JR East announced today that it will launch a new service around autumn this year allowing passengers to reserve Shinkansen seats in as little as one minute. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who launched the second Takaichi Cabinet on February 18th, signaled strong determination to secure passage of next fiscal year’s budget within the current fiscal year, even as a proposal to drastically shorten parliamentary deliberations has triggered backlash from opposition parties accusing the government of disregarding the Diet. (News On Japan)

Three adults were stabbed by a man armed with a knife inside a library in Fukuoka’s Sawara Ward on Thursday night, leaving one person seriously injured, and police arrested the suspect at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. (News On Japan)

A brutal stabbing in Osaka’s Minami district late last week left three young men wounded, one fatally, raising new questions about the changing environment around a well-known youth gathering spot beneath the Glico sign in Dotonbori. (News On Japan)

The second Takaichi Cabinet was inaugurated on the evening of February 18th following the prime minister’s appointment ceremony and the attestation of ministers at the Imperial Palace, with all cabinet members reappointed. (News On Japan)

Major retail chains, including large supermarkets and home goods retailers, are rapidly entering the fast-growing market for so-called recovery wear, apparel promoted as helping to ease fatigue while being worn, as companies outside the traditional fashion industry seek new business opportunities in the expanding health and wellness sector. (News On Japan)

The Lunar New Year holiday has begun as the Chinese government continues to call on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, prompting questions about how popular destinations once favored by Chinese tourists are now faring. (News On Japan)

The hamburger chain rebranded from Lotteria to Zetteria has announced plans to aim for the top position among burger chains in terms of sales and store numbers as the conversion of outlets moves toward completion. (News On Japan)

Ryutaro Hazuki, a player for the Hiroshima Carp who has been indicted on charges of using a designated drug known as “zombie tobacco,” was released on bail on February 18th. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out in a busy entertainment district near JR Osaka Station in Osaka’s Kita Ward at around 7:30 p.m. on February 18th, leaving a yakitori restaurant employee with minor burns. (News On Japan)

Japan’s transport ministry has decided on a policy to prohibit the use of mobile batteries on aircraft as early as April following a string of incidents in which the devices caught fire during flights. (News On Japan)