The government is considering granting amnesty to criminals in honor of new Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in October, sources close to the matter said Friday. (Kyodo)

A small rocket developed by a Japanese startup company was successfully launched on Saturday morning. (NHK)

A small eruption on Mount Aso shot smoke as high as 1,600 meters over Kyushu on Friday, the Meteorological Agency said. (Japan Times)

Japan's SoftBank Group Corp is considering an initial public offering of its $100 billion Vision Fund, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. (Japan Today)

Two men were injured after a gang attacked them and two women in a karaoke bar in Tokyo’s Higashi-Ikebukuro district on Friday. (Japan Today)

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the ASEAN states, along with Japan, China, and South Korea say they will discuss a plan to incorporate Japanese and Chinese currencies in a swap program to ensure financial stability in the region. (NHK)

Japanese investigative sources say unidentified objects suspected to be drones have been spotted above several places in Tokyo, including an area near the Imperial Palace. (NHK)

A man was found dead Wednesday morning at an imperial burial site on the outskirts of Tokyo after an apparent suicide, police said. (Japan Times)

Several cars were damaged by fire in the parking lot of a discount retailer in Nasushiobara City on Sunday, police said, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

It's the first day of the new Reiwa era in Japan -- full of celebrations and rituals. Emperor Naruhito took the throne at the start of Wednesday -- and has spent the day taking part in ceremonies to mark the historic occasion. (NHK)

Free Wi-Fi has become available at all 108 shinkansen bullet train stations in Japan ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, data from the transport ministry showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will vacate the Imperial Palace some time after Tuesday’s abdication to make way for the new emperor and his family, handing over their public duties and looking forward to leisurely days. (Japan Times)

Takakeisho's name was officially placed among the sumo elite on Tuesday when the rankings for next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, the first of the Reiwa era, were released by the Japan Sumo Association. (Japan Today)

Saitama Prefectural Police arrested a 47-year-old man after more than 20 persons were sickened by pepper spray at a mall in Koshigaya City on Monday, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

A 56-year-old man has admitted to leaving knives on the desk of Prince Hisahito at a junior high school in Tokyo, investigative sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

A 77-year-old woman riding a moped was injured after she was knocked off the bike by a nylon rope stretched across a road in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, on Monday morning. (Japan Today)

Canadian and Japanese leaders on Sunday jointly trumpeted a rebooted Pacific trade pact that came into effect at the start of the year, without the United States. (Japan Times)

Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate, bringing the three-decade-long Heisei era to a close. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at the Imperial Palace. (NHK)

Police in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of molesting a 23-year-old woman in a shopping arcade. (Japan Today)

US President Donald Trump hopes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will work to reduce US trade deficit with Japan. He says he thinks Abe "will be fair." (NHK)

The body of a 7-year-old boy was found floating in the sea at a port in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Sunday morning. (Japan Today)

Masayoshi Son is often called Japan's Warren Buffett. It is a useful comparison as the SoftBank billionaire scours the globe for value investments, and, as with Buffett, some of his choices leave observers perplexed. (Nikkei)

A 46-year-old man working for Kyodo News was arrested for allegedly damaging a vehicle in Kanagawa Prefecture, police said Sunday. (Japan Today)

A woman in her 70s drove her car onto the train tracks in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday night. (Japan Today)

The Immigration Services Agency plans to strengthen its eligibility standards for Japanese-language schools, it was learned Saturday. (Japan Times)