The likes of Tokyo and Kyoto may still be top of many visitors' itineraries, but Japan's tourism industry is changing as more and more people head west in search of new experiences. (Nikkei)

A memorial dedicated to Filipino "comfort women" forced to work in Japanese brothels during World War II was removed Friday night, days after suspicions surfaced about its possible demolition. (Japan Today)

Prosecutors in Tokyo have dropped charges against an actor who had been arrested on suspicion of sexually molesting a woman on a street in Tokyo. (Japan Today)

Police served on Saturday a fresh arrest warrant on a 38-year-old man for the murders of two of the five people he has confessed to killing at a home in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture. (Japan Today)

The Japan Sumo Association says it will conduct a survey to examine the tradition of keeping women out of the professional sumo ring. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has welcomed the outcome of the inter-Korean summit. He expressed hope that North Korea will take concrete action in the wake of the historic meeting. (NHK)

Policymakers at the Bank of Japan have decided to continue their massive easing program. (NHK)

Japan's Cabinet approved a bill to regulate casino operations on Friday. The proposed legislation lays the groundwork for the opening of "integrated resorts" that include casinos. (NHK)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Friday that its SS520-5 has been recognized as the smallest orbital rocket by Guinness World Records. (Japan Times)

Sony has logged its first record full-year operating profit in two decades as the electronics and media giant's shift to an online content distribution model for gaming bears fruit. (Nikkei)

Subaru Corp. said in a report to the government Friday that mileage and emissions data for 903 new cars were systematically rigged at one of its plants and that the malpractice may have started around 2002. (Japan Times)

A Japanese TV network has released a statement by an employee who is believed to have been sexually harassed by a former Finance Ministry top bureaucrat. (NHK)

Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is planning to introduce a new type of Airbus A380 with cabins that are equipped with novel bench-style seats. (NHK)

Japan's fast food sector is set to get more competitive with the arrival of another player from the US. Fatburger is the latest in a line of foreign chains aiming to take a bite out of the market. (NHK)

The sun appears to shimmer both above and below Mt. Fuji while reflected on the surface of Tanukiko lake in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Thursday morning. (the-japan-news.com)

Local governments are agonizing over how to deal with a series of cases in which foreigners have flown drones in tourist spots. (the-japan-news.com)

Mount Ioyama in southwestern Japan has erupted again a week after its first eruption in 250 years. (NHK)

A 69-year-old man from Osaka Prefecture filed a lawsuit Thursday against his deceased same-sex partner’s sister, seeking assets left behind by his late partner and damages for being barred from attending his cremation. (Japan Times)

Teary-eyed and his voice shaking, pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi apologized Thursday for kissing and engaging in indecent behavior with a high school-aged girl in a career-crushing scandal leading to his indefinite suspension from show business. (Japan Times)

A SoftBank Group Corp. subsidiary and two other firms have developed a prototype of a two-seat humanoid robot that can transform into a car for use in amusement parks, the companies said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Ashley Madison, the world's leading married dating website, has released the findings of an Ernst & Young LLP (EY Canada) report on the 2017 membership statistics of AshleyMadison.com verifying more than 15,000 new member accounts were added on average each day. (newsonjapan.com)

A court sentenced on Wednesday a 29-year-old former reporter for public broadcaster NHK to 21 years in prison for raping three women. (Japan Times)

Japanese animated film company Studio Ghibli has unveiled the basic design of its theme park set to open in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, in 2022. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko hosted their annual spring garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on Wednesday. (NHK)

After a dozen years waiting, fans have a chance to see the Kingdom Hearts/Evangelion singer live, plus a way to boost their odds of getting tickets. (soranews24.com)