Prosecutors investigating Obayashi Corp. suspect the major construction firm rigged a bid for the building of a maglev train station emergency exit, with one of the company's vice presidents brought in voluntarily for questioning about the matter, sources close to the case said Sunday. (Japan Times)

The agent representing Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani has announced that the ace pitcher-and-slugger has decided to join the Los Angeles Angels in the 2018 season. (NHK)

Police in Hokkaido said Saturday they had arrested three of the crew members of a North Korean fishing boat on suspicion of plundering a remote fishing hut. (Japan Today)

Online retail giant Rakuten wants to help drones navigate safely at a low altitude in Japan, with an eye on future autonomous delivery service. (NHK)

The Justice Ministry is considering relaxing a key requirement that non-Japanese planning to start businesses here must fulfill to obtain resident status in Japan. (Japan Times)

Two women were killed and another person was injured Thursday night in a stabbing incident at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, with the male suspect appearing to have committed suicide, police said. (Japan Today)

Drivers of the now-ubiquitous go-karts reminiscent of Nintendo Co.'s "Mario Kart" video games will soon be required to buckle up for their safety. (Japan Times)

Princess Mako, her husband-to-be, Kei Komuro, teenage shogi sensation Sota Fujii, a giant panda cub and seven other figures who featured heavily in the media this year have been featured on colorful hagoita wooden paddles unveiled by Japanese traditional doll maker Kyugetsu Co. on Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled for the first time that an article in the country's Broadcast Law that obliges TV owners to sign receiving contracts with NHK does not violate the Constitution. (NHK)

Police in Chiba have arrested an unemployed 42-year-old woman for the second time in a month on suspicion of stalking the same man. (Japan Today)

Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa says he's willing to accept the central government's plan to decommission the trouble-prone Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor in the city of Tsuruga. (Japan Times)

Japanese professional shogi player Yoshiharu Habu has become the first person ever to win lifetime titles in all 7 major title matches. (NHK)

Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday that he did not discuss who will lead the central bank after his term expires in April. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government is weighing a plan to equip fighter jets with long-range cruise missiles amid the North Korean nuclear and missile threat, starting with earmarking research costs in its fiscal 2018 budget plan, government sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday arrested the president of a tech venture known as one of the developers of the world's fourth-fastest supercomputer on suspicion of defrauding a governmental institution of 431 million yen in subsidies. (Japan Today)

The Japan Coast Guard says as many as 28 wooden boats believed to be from the Korean Peninsula were spotted drifting off the Japanese coast or had run aground in November. It is the largest monthly figure since recordkeeping began 4 years ago. (NHK)

Japanese idol group AKB48's popularity is so phenomenal that it even has politicians lobbying for concerts in their country. The mega group isn't so hot in South Korea though, where their own idol group brands have gained international acclaim. (Japan Today)

After an intoxicated commuter tumbled onto railway tracks at JR Ebisu Station on Saturday, an elderly man pulled him away just before a train arrived, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

The U.N. General Assembly on Monday endorsed a Japanese antinuclear resolution by a wide margin, although fewer countries backed it than in previous years amid perceptions of backpedaling on disarmament. (Kyodo)

Shizuoka Prefectural Police have arrested a 38-year-old male member of a hip-hop group over the alleged possession of marijuana, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A survey by professional recruitment company Hays has found that many Japanese female professionals aspire to be corporate directors, but that male bosses do not seem to grasp that reality. (Nikkei)

Calendar, diary and fortune-telling businesses are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the name of Japan's next imperial era, as the government said Friday it is expected to begin on May 1, 2019, the day after the emperor abdicates. (Japan Today)

With Emperor Akihito set to abdicate on April 30, 2019, the focus will likely shift to Crown Prince Naruhito, who will ascend the throne, and Crown Princess Masako, who has long been in a battle with depression. (Japan Today)

A Japanese court has sentenced a former civilian worker at a US base in Okinawa, southern Japan, to life in prison for murdering a woman. (NHK)

While it’s become common knowledge that many Japanese talent agencies prohibit idol singers from dating, there are similar rules in place at some Japanese high schools. (rocketnews24.com)