Japanese Highway Service Areas or Rest Stops are quite amazing and in this episode we’ll look at one of them that has a food challenge! Tomobe SA in Ibaraki Prefecture has a restaurant that has taken the highest mountain in the area and turned it into a dish. (ONLY in JAPAN)

A huge dead sperm whale has been found on a beach in eastern Japan. (NHK)

Heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. said Friday it has found 211 cases in which airplane engines were improperly inspected over the past two years, including by uncertified workers. (Japan Times)

The world's number one female tennis player Naomi Osaka has a new honor to add to her list of accomplishments, with the release on Friday of her own Barbie doll. (NHK)

A passenger vehicle driven by actress Yu Aoi crashed into a taxi in Shibuya Ward earlier this week, police revealed on Thursday, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Even hikers who have no intention of reaching the summit of Mount Fuji will be asked to make a donation of ¥1,000 for stepping foot on the country’s highest mountain from this summer, local prefectures said Thursday. (Japan Times)

In Tokyo, the party can keep going all night, with bars, pubs, and clubs that stay open until the morning light. However, if you’ve got something else you’d like to do before sunrise, like, say, go home and get some sleep, you’ll want to keep the time of your last train in mind while you’re out partying. (Japan Today)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga denied a media report Thursday that the government is considering introducing a minimum wage for specific industrial sectors that would apply to workers nationwide, regardless of where they live. (Japan Times)

Kumamon, the popular Japanese black bear-like mascot, will soon change its official Chinese name used in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to better represent and promote Kumamoto, the southwestern prefecture said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Following the arrest of a 69-year-old man for allegedly murdering a woman at his residence with stimulant drugs last year, police have revealed that the amount of drugs found in her system far exceeded the lethal amount, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of detention wearing work clothes, a cap and a surgical mask after he was released on bail on Wednesday. (NHK)

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Nagoya for threatening to kill two police officers after he entered a “koban” (police box) with a knife and a PET bottle filled with kerosene. (Japan Today)

The former deputy editor of a popular Kodansha Ltd comic magazine was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for killing his wife in 2016. (Japan Today)

The Former Chairman of Nissan Motor is free on bail. After spending over 100 days in custody, Carlos Ghosn posted nearly nine million dollars and walked out of a Tokyo detention center. (NHK)

Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee said Wednesday her battle against leukemia has been more difficult than she imagined. (Japan Today)

A former school operator and his wife will go on trial on Wednesday at the Osaka District Court in western Japan. The former president of Moritomo Gakuen is at the center of a favoritism scandal that rocked the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (NHK)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says its Hayabusa2 space probe will attempt to make a crater in the asteroid Ryugu next month. (NHK)

A Japanese health ministry panel has approved a clinical study to transplant cornea tissues developed from human iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells. (NHK)

The cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday approved a bill to revise the broadcast law to allow public broadcaster NHK to start simultaneous online streaming of its television programs. (Japan Today)

An amusement park themed on the world of Finland's Moomin fairytale characters will open on March 16 in Saitama Prefecture, its operator said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japan aims to set up a nationally recognized accreditation program for teachers of its native tongue, seeking to improve language education for foreign workers as the country prepares to welcome them in greater numbers. (Nikkei)

Japan's transport ministry has installed a body scanner at a subway station in Tokyo on a trial basis to check for dangerous objects. (NHK)

Atsuko Maeda, an original member of the all-girl pop group AKB48, has given birth to a baby boy, her first child, her husband said Monday. (Japan Today)

The new defense team for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn say they want to clear their client of charges and win back the trust of Japanese society. (NHK)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency has decided to allow members of the public into the Imperial Palace grounds on May 4 to celebrate the enthronement of the new Emperor. (NHK)