Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido is recalling about 400,000 eyeliner sticks. Officials at the firm say plastic splinters have been found in some items. (NHK)

Toshiba has decided to re-engage US private-equity firm Bain Capital as the preferred bidder in the sale of its chip unit. (NHK)

A Peruvian man indicted in the 2015 killings of six people in Saitama Prefecture has a mental illness, sources said Tuesday, a development that could affect whether he can be held criminally liable. (Japan Times)

A cave in Okinawa that commemorates the civilian victims of a mass suicide on the southern Japanese island during the closing days of World War Two has been found vandalized. (NHK)

NHK has learned that the US tech giant Google will start selling its smart speakers on the Japanese market starting in early October. (NHK)

Japanese said Monday it would sell off another chunk of the country's massive postal service in a share sale that could raise up to 1.4 trillion yen. (Japan Today)

A folding screen painted in ink featuring main characters of the Star Wars movie was unveiled Tuesday at Byodoin, a Buddhist temple on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in Kyoto Prefecture, ahead of the release of the latest episode in December. (Japan Times)

Police in southwestern Japan have admitted to having mistakenly arrested a young woman for fraud. (NHK)

Japan's hosting of the 2019 Rugby World Cup has created "nervousness" about whether big crowds will turn up but national pride will carry the day for the Japanese, World Rugby's chief executive said Monday. (Japan Today)

Reflecting the recent rise of alpine accidents amid the trekking boom in Japan, experts advise hikers to get insurance covering search and rescue expenses, which can be hugely expensive. (Japan Today)

Further consolidation among Japan's regional banks is inevitable given the rapidly aging population and ultralow interest rates, according to an adviser to the Financial Services Agency. (Japan Times)

American songstress Katy Perry is known around the world for her hit songs, extravagant costumes, and her bad blood with fellow singer Taylor Swift. Here in Japan, though, the 32-year-old performer is becoming known for her love of local reed diffusers and fabric softeners, thanks to a new commercial being broadcast to television screens around the nation from 8 September. (Japan Today)

Mitsuoka Motor Co Ltd has unveiled its Fusion sleeping/funeral car based on minivans. (Japan Today)

Japan's defense minister says North Korea has sufficient capabilities to be recognized as a nuclear power. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called for boosting the country’s defenses in the face of North Korean threats, warning that Tokyo needs to be able to protect itself. (Japan Times)

The 65-year-old owner of a small Japanese restaurant in Miyazaki city was stabbed to death on Saturday, police said. (Japan Today)

A tour bus caught fire and burned up Saturday on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Aichi Prefecture, but the driver and his 40 passengers escaped without injury. (Japan Times)

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has released a video of auroras that are believed to have appeared due to a solar flare - an explosion on the sun's surface - that occurred on Wednesday. (the-japan-news.com)

The opportunity to see wild brown bears in their natural environment has made a national park in Hokkaido a popular hiking destination. (Japan Times)

The Japanese foreign minister has asked ministers in Qatar to slash the number of North Korean nationals working in that Middle Eastern nation. (NHK)

The Japan Tourism Agency is considering asking municipalities to designate periods during which minpaku (private lodging services) must be shut in their regions. (Japan Times)

Yoshihide Kiryu has become the first Japanese to break the 10-second barrier in the men's 100 meter sprint. (NHK)

A 24-year-old male professional dancer was arrested after stealing a taxi in Tokyo and injuring the 41-year-old male driver, police said Saturday. (Japan Today)

A worker dismantling tanks at Japan's wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was found to have been exposed to a small amount of radiation during a routine safety check on Friday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a mail order service based in a Nerima Ward that sold about 1 million illegal pornographic DVDs each year since 2012. The operation is believed to have funded organized crime, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)