An industrial blast Friday that left one man dead and 11 other people injured in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, might have been caused by a dust explosion, plant officials said. (Japan Times)

Japan have been presented with a chance for revenge in their opening match of next year's World Cup finals after being drawn against Colombia, Senegal and Poland in first-round Group H on Friday. (Kyodo)

As a part of a crackdown on a so-called “delivery health” out-call service in Taito Ward for providing prostitution, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have announced more arrests in the case, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Like many countries, Japan has an unwritten rule that those who are willing to ride an escalator by standing still should keep to one side, while people in a rush who want to climb the moving steps are allowed access on the other side. (rocketnews24.com)

Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai has said he will do his best to complete his upcoming mission at the International Space Station. (NHK)

The stench of flesh rotting on a sultry day fills the air as cleaner Hidemitsu Ohshima steps into a tiny Tokyo apartment where a dead man lay decomposing for three weeks. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the Imperial House Council has chosen April 30th, 2019, as the date for Emperor Akihito's abdication, and picked the next day, May first, for Crown Prince Naruhito's accession. (NHK)

Local restaurants, souvenir shops and even some temples and shrines are hoping to cater to foreign guests with an international custom yet to be adopted in Japan: letting customers pay their bills with credit cards instead of cash. (Japan Today)

Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, turned 16 on Friday, enjoying high school life and striving to better fulfill her role as a member of the imperial family. (Japan Today)

The Japan Sumo Association has reprimanded Yokozuna Hakuho for recent conduct and remarks deemed below the standards expected of a grand champion. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of a 70-year-old man for allegedly assaulting two female cabin attendants on a Japan Airlines (JAL) flight earlier this year, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

A high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision to retry an 84-year-old man who served prison time for fatally stabbing an acquaintance in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1985. (Japan Times)

Prosecutors in Yokohama have decided not to prosecute six male students of Tokyo's Keio University, who were accused of sexual assault after coercing a female student to consume alcohol last year. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land plans a major expansion for the theme park, looking to spend over 300 billion yen ($2.68 billion) to build new attractions and ease congestion amid fierce competition in the industry. (Nikkei)

NHK has learned that Yokozuna Grand Champion Harumafuji is to retire from sumo to take responsibility for assaulting a lower-ranked wrestler. (NHK)

The latest edition of the Michelin guide for Tokyo is due out on Friday with 82 new restaurants, including five new two-star establishments and 23 entities garnering single stars, Michelin said on Tuesday. (Japan Times)

North Korea launched what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday morning, reaching a higher altitude than previous tests and suggesting one of the longest ranges in the country's arsenal. (Nikkei)

Rakuten will capitalize on the home-rental trend with a comprehensive support service for property owners, looking to distinguish itself from the more established Airbnb in a growing market set to emerge from a legal gray area. (Nikkei)

SoftBank Group Corp. and a group of investors are said to be trying to buy a big stake in Uber Technologies Inc. at a sizable discount to the ride-hailing company's $69 billion valuation, seeking to clinch what would be one of the largest ever purchases of stock in a private company. (Japan Times)

From a television commercial that gives a humorous twist to a theme park’s impending closure to hotels staffed by robots, tactics to capitalize on company outings, and ads featuring Japanese pop idols and actors — theme parks in Japan are squeezing their creative juices to attract more first-time visitors and repeaters through avant-garde ways. (Japan Times)

An advisory body to the Japan Sumo Association has agreed on the need for “extremely harsh punishment” to be meted out to grand champion Harumafuji over his assault of a lower-ranked wrestler, the head of the council said Monday. (Japan Times)

Police in northern Japan say a 12-year-old boy has admitted to stabbing a woman. He has been placed under temporary custody by child welfare authorities. (NHK)

The price of Bitcoin topped 1 million yen, or nearly 9,000 US dollars, in Japan on Sunday. (NHK)

A wooden boat containing 8 human bodies has been found washed ashore in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan. (NHK)

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have welcomed Luxembourg's Grand Duke Henri and his daughter, Princess Alexandra, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (NHK)