Japan's agriculture ministry has decided to import up to 13,000 tons of butter in the next fiscal year to cover domestic supply shortages and ensure stable supplies. (NHK)

Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, agreed Sunday that the two countries should steadily promote reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in order to improve bilateral relations. (the-japan-news.com)

A flu epidemic is raging in Japan with the number of patients in one week estimated to have reached a record-high of 2.83 million, the health ministry said Friday. (Japan Today)

A sumo wrestler from Georgia has clinched his first ever title in the sport's grand tournament. (NHK)

The defense chiefs of Japan and France have agreed to boost defense cooperation. (NHK)

A railway operator in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has launched a winter steam locomotive service through wetlands in the eastern part of the prefecture. (NHK)

A 32-year-old Peruvian man indicted in the killings of six people in Saitama Prefecture in 2015 has declined to enter a plea at the opening session of his trial at the Saitama District Court. (Japan Today)

Japanese officials are warning of continued volcanic activity at Mount Kusatsu-Shirane in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

Japan's Consumer Price Index for the year 2017 rose for the first time in 2 years. (NHK)

An F-35 stealth fighter has arrived at an airbase in Misawa in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan. It is the first of 10 F-35s that will be deployed at the base. (NHK)

A former teen model has accused illusionist David Copperfield of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1988 after he judged a modeling competition in Japan that she took part in. (Japan Today)

The population of foreign workers set a record of about 1.28 million in late October as rapidly graying Japan continued to rely on foreign trainees and students to make up for its labor shortage, the labor ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

E-commerce giant Rakuten and retail behemoth Walmart are taking aim at Amazon in a partnership that will see the two companies launch an online grocery delivery service in Japan while offering e-readers, e-books and audiobooks to American Walmart customers. (Japan Times)

NHK has learned that satellite imagery shows possible newly formed craters on a volcano in Japan that erupted on Tuesday. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested seven Chinese nationals believed to be members of the so-called "Pink Panda" gang in the theft of jewels at an exposition in Koto Ward this week, reports TBS News. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo’s ambulance service experienced its busiest day in more than 80 years, officials said Thursday, amid icy conditions as the Japanese capital shivers through its coldest temperatures in decades. (Japan Times)

Japan will relax hotel regulations later this month to kill two birds with one stone -- catering to international tourists' desire to experience Japanese life and culture and making use of vacant old homes. (Nikkei)

The Japanese and Chinese governments are in the final stage of discussions on a social security agreement aimed at resolving the issue of double payments of pension premiums by Japanese and Chinese employees dispatched to each other’s countries, it has been learned. (the-japan-news.com)

Satoshi Uematsu, awaiting trial for the 2016 deadly attack on a facility for the mentally disabled in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, has told Jiji Press that he planned to assault another such facility in the same prefecture on the same day. (Japan Times)

Starting Monday, Tokyo Metro Co. will experiment with playing background music on their trains in a bid to provide a more comfortable travel experience for passengers. (Japan Times)

Police in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, have arrested three teenagers on charges of inflicting injuries on a 16-year-old girl after they forced her to jump off a bridge. (Japan Today)

A Japanese team competing in an international lunar probe contest says it will keep working to become Japan's first team to reach the Moon, separate from the event. (NHK)

Japan has released images of a suspected violation of UN Security Council resolutions by a North Korea-registered tanker. (NHK)

Organizers of an international lunar probe contest say the competition is likely to end in March without a winner, as none of the participating teams will be able to meet the deadline. (NHK)

It’s often said that the three most important things in real estate are location, location, and location. That goes double for land-scarce Japan, making location the top six priorities, but the important question then becomes what makes a good location? (Japan Today)