The Japan Meteorological Agency says the average density of carbon dioxide in the air over the country hit a record-high level last year at all fixed-observation points. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have enjoyed viewing cherry blossoms at Kyoto Gyoen National Garden in the ancient capital of Kyoto in western Japan. (NHK)

The Diet on Wednesday enacted a record ¥101.46 trillion ($920 billion) budget for fiscal 2019 that will boost spending on social security and defense and include stimulus measures to buoy the economy after a planned consumption tax hike. (Japan Times)

A Japanese court on Wednesday acquitted a man of illicitly operating computer software after he embedded a program in his website to mine cryptocurrency using the computers of site visitors. (Japan Today)

In many ways, Hooters seems like a concept that would work extremely well in Japan. This is, after all, a nation that itself has produced some startling innovations in breast-related dining, such as the busty waitress Akihabara ramen joint and the “breast slash” cafe. (soranews24.com)

The Japanese government plans to have its top spokesperson announce the name for the era of the nation's new emperor next Monday. (NHK)

Cherry trees came into full bloom in central Tokyo on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, earlier than other cities in the country this spring amid recent warm weather. (Kyodo)

Right before the cherry blossoms start to bloom, prices went up, but it’s still a must-visit bargain. (soranews24.com)

A 10-year-old Japanese girl is set to become the youngest professional player of the Asian board game "Go" next month. (NHK)

Famous for its dozens of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Kotoku-in with its Great Buddha statue, as well as its cozy cafes and charming shopping district, the seaside resort town of Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is one of the most popular day-trip destinations for tourists in the Tokyo area, with over 20 million tourists visiting every year. (Japan Today)

Japan's government has investigated a university in Tokyo where hundreds of foreign students remain unaccounted for. (NHK)

A woman died after being stabbed in the back in her apartment in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on Tuesday, police said. (Japan Today)

About 80 percent of young eels put into aquaculture pools in Japan in December and January may have been smuggled from Taiwan via Hong Kong, according to trade data and sources close to the matter. (Kyodo)

The landscape of Japan's digital map industry is shifting as Google seeks to cash in on a treasure trove of next-generation services requiring maps by increasing its independence from local partner Zenrin. (Nikkei)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have hosted a tea party at the Kyoto Imperial Palace to mark the Emperor's 30 years on the throne. (NHK)

Do you dare take the challenge and ride into an endless mineshaft? (soranews24.com)

On April 1st, 2019, major new immigration reform will take effect with a new “Middle Skilled Worker” (tokuteigino) visa status for foreign workers in Japan. (rethinktokyo.com)

Japanese researchers said Monday they have found the country's oldest known rock dating back 2.5 billion years in the western prefecture of Shimane, around 500 million years earlier than the previous oldest discovery. (Kyodo)

A South Korean court has approved the seizure of Mitsubishi's assets over the Japanese industrial giant's use of forced labor during World War II, an activist group said Monday. (Japan Today)

A Japanese court Monday imposed a sentence of three to five years on a former university student for making a substance that can be used in powerful bombs like those used in terrorist attacks, as well as a 3D-printed gun and stimulant drugs. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government aircraft will be taken out of service at the end of this month. A ceremony was held on Sunday to mark the switch to the new planes. (NHK)

Official campaigning for the Osaka mayoral election began Sunday, with Osaka Prefecture’s former governor, Ichiro Matsui, facing off against a ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed challenger opposed to the controversial idea of restructuring the city into a metropolis. (Japan Times)

A member of a sister group of the popular all-girl band AKB48 on Friday criticized the outcome of a probe into an assault against her as "lies," as the group's management company revealed the result. (Japan Today)

The number of foreign residents in Japan had risen 6.6 percent at the end of 2018 from a year earlier, to reach a record high of some 2.73 million, Justice Ministry data showed on Friday. (Japan Times)

A key part of the business model for convenience stores is their round-the-clock service. But a shortage of staffers is prompting some operators to consider shrinking their business hours. (NHK)