Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said Thursday it fired a male employee who is alleged to have embezzled about ¥100,000 after overcharging foreign passengers for shinkansen tickets at Shin-Osaka Station on seven occasions this year. (Japan Times)

At least 10 components apparently fell from a Japan Airlines plane and hit a window of a clinic and a car in Kumamoto Prefecture on Thursday, local police said, adding no one is believed to have been injured. (Japan Times)

Tokyu Corp. announced Thursday that a new complex comprising a hotel, office and commercial space near Shibuya Station is scheduled to open in September, with the top half occupied by Google. (Japan Times)

A 14-year-old girl and a man in his 20s jumped to their deaths from the roof of an apartment building in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on Thursday. (Japan Today)

As a nation, Japan is more connected to the internet than almost any other country in the world. According to statistics from Statista, 91% of the country's 104 million internet users are going online every day. (newsonjapan.com)

Two graduate students have been arrested for sitting around a traditional Japanese heated table they set up at the center of a busy intersection in western Japan, police said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday denied he had knowledge of a veterinary school project at the center of favoritism allegations much earlier than he has previously admitted, as shown in a newly disclosed document. (Japan Today)

The number of male and female judoka at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be equal for the first time since the sport was introduced at the Summer Games in 1964, the International Judo Federation said Monday. (Japan Times)

The mayor of Komae in western Tokyo expressed his intention to resign on Tuesday after four female employees of the municipal government submitted a protest letter saying they have been sexually harassed by him. (Japan Times)

Health officials in Japan say as of Monday more than 170 people across the country have been infected with measles. The outbreak began in the southwestern prefecture of Okinawa in March. (NHK)

The amount of Pacific bluefin tuna stocks rose 10 percent from 2014 to 21,000 tons in 2016, the Fisheries Agency said, citing an estimate by an international organization. (Japan Times)

Surfing at the 2020 Olympic Games will take place in the ocean and not in an artificial wave pool, according to the International Surfing Association (ISA). (Japan Today)

Uber Technologies Inc. said Tuesday it will start its first taxi-hailing service in Japan this summer on a western island, targeting foreign tourists and residents, in a step toward a full-fledged entry into the country's huge taxi market. (Kyodo)

NHK has learned that police have received a complaint about a serious foul committed during an American football match between 2 Japanese university teams. (NHK)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency unveiled a portrait of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Monday. This is the first time the couple's portrait was created with their approval. (NHK)

A new law that's set take effect in Japan next month in principle allows anyone to rent out their property as private lodging if they register with local authorities. It's seen as a way to accommodate a growing number of tourists, but so far only a small number of home owners have signed up. (NHK)

Demand for vacation apartments is growing in Japan and companies are rolling out ways to make guests feel as welcome as possible. One recent entrant is convenience store chain FamilyMart. (NHK)

Eight passengers on an All Nippon Airways flight were sickened Monday at Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture after smoke filled the cabin, triggering an evacuation, officials from the airline and airport said. (Japan Times)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged his commitment to ensuring the rule of law at sea. (NHK)

Osaka prefectural police on Sunday appealed to the public for any information that might help them find out what happened to a nine-year-old girl who went missing on May 20, 2003 in the town of Kumatori near Osaka Bay. (Japan Today)

Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands, is latitudinally different enough from the rest of the country that its seasons change later. So while the Tokyo area is getting ready for the early-summer rainy season to start, spring is finally getting into full swing in Hokkaido. (Japan Today)

Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Shoplifters" has won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. (NHK)

Crowds of people have gathered in Tokyo's Asakusa district to watch a traditional Shinto festival that heralds the arrival of early summer. (NHK)

It was a sad day when the Evangelion Shinkansen made its last journey on the rails on 13 May. But where one door closes, another one opens, and that’s exactly what happened this week, as West Japan Railway finally let us all peek inside their new Hello Kitty Shinkansen, which is set to make its debut next month. (soranews24.com)

The Japanese government has notified the World Trade Organization that it is prepared to take countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminum. (NHK)