Japan captain Makoto Hasebe announced Tuesday he is retiring from the national team, a day after Samurai Blue were knocked out of the Russia World Cup by Belgium. (Kyodo)

Japan has been knocked out of the FIFA World Cup in Russia after losing to Belgium 3-2. (NHK)

Princess Ayako and her fiance-to-be have jointly met with reporters after Japan's Imperial Household Agency formally announced plans for their engagement. (NHK)

Demand for new offices pulled up land values in Japan's largest cities, but the country is witnessing polarizing demand as rural areas that lack tourist attractions are left behind. (Nikkei)

One of Japan's best-known rakugo storytellers, Katsura Utamaru, has died. He was 81 years old. (NHK)

A national women's university in Tokyo said Monday it will start from April 2020 accepting students born male but who identify themselves as female. (Japan Today)

A "devastated" Japan head coach Akira Nishino took the blame for the 3-2 loss to Belgium that knocked his team out of the World Cup on Monday, saying he made tactical errors. (Kyodo)

An 81-year-old woman was arrested Sunday after she drove her car through the entrance of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture. (Japan Today)

A car carrying five junior high school students crashed in the western city of Okayama on Sunday morning, leaving a 13-year-old girl dead and the other four teens seriously injured, police said. (Japan Times)

Ryohin Keikaku Co., the operator of Japan’s Muji brand household goods stores, opened a second hotel under the brand in downtown Beijing on Saturday in a join venture with a unit of Odakyu Electric Railway Co. (Japan Times)

The Mount Fuji climbing season opened on Sunday morning on the Yamanashi side. (Japan Today)

A dozen Christian locations in parts of southern Japan where members of the faith were once brutally persecuted were selected for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list on Saturday. (Japan Today)

Japan Airlines Co and All Nippon Airways Co on Saturday started new security checks for powdery substances in carry-on luggage of passengers taking U.S.-bound flights. (Japan Today)

A millennium-old temple in Kyoto is offering travelers an exclusive overnight experience for a cool 1 million yen ($9,100), hoping to shore up its dwindling income by capitalizing on the city's booming tourism trade. (Nikkei)

Japanese comedian and fashion designer Naomi Watanabe has been chosen by US weekly Time magazine as one of its 25 most influential people on the internet in 2018. (NHK)

Japan head coach Akira Nishino revealed Saturday that he apologized to his players for making them hold onto the ball and avoid attacking late in their final World Cup group game against Poland, in a tactical move which saw them loudly jeered by spectators. (Kyodo)

An affiliate of Japanese electronics giant Hitachi Ltd. admitted Friday it had falsified data for 60,000 industrial batteries, the latest in a series of similar scandals that has battered the country’s reputation for quality. (Japan Times)

The launch of what would have been Japan’s first privately developed rocket to reach outer space failed Saturday after it burst into flames seconds after liftoff, the Hokkaido-based developer said. (Japan Times)

Japan's unemployment rate fell to the lowest level in more than 25 years in May in the latest sign of a strengthening economy, government data showed Friday, but rising job availability underscored the shortage of workers amid a shrinking population. (Japan Today)

A 41-year-old man has been arrested after carrying out an unusual technique to steal fresh fish from a store in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Sharp Corp scrapped a plan to issue up to $2 billion in new shares, changing its mind in a matter of weeks after the initial announcement prompted investors to dump its shares on fears of earnings per share dilution. (Japan Today)

Weather authorities suspect a tornado hit the western Japanese city of Maibara in Shiga Prefecture on Friday, causing injuries and damage. (NHK)

Trading volume on the Tokyo Stock Exchange has slumped to the lowest level in 14 years, while Shanghai shares have fallen six weeks in a row, underscoring investor concern over U.S.-China tariff tensions. (Nikkei)

Jubilant soccer fans have overrun a famous intersection near Tokyo's Shibuya Station in reaction to Japan's advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup finals in Russia. (NHK)

In the soccer World Cup finals in Russia, Japan advanced to the knockout phase despite a 1-0 loss to Poland in their final group-stage match on Thursday. (NHK)