Two children who attended the same preschool in Kawasaki died within a week earlier this month, possibly due to an infectious disease, city officials said. (Japan Times)

A German senior executive of the Japanese arm of Volkswagen AG was arrested Wednesday for the alleged use of a stimulant drug, police said. (Japan Today)

Police in Sapporo on Wednesday arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of killing a man with whom she was having a relationship. (Japan Today)

The Saga District Court on Tuesday rejected a request from local residents for an injunction to block the planned restart of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture. (the-japan-news.com)

Major retailer FamilyMart Uny Holdings Co. and discount store operator Don Quijote Holdings Co. have announced the launch of talks on forging a business alliance. (Japan Times)

The operator of Ivanka Trump's fashion brand has halted business negotiations with major Japanese apparel company Sanei-International Co due to concerns over potential conflicts of interest, according to a letter from the operating company made public Monday. (Japan Today)

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito said on Tuesday he will devote himself "body and soul" to his job as emperor, just days after a law was enacted allowing his father to abdicate, which would be the first abdication by a Japanese emperor in two centuries. (Reuters)

Japan's government will begin drills on Thursday for deploying ground-based PAC3 interceptors in view of North Korea's recent missile launches. (NHK)

A man pedaling a bicycle died after plunging into a harbor during a chase by Okinawa Prefectural Police in Naha City on Tuesday, reports Nippon News Network. (tokyoreporter.com)

The number of non-Japanese children at public schools who are lacking in Japanese language skills and who need remedial lessons hit a record 34,335 as of May last year, the latest survey by the education ministry showed Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Japan is one win away from qualifying for its sixth consecutive World Cup after grinding out a 1-1 draw away to Iraq on Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Toshiba disclosed Tuesday a lawsuit from 70 plaintiffs, including foreign banks and institutional investors, that seek about 43.9 billion yen ($399 million) for losses they blame on the dodgy accounting that came to light in 2015. (Nikkei)

A U.N. human rights expert on Monday expressed concern over the Japanese government's possible pressure on media organizations. (the-japan-news.com)

A wild boar entered the grounds of a Kyoto University dormitory in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward Tuesday, bumping into a man in his 60s on a bicycle before being captured. The man suffered a minor injury to his right leg. (Japan Times)

Hidden beneath its streets, Japan's aging sewer pipes spotlight a challenge that has held back reforms Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to revitalise the world's third-biggest economy. (nytimes.com)

An institute in Japan treating 5 workers exposed to radioactive substances says it has not detected plutonium in any of their lungs. (NHK)

The media loves "weird Japan." You know, the capsule hotel rooms barely bigger than a casket, the gyaru with their bronzed faces and white makeup, the saline facial injections used to replicate the shape of a bagel on a trend chaser's forehead. Feeding the eager public a steady diet of abnormal Japan is easy and fun. (splicetoday.com)

Last month, a man died running from police after a female passenger at the Aobadai station in Yokohama, Japan, accused him of touching her inappropriately. (salon.com)

Two hikers in their 60s were found dead Monday on a mountain on the island of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture, police said. (Japan Times)

Japanese consumers bought more beer and similar beverages in May ahead of an expected price hike. (NHK)

A giant panda cub was born in a Tokyo zoo Monday, but its gender, weight and even whether it will survive are uncertain. (Japan Today)

A high school boy in Miyagi Prefecture went missing at sea Sunday after waves swept him and a friend from their dinghy while they were trying to return to shore, police said. (Japan Today)

Tokyo metropolitan government officials are stepping up efforts to exterminate a deer species that is destroying crops on the Island of Izu Oshima. (NHK)

Bitcoin, the world's foremost digital currency, is a hot topic in Japanese FinTech circles right now. Until recently, Japan has been seen to lag behind its Asian counterparts when it comes to virtual currency initiatives. Whereas China and South Korea are moving fast toward becoming cashless societies, with over 50% of payments processed electronically, Japan has been comparatively slow to respond, with an adoption rate currently pegged at around 19%. (newsonjapan.com)

Airbnb has made its TV branding debut in Japan following the implementation of a law on Friday 9 June that recognises home sharing in the country and sets out clear rules for it. (campaignasia.com)