Lawyers for parents separated from their children in Japan said on Monday they would appeal a court decision that the government was not responsible for enforcing visitation rights. (Japan Today)

What could be an original piece by the anonymous artist Banksy is on display in Tokyo. The artist is known for his satirical works on buildings and other sites. (NHK)

For a country with so few high-profile senior women in any sphere, it is especially meaningful to have Empress Masako as a vibrant symbol of modern Japanese women -- but earlier in her life she faced the same challenges as many women of her cohort. (Nikkei)

Yokozuna Hakuho finished his championship run at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday with a victory over ozeki Takakeisho at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (Japan Times)

A 12-year-old girl who was missing for almost a week after arranging to meet with her alleged kidnapper has said that food and bathing were restricted during the time she was confined in his home, police said Sunday. (Japan Today)

SoftBank Group Corp. will this week launch a previously agreed tender offer for as much as $3 billion of WeWork shares, including up to $970 million owned by the office sharing company’s cofounder, Adam Neumann, two people familiar with the matter said. (Japan Times)

A bullet-train operator and a locality on the central Pacific Coast are sparring over the environmental impact of a planned ultrafast magnetic-levitation rail, threatening the targeted 2027 start of a service connecting Tokyo and Nagoya. (Nikkei)

South Korea's decision to salvage a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan provides relief to those concerned over a breakdown in security cooperation between the neighbors in the face of missile threats from North Korea. (Japan Today)

A 12-year-old girl who disappeared after leaving her house in Osaka on Nov 17 turned up Saturday at a police box in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, saying she had been confined in a house by a man. (Japan Today)

One of the criticisms of the “Medicare for All” government-run health care scheme proposed by U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is that eliminating all limits to treatment would lead to “overuse” of the medical care system, meaning people would be seeing doctors for every little perceived ailment, which is wasteful. (Japan Times)

Pope Francis is in Nagasaki -- a city that was devastated by an atomic bomb during the Second World War. Here is part of his message of peace, delivered from ground zero. (NHK)

Three people were found dead after a fire engulfed a house early Friday in Niigata city, with police investigating the case as a possible group suicide involving arson. (Japan Today)

Some 10,000 police officers are on standby as Japan gets ready for Pope Francis's visit from Saturday. (NHK)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the Grand Shrines of Ise in Mie Prefecture on Friday to mark the completion of two major rites signifying the emperor’s enthronement. (Japan Times)

A massive photo safari of the treasure trove of amazing stuff waiting at Nintendo’s brand-new Shibuya destination store! (soranews24.com)

A panel investigating a cash-and-gift scandal in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, has found that 109 current and former prefectural officials received money or other gifts from a former deputy mayor of a town that hosts a nuclear plant. (NHK)

Japan intends to devote 220 billion yen ($2.03 billion) to encourage private-sector research and development of technology that will succeed fifth-generation wireless communications. (Nikkei)

The Japan Rugby Football Union said Thursday the Brave Blossoms will take part in a parade in Tokyo on Dec 11 to express their appreciation to their fans following their successful World Cup campaign. (Japan Today)

Sadako Ogata's contribution to the world was not limited to helping millions of displaced people as the head of the United Nations refugee agency. She also inspired many younger Japanese women to follow suit and fulfill professional ambitions on the world stage. (Nikkei)

A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for killing an information technology expert and well known blogger after a seminar in Fukuoka last year. (Japan Today)

A teacher at a prestigious Tokyo junior high school allegedly kicked a student as corporal punishment in mid-September and left him with a broken rib, investigative and other sources with the knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The Olympic Games is one of the most awaited world events. Every year, different countries host the Olympic Games, and Japan was chosen as the venue for 2020. Despite the current pandemic, Japan puts its best foot forward and continuously make improvements in their facilities, such as the Olympic aquatics center. (Japan Today)

The push to reduce overtime in Japan is starting to have wide-ranging effects on Japanese society, from shifting traffic patterns to boosting part-time work six months after a law was passed to improve the country's notoriously lacking work-life balance. (Nikkei)

Shinzo Abe, who became Japan's longest-serving prime minister on Wednesday, was groomed for politics from birth and has cemented his power with shrewd diplomacy, unwavering nationalism, and a knack for surviving scandal. (Japan Today)

Actress Erika Sawajiri, arrested for allegedly possessing the synthetic drug MDMA, has tested negative in a urine test for MDMA and other illegal drugs, police said Wednesday. (Japan Today)