SoftBank Corp. President Masayoshi Son is the richest Japanese with 18.4 billion dollars in net worth, according to U.S. magazine Forbes' 2014 list of billionaires in the world, released Monday. (The Japan News)

The Japanese government is set to appoint Osamu Shimada, 56-year-old president of JR Hokkaido Hotels Co., as the next president of embattled Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, informed sources said Monday. (Jiji Press)

Japan Post Co. on Monday began selling stamps and postcards for the new postal fees that will go into effect on April 1 in line with the consumption tax rate hike the same day. (The Japan News)

If you move to Japan and have a sudden craving for good old-fashioned American pizza, expect to have a hard time finding a simple, pepperoni-topped slice. While Americans like to keep things simple with tomato sauce, cheese, and a few slices of pepperoni, the Japanese prefer to cover their pizza with mayonnaise and sprinkle a generous amount of sweet corn on top. (The Diplomat)

An American customer has filed a damages lawsuit against Mt. Gox, the first such case against the Tokyo-based troubled major bitcoin exchange. (Jiji Press)

Japan's Fast Retailing Co Ltd , parent of apparel chain Uniqlo, has expressed interest in buying J.Crew Group Inc from its private equity owners, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday. (Reuters)

Mt. Gox on Friday filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan, and it could be a matter of time before the troubled bitcoin exchange takes the same step on U.S. soil. (Wall Street Journal)

Construction work began Friday on a new wholesale fish and fruit and vegetable market in Tokyo to replace the current site at Tsukiji. (Japan Today)

Mazda Motor Corp. chairman Takashi Yamanouchi opened the company's new small-car assembly plant in Mexico Friday, calling it the company's "most important global strategic base." (autoweek.com)

The Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange in Tokyo filed for bankruptcy protection, acknowledging that a significant amount of the virtual currency had gone missing. (cbsnews.com)

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso on Friday expressed eagerness to hold discussions with other ministers and government agencies about what is behind the recent trouble in the "bitcoin" virtual currency market. (Kyodo)

A Japanese high court has blocked a Mongolian company's bid to buy the Tokyo headquarters of a pro-North Korean residents' group. (NHK)

The chief executive of troubled bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has denied speculation that he fled Japan in the wake of its sudden operational shutdown and said work is under way to solve various issues. (Kyodo)

The world's biggest gambling company has vowed to spend "whatever it takes" (up to $10 billion) to set up a casino in Japan. Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson's pledge comes at an auspicious time, with the Japanese government considering legalizing casinos and in desperate need of an economic boost. (Quartz)

Japanese authorities on Wednesday started probing the troubled MtGox bitcoin exchange after claims of a multi-million dollar theft from its digital vaults, as US prosecutors reportedly served a subpoena on the company. (channelnewsasia.com)

Japan's SoftBank wants to buy some or all of Line, a wildly popular messaging app, Bloomberg reports. Line, which is based in Japan but is owned by South Korea's Naver Corporation, has 360 million users worldwide, most of them in East Asia. (Quartz)

Mt. Gox, once the world's biggest bitcoin exchange, abruptly stopped trading on Tuesday and its chief executive said the business was at "a turning point" but gave no details. (Jiji Press)

Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) Chairman Kenichiro Hamada on Tuesday scolded Katsuto Momii, president of the public broadcaster, again over an additional gaffe. (Jiji Press)

Sales of freshly brewed coffee at major convenience stores have been brisk, as customers seem eager to get their hands on a cup of real coffee quickly and at a reasonable price. (The Japan News)

Mexico is on track to become the United States' No. 1 source of imported cars by the end of next year, overtaking Japan and Canada in a manufacturing boom that's turning the auto industry into a bigger source of dollars than money sent home by migrants. (Washington Post)