An estimated 12,751 people were rushed to hospitals due to heat-related conditions across Japan over the week from Aug 5, of whom 23 died, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has skipped a visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine for war dead, but sent a ritual offering on the 74th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender, a gesture likely to be criticised by Asian neighbours. (aljazeera.com)

Japan's new emperor spoke Thursday (Aug 15) of "deep remorse" over the country's wartime past, in his first speech to commemorate the end of World War II since his enthronement in May. (channelnewsasia.com)

People in Japan hoping to predict the next big earthquake should ignore mysterious deep-sea fish after experts said rare sightings of the creatures on the country's beaches did not, as some had believed, foretell a seismic calamity. (theguardian.com)

Air carriers in Japan have canceled 549 domestic flights for Thursday due to a severe tropical storm approaching western Japan. (NHK)

With Severe Tropical Storm Krosa approaching western Japan, evacuation instructions had been issued to five people in three households in Wakayama Prefecture as of 4 a.m. Thursday. The instruction urges immediate evacuation. (NHK)

The Meteorological Agency is warning of heavy rain as severe tropical storm Krosa approaches western Japan. Agency officials say it could make landfall by Thursday. (NHK)

Japan's Meteorological Agency is warning of torrential rains of more than 1,000 millimeters in some areas as severe tropical storm Krosa approaches the western part of the country. (NHK)

Severe tropical storm Krosa is moving northwest over waters south of Japan. It could make landfall somewhere in the country by Thursday. (NHK)

South Korea says it plans to remove Japan from its top-tier list of countries subject to preferential export procedures. (NHK)

A tropical storm is threatening to disrupt travel plans for millions of people in Japan observing a traditional summer holiday. (NHK)

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington will “reciprocate” after several countries — including Japan — issued travel warnings to the United States in the wake of a spate of deadly shootings. (Japan Times)

Japanese weather officials are warning of fierce winds and rough seas as a large and powerful typhoon is almost stationary around the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific. (NHK)

A male patient attacked nurses with a knife at a hospital in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, on Friday, police said. (Kyodo)

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force concludes that a fighter pilot who crashed off northern Japan in April failed to detect the jet's rapid descent because he was disoriented. (NHK)

LCD maker Japan Display has escaped immediate bankruptcy by lining up 80 billion yen ($758 million) in aid from Chinese investors, but the company remains dogged by uncertainty over the long-delayed rescue. (Nikkei)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency says Empress Emerita Michiko has been diagnosed with a relatively early stage of breast cancer. Agency officials say that it's unlikely that the cancer has spread to other organs. (NHK)

Although Nara has become a favorite of international tourists in recent years, the city, which served as the nation’s ancient capital from 710 to 784, has historically been a bit off the beaten path. (Japan Times)

Earnings season in Japan is highlighting a recent plunge in inbound spending and its impact on drugstore chains, cosmetics makers and department stores previously favored by big-spending Chinese tourists. (Nikkei)

Japan's economy grew at a faster-than-expected clip in the second quarter, official data showed on Friday, helped by celebrations to usher in a new imperial era. (Japan Today)

Japan has approved the shipment of a hi-tech material to South Korea for the first time since enforcing stricter export controls. (NHK)

Japan's transport ministry has officially decided to introduce new flight routes to and from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to start March 29 next year. (NHK)

Japan Post Bank appears set to place a limit on over-the-counter international cash transfers to better address money laundering. (NHK)

There has been a minor eruption on Mount Asama in the central part of Japan. The eruption occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on Wednesday. (NHK)

Cats on Japan's famed "Cat Island" are deliberately being poisoned, it is feared. (stuff.co.nz)