A section near Tokyo's Shibuya railway station will be made a vehicle-free promenade for the upcoming New Year's countdown. (NHK)

V-ji kaifuku -- a V-shaped recovery -- is how Shukan Jitsuwa (Jan 11-18) describes the "astonishing" turnaround achieved by McDonald's Japan, pulling itself up from don-zoko (rock bottom). (Japan Today)

The capital saw its first snowfall of the season on Sunday as cold air gripped eastern Japan with the approach of a low pressure system, the Meteorological Agency said. (Japan Times)

Japanese travelers are crowding highways, train stations and airports as they head to their hometowns and leisure spots for the New Year holidays. (NHK)

A pine tree that survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan and became a symbol of hope for local residents has been cut down. (NHK)

An unemployed 46-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he stabbed his 74-year-old mother in the back at their apartment in Kawasaki, Kanazawa Prefecture. (Japan Today)

The number of death row inmates in Japan as of Dec. 31 is expected to stand at 123, having remained above 100 since 2007, Justice Ministry officials said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Heavy snow and strong winds continue to affect northern and central Japan. Additional snow is expected to top 40 centimeters through Friday morning. (NHK)

Around 9 a.m. on a certain day, reporters belonging to the press club attached to the Ministry of Justice were informed that at 11 a.m. the same morning, the justice minister would hold an unscheduled press conference. (Japan Today)

About 10 outdoor surveillance cameras were installed at an Osaka home where a 33-year-old woman was found dead last week after being confined by her parents for around 15 years allegedly due to mental illness, investigative sources said Wednesday. (Japan Today)

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has issued a virtual green light for the restart of 2 reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO. (NHK)

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court verdict of acquittal for a former member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult. (NHK)

Yokozuna Hakuho will take the next step in his career achievement calendar next month when he steps into the ring to start the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Jan. 14. (Japan Times)

Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.7 percent in November -- the lowest in 24 years. (NHK)

Japan's planned introduction of a "departure tax" on international travelers has received a mixed response, with many questions yet to be answered about how the revenues will be spent. (Kyodo)

Local assemblies around Japan are discussing or preparing to pass ordinances that will place strict limits on where minpaku (private lodging services) can be located, in advance of a national law that will go into effect in June regulating their use. (Japan Times)

A popular hotel in southwestern Japan will close for 10 straight days in January at a cost of 200 million yen in revenues to give its employees time off, in the belief that the unusual measure will help to secure quality human resources. (Japan Today)

Panasonic has named a female executive to lead a subsidiary with some 4,000 employees, a highly unusual move for the nearly century-old Japanese electronics company. (Nikkei)

Japanese central and local governments are to hold the first missile evacuation drill in central Tokyo next month. (NHK)

The Japanese government has decided to allow families of gambling addicts to restrict their kin from using public gambling facilities and online betting. The move comes as Japan prepares to legalize casinos. (NHK)

Japan's Information-technology Promotion Agency and the industry ministry have concluded a 15-year project to enable computers to handle all kanji characters. (NHK)

Weather officials are advising caution as rapidly developing low pressure systems are bringing strong winds and snow to northern Japan and other areas. (NHK)

NTT Docomo on Monday announced its Japan Welcome SIM TM series will introduce Plan 0 to allow overseas visitors in Japan to access the Internet for free via the Docomo mobile network, from Tuesday. The free service will initially be available in Hokkaido and Niigata prefectures, after which other areas will be added sequentially. (Japan Today)

A government survey shows that the percentage of Japanese workers belonging to labor unions has fallen to a record low of 17.1 percent, for the 6th straight year-on-year decline. (NHK)

A man and woman who were arrested after the death of their 33-year-old daughter confessed they confined her to a tiny room for around 15 years due to a mental illness they say made her violent, police sources said Monday. (Japan Today)