In December, the central government finalized its basic policy for so-called integrated resorts (IRs) hosting casinos as well as shopping malls, hotels and other facilities. (Japan Times)

Take a trip back in time and trace the paths of past travelers in the post towns and sacred spaces found in the majestic mountains of the Japanese countryside. (NHK)

Japan will require researchers applying to grant programs to declare if they have received financial support from other countries in a bid to ensure transparency and protect intellectual property, officials said Monday. (Kyodo)

A familiar Japanese idiom goes nakitsura ni hachi (a bee stinging a crying face). In other words adding insult to injury, or to make matters worse. (Japan Today)

Currently, anyone in Japan is free to dress as their favorite characters. But it might not stay free for them to do so. (kotaku.com)

Lawmakers in Japan have begun debating proposals to toughen up COVID-19 regulations. That includes controversial revisions allowing authorities to levy fines against rulebreakers. (NHK)

Japan will hold a coronavirus vaccination simulation in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Wednesday, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts said. (Japan Times)

Toyota Motor is on track to produce about 8.25 million vehicles worldwide for the year ending in March, largely sticking to its previous forecast even though a global semiconductor shortage has disrupted the auto industry in recent weeks, Nikkei learned Monday. (Nikkei)

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a high court ruling that significantly reduced compensation for the parents of a junior high school student who killed himself after being bullied by classmates. (NHK)

Airlines that were hoping to turn the corner this year after a rough 2020 may be in for a rude awakening. Major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is planning to slash international flights during the summer by 50 percent. (NHK)

Japan's major restaurant chains saw a record fall in sales last year due to the pandemic as people refrained from eating out and many businesses closed temporarily or shortened their opening hours. (NHK)

Japan's Crown Prince Akishino has made an online inspection of hospitals treating coronavirus patients. (NHK)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga acknowledged on Monday that he has a sore throat and had lost his voice, raising concerns that heavy pressure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and criticism over the administration’s response has been taking a physical toll on him. (Japan Times)

If you plan to fly into Tokyo, Haneda Airport is where you want to land. Sure, rival Narita Airport sometime gets called “Tokyo International Airport,” but it’s actually all the way out in Chiba Prefecture, while Haneda is the one truly located within Tokyo. (Japan Today)

At least 15,058 people were on waiting lists for a hospital or a designated accommodations after testing positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month in the 11 prefectures covered by a state of emergency, a Kyodo News survey found, as public health centers have been swamped with a surge in cases cases. (Japan Times)

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred late at night on Saturday 23 January 2021 at 10:12 pm local time near Iwaki, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima, Japan, as reported by NIED. (JS Media)

Japan's government has drafted a law revision to encourage more men to take paternity leave. (NHK)

Lower-ranking sumo wrestler Daieisho has won his first title in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament that ended on Sunday in Tokyo. (NHK)

A Japanese research team says the "Go To" travel campaign launched last July may have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus in its initial phase. (NHK)

Japan's three major telecoms -- NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank -- are gearing up for a rate war in spring. (Nikkei)