As part of US-led efforts to stop China from creating high-end semiconductors suitable for military applications, Japan's curbs on the export of advanced chip-making equipment went into effect on Sunday, Kyodo news reported. (devdiscourse.com)

The practice of imposing municipal accommodation taxes on hotel guests has been spreading across Japan as popular tourist areas look to generate funds to use in promoting themselves to travelers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kyodo)

Three schoolgirls drowned in a river in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Friday while swimming on the first day of their summer vacation, local authorities said. (Kyodo)

The average unit price of a new condominium in Tokyo's 23 central wards in the first six months of 2023 soared to a record high 129.6 million yen ($930,000) due largely to high material prices and construction costs, a research institute said Thursday. (Kyodo)

A 34-year-old mother in Osaka Prefecture has been served a fresh arrest warrant for allegedly swindling a cooperative out of mutual aid money by starving her child to the point of hospitalization for low blood sugar in January, according to police. (Kyodo)

Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan while awaiting trial, said Tuesday he has filed a criminal lawsuit in Lebanon against the Japanese company, vowing to make it pay for "the damage that cannot be repaired." (Kyodo)

Japanese manga artists and creators are exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence, pinning their hopes on using the technology to offer suggestions for illustration drafts and story plots, as well as for making the creative process substantially more efficient. (Kyodo)

A man accused of attempted murder and arson while dressed in a Joker costume on a Tokyo train in 2021 said Tuesday that a similar incident a few months earlier inspired him to alter his original plan of going on a killing spree in Shibuya. (NHK)

A man who went on a stabbing rampage on a train in 2021 was sentenced to 19 years in prison by the Tokyo District Court on Friday. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefectural Police revealed this week that they mistakenly arrested a man over a revenge porn case and detained him for 42 days. (Japan Today)

A working group of the U.N. Human Rights Council is planning to look into sexual abuse claims against the late founder of Japan's top male talent agency Johnny & Associates Inc., people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Police in Osaka have arrested a 36-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of killing his 65-year-old father by pushing him off a bridge into a river early Monday morning. (Japan Today)

Japan did not voice opposition Monday to a U.S. plan to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine for its counteroffensive against Russia, with some NATO members concerned over the supply of the weapons ahead of their summit later this week. (Kyodo)

A man in his 70s died after he was apparently pushed off a bridge in Osaka on Monday morning. (Japan Today)

A memorial service for former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was held on Saturday to mark one year since he was fatally shot while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. (NHK)

Formula One's Japanese Grand Prix is scheduled for April 7 next year, the first time that the race will take place in the spring, according to the 2024 World Championship calendar released Wednesday by its governing body FIA. (Kyodo)

A bridge girder slipped off a raised platform at a construction site in central Japan early Thursday, leaving two workers dead and six others injured, police said. (Kyodo)

Japan's biggest maritime port was crippled by an alleged Russian cyberattack, disrupting cargo as operators rushed to prevent a wider delay in shipments. (themalaysianreserve.com)

Japan's Sho Shimabukuro lost in the men's singles first round at the Wimbledon tennis championships Wednesday after his match was interrupted by environmental activists who ran onto the court throwing confetti and jigsaw puzzle pieces. (Kyodo)

Japan's education ministry on Tuesday unveiled guidelines allowing the limited use of generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, in elementary, junior high and high schools. (Kyodo)

Japan's tallest skyscraper, towering at a height of 330 meters, was completed at the heart of Tokyo, Mori Building Co. said Monday, beating the previous title holder by 30 meters. (Kyodo)

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 22-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of robbing a jewelry accessory store with two accomplices in April. (Japan Today)

The head of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Sunday the government should not start the release into the sea of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the swimming season amid concerns over the safety of the plan. (Kyodo)

A majority of Japanese universities bolstered measures against cults recruiting on campus after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's fatal shooting a year ago added to concerns that students could be easy targets, a Kyodo News survey shows. (Kyodo)

Police in Yokohama have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of killing his 18-year-old former girlfriend on Thursday. (Japan Today)