More than three-quarters of Japanese women of prime age to start families are now in the workforce, signaling a break from the long-running trend of mothers quitting jobs to care for newborn babies. (Nikkei)

Authorities say the death toll from the record rainfall that pounded western Japan has climbed to 193. Another 47 people are still missing. Authorities say 5 people are without vital signs. (NHK)

A 22-year-old man who went on a rampage on a shinkansen (bullet train) last month, fatally stabbing one man and injuring two women, began a psychiatric evaluation on Friday. The Yokohama District Court ordered the examination to determine if the man is mentally competent to stand trial. (Japan Today)

Japan's university entrance examination system is scheduled for an overhaul in 2020. The planned changes in English-language testing are a particular target of attention. (nippon.com)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has accused the Japanese unit of global tech-giant Apple of possibly violating the anti-monopoly law by forcing major mobile service providers to give discounts on their iPhones. (NHK)

AKB48, the mega-group that kicked off the modern idol era, has once again demonstrated that it wears the sparkly crown of the idol industry, as its newest single, "Teacher Teacher," has now sold three million copies. (soranews24.com)

Japan's government is counting on foreign workers to ease the labor shortage in a range of industries. (NHK)

NHK has learned that scientists now believe the asteroid Ryugu was likely formed from a collection of asteroid fragments. (NHK)

A small eruption has been confirmed on an uninhabited island in the Pacific around 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, the weather agency said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan's population has fallen for 9 years in a row, while the capital, Tokyo, keeps growing. (NHK)

Following the disaster, questions are beginning to emerge. Some wonder whether people were given enough warning to leave areas threatened by rising waters. Others ask whether the high loss of life could have been avoided. (NHK)

Evacuees in rain-hit areas of western Japan are being urged to take precautions for heatstroke and food poisoning, as the hot weather is expected to continue. (NHK)

The climbing season for Mount Fuji got fully underway Tuesday with three trails in Shizuoka Prefecture opening to the public. (Japan Times)

Yahoo Japan Corp. is blunting the impact of a large stock sale by a big shareholder, buying back about ¥221 billion ($2 billion) worth of its shares in a complicated deal with SoftBank Group Corp. (Japan Times)

Gunma Prefectural Police arrested a man after a stabbing incident at a supermarket in Maebashi City on Tuesday left two employees hurt, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Typhoon Maria is bringing strong winds and rough seas to a remote island chain in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa. (NHK)

In what is believed to be a first in Japan, a prestigious national women’s university officially announced Tuesday its new policy to open doors from 2020 to people who were assigned as male at birth but identify as female, saying it’s a natural decision that takes gender diversity into account. (Japan Times)

Police in Sapporo on Monday arrested a 71-year-old woman on suspicion of abandoning the body of her mother in their apartment in Kita Ward for the past 18 months. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the government will provide financial support to areas in western Japan that have been battered by record-breaking torrential rains. (NHK)

Haruka Kuwabara, at 31 currently the youngest mayor in Japan, was welcomed with flowers and applause by municipal employees in Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture, on Monday, her first day in office. (Japan Times)

Nissan Motor is facing its second inspection scandal since the fall after it said Monday that emissions data had been tampered with for several years, delivering another blow to the automaker's brand even as it tries to shake off the first. (Nikkei)

SoftBank Group has filed for the listing of its mobile service unit SoftBank Corp., in an apparent bid to raise about 2.5 trillion yen ($22.6 billion) from the stock debut. (Nikkei)

In the busiest city in a country famous for working employees to death, Tokyo Workers hopes to help people find the work/life balance they desire. (soranews24.com)

Officials in Japan say the death toll from floods and landslides caused by record rainfall in the western part of the country has reached 114. (NHK)

Former Aum Shinrikyo executive Fumihiro Joyu, who later founded Hikari no Wa (The Circle of Rainbow Light) which is one of the splinter groups, offered his apologies once again Friday to people affected by the doomsday cult but said he is no longer part of the original group. (Japan Times)