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)

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)

The manager of an adult entertainment business was stabbed by a man who then apparently jumped to his death in Tokyo's Ikebukuro area, police said Sunday. (Japan Today)

A student-led movement is campaigning to raise Japan's minimum wage and improve the lives of low-paid workers, many of whom struggle to meet their basic needs despite toiling long hours. (Japan Today)

A passenger car collided with a sightseeing bus on an expressway in central Japan on Saturday morning, killing the car driver and injuring 45 people aboard the bus. (NHK)

It’s a slice of history that carries a sheen of glamour and a dusting of a fairy tale: The world’s oldest continuous monarchy, dating back to 660 B.C., boasts a royal seat known as the Chrysanthemum Throne and a princess set to marry a commoner. (nbcnews.com)

Schools in Japan that train certified care workers - who play a core role in nursing care - have seen a rapid increase in the number of foreign students. (lmtonline.com)

The US military says an emergency landing of the Osprey transport aircraft at an airport southwestern Japan was a precautionary measure to avoid any accident. (NHK)

Money-losing Japanese nuclear and electronics company Toshiba Corp will pay $3.68 billion toward the construction of two reactors in Georgia by its U.S. unit Westinghouse, which has filed for bankruptcy protection. (Japan Today)

The enactment of the minpaku home-sharing law in the Diet's upper house Friday removes the regulatory uncertainties surrounding renting private dwellings as temporary accommodations, possibly opening the door for dramatic growth of a new industry in Japan. (Nikkei)

Japan's government has set out its policy goals for managing the economy. This year's blueprint focuses on boosting productivity by investing in human resources. (NHK)

Each of Japan's major cities has its own claims to fame. Tokyo is where mainstream entertainment and business trends emanate from. Yokohama is the breezy, multicultural city by the bay, while Kyoto, of course, is the heartland of traditional arts and culture. (Japan Today)

Seven-Eleven Japan Co's president said Friday that Japan's largest convenience store operator will start opening up outlets around fiscal 2019 in Okinawa, the only area in the country without Seven-Eleven stores. (Japan Today)

A suspected murderer who went on the run for 45 years has been arrested in Japan. (independent.co.uk)

A Japanese man was charged Tuesday in court with two counts of murder for the brutal slaying of two Japanese nationals last week in the western Philippine province of Palawan, official documents obtained Wednesday showed. (Japan Today)

Japan's current account surplus grew 7.5% on the year in April to 1.95 trillion yen ($17.7 billion), the highest for the month in 10 years, according to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Finance. (Nikkei)