Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the female manager of a club in the Roppongi entertainment district and two male foreign nationals in connection with the alleged sale of cocaine last year, reports TV Asahi (Jan. 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

Police were called out to deal with traffic congestion and noise disturbance in the early hours of Thursday after a huge crowd gathered to watch a popular entertainment TV program being filmed at an amusement park in Tokyo. (Japan Today)

Rino Sashihara, a leading Japanese idol singer, will leave the all-girl musical group HKT48, an affiliate of the country's entertainment giant AKB48, next year, she said Saturday. (Kyodo)

Traditional female entertainers in Kyoto have started offering early New Year greetings. (NHK)

A man who suffered severe burns after having his head shoved into a pot of boiling liquid at a year-end party in 2015 said Thursday that he plans to sue his former boss over the incident. (Japan Times)

As a part of the investigation into the distribution of adult video (AV) content deemed illegal, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a third person for ordering the production of the material, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

U.S. actor Johnny Depp will play the role of war photographer Eugene Smith in the movie "Minamata" about a mercury-poisoning disease that affected thousands of people in Japan, according to local reports. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have revealed that the woman whose corpse was found in a residence of an apartment building in the Roppongi entertainment district of Minato Ward died as a result of a skull fracture, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A raccoon spotted in a busy entertainment district has drawn huge attention from passing pedestrians in central Tokyo. (NHK)

At 6 p.m. on one weekday in August an enthusiastic audience had almost filled Gion Corner, a theater of some 200 seats at the center of the Gion traditional entertainment district in the city of Kyoto. (Japan Times)

Kirin Kiki, a veteran Japanese film and television actress known for her unique roles, has died at her home in Tokyo, a source close to her said Sunday. She was 75. (Japan Today)

Atsuko Maeda, 27, a pop cultural icon and original member of the all-girl group AKB48, has married actor Ryo Katsuji, 31, an official of his management company said on Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A 20-year-old Japanese national denies supplying marijuana to international school students in custody on drug-related charges, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

A vehicle crashed into the front of a cafe in the Roppongi entertainment area of Minato Ward on Saturday night, causing two injuries, police said, reports Nippon News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

TV “talent” Becky, 34, is currently dating Yasuyuki Kataoka, a coach for the minor league Yomiuri Giants baseball team. Sources say that the two met through a mutual friend in the television broadcasting industry and became a couple last month, Sankei Shimbun reported. (Japan Today)

As Airbnb home-sharers in Japan quit the market in droves, following a new law that considerably increases red tape, their search for a smooth exit has brought a surge in new businesses. (Nikkei)

Keiichiro Koyama, 34, and Shigeaki Kato, 30, members of popular group News, promoted by Johnny & Associates, are in hot water for allegedly encouraging an underage girl to drink at a party. (Japan Today)

In the vast ecosystem of costumed mascots in Japan, the Kumamoto Prefectural character Kumamon probably stands at the top of the food chain. His empire has been estimated well into the billions of yen annually and he has even gained a following in China. (Japan Today)

Tokyo police have arrested a woman on suspicion of abandoning the body of her baby daughter in a coin-operated locker. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three persons for the illegal recruitment of female pedestrians to work at hostess clubs in the capital, reports the Sankei Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

As Japan’s most popular showbiz personality, Takuya Kimura, 45, more commonly known as Kimutaku, has been in the public eye since 1988, when he was chosen to be one of six boys to form the new boy band SMAP, which became a Japanese phenomenon beloved by all ages. (Japan Today)

Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, who has appeared in a number of American films including the 2003 period drama "The Last Samurai," has split with his actress wife Kaho Minami, their agencies said Thursday. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau has filed a criminal complaint against the former owner of a high-end club in the Roppongi entertainment area of Minato Ward over alleged tax evasion, it was learned on Tuesday, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Tatsuya Yamaguchi, a member of Japanese all-male pop group Tokio, has expressed his intent to leave the five-member band after coming under fire for kissing a high school student against her will, other group members revealed Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Last year, “YouTuber” was the fourth most desired future job prospect for elementary-school aged Japanese boys. But with YouTube being increasingly oversaturated with content creators all vying to make a living from the still somewhat unconventional career choice, the role is starting to look just a little bit less appealing. (soranews24.com)