Japan is considering overhauling its tax-free shopping scheme for foreign visitors in response to a growing number of cases of tax-free items being resold overseas for profit at tax-inclusive prices, sources close to the matter said Monday. (Kyodo)

Lone yokozuna Terunofuji took the outright lead and became the first wrestler to clinch a winning record Sunday as he improved to a perfect 8-0 at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)

Yuko Kishida, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has gifted pairs of wearable binoculars to the spouses of the leaders of the Group of Seven countries and international organizations who attended the G-7 summit that concluded Sunday in Hiroshima, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. (Kyodo)

The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations visited a small island in Hiroshima Bay containing a world heritage shrine and sat down to a working dinner at a traditional hot-spring inn there at the end of the first day of their summit Friday. (Kyodo)

Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized economies kicked off talks at their summit on Friday in Hiroshima, with concerns lingering that Russia may use a nuclear weapon in its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. (Kyodo)

Japan's trade deficit nearly halved to a one-year low of 432.41 billion yen ($3 billion) in April, as imports dropped for the first time in 27 months on lower crude oil prices, while U.S.-bound auto shipments delivered record exports, the Finance Ministry said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani earned his fifth win after he struggled on the mound but went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer in a 9-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. (Kyodo)

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of killing a woman in her 30s at a brothel where she worked. (Japan Today)

Fans of idols belonging to Johnny & Associates Inc., one of Japan's most powerful talent agencies, said Thursday they have submitted a petition with around 16,000 signatures demanding that the firm investigate allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder Johnny Kitagawa. (Kyodo)

World Rugby has changed the name of its group of elite national teams from "Tier 1" to "High Performance Unions" and included Japan in the new men's 11-member group, the Japan Rugby Football Union said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday its net profit fell 14.0 percent in fiscal 2022 from the previous year to 2.45 trillion yen ($18 billion), the first decline in four years due to rising material costs. (Kyodo)

Almost one in two young people in Japan have had suicidal thoughts, a Tokyo-based nongovernmental organization said in a survey, calling for greater public awareness to prevent suicide. (Kyodo)

Japan imported a record 155.2 billion yen ($1.2 billion) worth of marine products from Russia in 2022, data from the Finance Ministry showed Friday, highlighting the country's continued reliance on Moscow for its seafood supply despite a deterioration of relations over the war in Ukraine. (Kyodo)

A 25-year-old member of the riot police assigned to the prime minister's official residence has died after apparently shooting himself in a toilet on Friday morning. (Japan Today)

The government’s annual Cool Biz energy-saving campaign for late spring and summer kicked off across Japan on Monday. (Japan Today)

Police in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, have arrested a 25-year-old unemployed woman who ran in the city’s assembly election last month, on suspicion of obstructing business after she posted on Twitter that she would attack Funabashi Station with sarin nerve gas. (Japan Today)

A 29-year-old woman in Osaka was arrested Monday on suspicion of assaulting a man, who was later confirmed dead, by pouring hot water on him at her home the previous day, police said. (Kyodo)

FIBA Basketball World Cup co-host Japan must raise its level of play against "difficult" Group E opponents Australia, Germany and Finland, men's national team head coach Tom Hovasse said following Saturday's draw for the tournament. (Kyodo)

Just 0.8 percent, or 15, of the 1,836 companies listed on the top-tier Prime Market on the Tokyo bourse were headed by women as of the end of January, according to credit research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd, reflecting the struggle among major businesses to embrace diversity in management. (Japan Today)

After conquering multiplexes across the world, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” made its homecoming to Japan on Friday, in a film the video game’s creator says has given the iconic character a more human personality. (Japan Times)

Kirin Holdings Co. said Thursday it will buy Australian health food company Blackmores Ltd. for AU$1.88 billion ($1.24 billion) to expand its health-related business in the fast-growing markets of the Asia and Oceania regions. (Kyodo)

A woman in her 60s was beaten by a man wielding a bat outside a convenience store in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on Thursday. (Japan Today)

Japan is making arrangements to bring forward the lifting of its current COVID-19 border control measures to Saturday in anticipation of an increase in overseas travelers during the Golden Week holidays, government sources said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Japan will aim to attract 100 trillion yen ($750 billion) worth of foreign direct investment by 2030, and more foreign talent and remote workers known as "digital nomads," as part of its drive to boost economic growth and global competitiveness, the government said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Fifty-six-year-old Japanese football icon Kazuyoshi Miura made his debut for Oliveirense in the Portuguese second division on Saturday. (Kyodo)