A 65-year-old man is believed to have killed himself with a hunting rifle Wednesday after first shooting his pet dog dead at his home in southwestern Japan, in a case in which police initially feared he had holed himself up and was a potential danger to other people. (Japan Today)

This is how my first-ever day in Japan went. Arrive at Tokyo’s Narita airport, sushi for lunch in the city, bullet train (shinkansen) to Kyoto, train to Yamazaki. (thedailybeast.com)

The growing number of foreign visitors to Japan has lifted the country's first-half travel balance surplus to a record high, recent data shows. (Nikkei)

The IMF on Wednesday urged Japan to maintain its massive monetary stimulus to boost consumer prices, a view echoed by a central bank board member, reinforcing expectations policy will remain accommodative. (Reuters)

Japan will spend roughly 800 billion yen ($7.01 billion) to expand its free preschool program, part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to increase human resources investment. (Nikkei)

Troubled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba said Thursday it logged a net loss of $436 million for the fiscal first half, as it moves to complete the multi-billion-dollar sale of its chip business to restore its balance sheet. (nationmultimedia.com)

A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel in Geneva, Switzerland has ruled in Japan's favor in a dispute over South Korean restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The panel notified the two sides of the result on 18 October. (seafoodsource.com)

Police on Wednesday arrested the president and a former employee of failed travel agency Tellmeclub, which offered budget overseas tours, on suspicion of defrauding a bank of about ¥200 million ($1.76 million) in loans by window-dressing earnings data. (Japan Times)

The remaining 11 countries in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will discuss a proposal for an agreement in principle to proceed after the withdrawal of the United States, Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Thursday. (Reuters)

While visiting Japan, President Trump ate a hamburger, setting off a Twitter firestorm of those both praising and criticizing the choice. (foxnews.com)

The men's road cycling race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is expected to cover a 270-km route starting in the Tokyo suburbs of Chofu, going past Lake Yamanaka and the foot of Mounbt Fuji, and finishing at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture, a source said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Small amounts of radioactive cesium were detected on a glove of a worker at an nuclear facility in Aomori Prefecture last month, Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. said Thursday. (Japan Times)

A construction project to create frozen soil walls that encircle the ground beneath Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is nearly finished. (the-japan-news.com)

Japan is arranging upcoming joint naval exercises with three U.S. aircraft carriers in the western Pacific Ocean, hoping to exert pressure on North Korea as it continues its nuclear and missile development. (Nikkei)

A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced to death a one-time millionairess dubbed the "Black Widow", who tricked elderly lovers into drinking cyanide and pocketed millions in insurance payouts and inheritance. (Japan Today)

Airbnb Inc. said Monday it has signed a partnership agreement with Japan’s largest carrier, All Nippon Airways Co., and its subsidiary, Peach Aviation Ltd., in a bid to solicit more demand for domestic travel. (Japan Times)

Nationwide inflation remains "relatively weak" but prices will gradually be pushed up toward the Bank of Japan's 2 percent target by rising labor costs, Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda said Monday. (Japan Times)

Ohitorisama — doing things alone — has been a thing in Japan. For instance, restaurants and karaoke spots try to accommodate solo customers so they don’t feel uncomfortable on their own. Now the fad is spreading to overseas tours, and travel companies are cashing in on the trend. ()

Tokyo stocks extended their winning streak for a fourth day Tuesday, lifting the Nikkei Stock Average to its highest close in more than 25 years. (Nikkei)

The number of visitors to the just-ended 45th Tokyo Motor Show totaled 771,200, down 5.1 percent from the 812,500 attendance at the last show in 2015, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has said. (Japan Times)

Japan was hit by a string of bomb threats as U.S. President Donald Trump held talks in Tokyo, kicking off an Asia tour under heavy security, police said Monday. (Japan Today)

As policy experts scramble to interpret the significance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan, there’s already one standout winner in the stock market. (Japan Times)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting US President Donald Trump have had dinner together in Tokyo's Ginza district. (NHK)

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in golf diplomacy, their wives spent time Sunday learning about Japanese pearl cultivation in Tokyo’s top luxury shopping district. (Japan Times)

Six people, including children, were injured Saturday when a 4-kg drone that was distributing candy at an event in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, suddenly crashed into the crowd, the police said. (Japan Times)