined over the past 15 years. (Japan Today)

Police have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of killing his 46-year-old mother and 82-year-old grandmother at their home in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefectural Police have sent papers to prosecutors on a man who allegedly drove a vehicle at 220 kilometers over the speed limit on a road in Higashiosaka City earlier this year, reports NHK (Nov. 5). (tokyoreporter.com)

Fishing season for snow crabs, a winter delicacy, began in the Sea of Japan on Tuesday. (NHK)

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. has launched an English-language online virtual tour of the interior of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant, allowing website visitors to check the progress of decommissioning work following the 2011 meltdowns --- one of the world's worst nuclear crises. (Japan Times)

Local residents and tourists have flocked to a traditional autumn festival featuring colorful floats parading through Karatsu City, southwestern Japan. (NHK)

Japan's government-affiliated financial institution says the 4 major natural disasters that hit the country this year are expected to have a negative impact on the country's economy of more than 10 billion dollars. (NHK)

Missing: A tiny island off Hokkaido. Or so authorities fear, prompting plans for a survey to determine if the outcrop has been washed away, ever so slightly shrinking the country’s territorial waters. (Japan Times)

Japanese government sources have told NHK the United States will allow Japan to temporarily continue importing crude oil from Iran, after the reinstatement of US sanctions. (NHK)

Two Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets came into contact during a training exercise, but the pilots were unharmed. (NHK)

A journalist who was freed after being held hostage for more than 3 years in Syria is revealing new details about his experience. Jumpei Yasuda says he was kidnapped almost immediately after sneaking across the border from Turkey. His guides turned on him. (NHK)

A total of 13 men were arrested as the Halloween street event in Tokyo's Shibuya district reached its climax Wednesday night, while young people were seen collecting garbage left over from the revelry on Thursday morning. (Japan Today)

Three members of the same family were found dead in their house Thursday in a suspected murder-suicide in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, police said. (Japan Times)

Japan Airlines says one of its pilots was detained by London police last month. He was found to be under the influence of alcohol just before he was about to pilot a flight to Tokyo. (NHK)

KDDI and Rakuten said Thursday they will share each other's assets while competing to offer services in their respective fields, as the telecom operator debuts e-commerce services and the online retailer enters the mobile space. (Nikkei)

Japan has launched a new GPS service accurate to within several centimeters thanks to its Michibiki satellites. (NHK)

Servers for Square Enix Co.’s popular online game “Final Fantasy XIV” has been hit by a series of cyberattacks since early October, preventing some users from accessing the service, its publisher said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japanese consumer goods companies are increasing investment in factories at home, with an eye to exporting to China and other Asian markets where "Made in Japan" products have cachet. (Nikkei)

Japan's top wireless carrier, NTT Docomo, will lower its service charge by 20% to 40% while giving subscribers more freedom on phones, including letting them bring unlocked and secondhand devices to its network. (Nikkei)

Japanese farmers expressed concern Wednesday about an expected influx of imports and other effects of a trans-Pacific free trade agreement led by Japan that is set to enter into force on Dec. 30. (Kyodo)