Japan's top government spokesperson says a system glitch is to blame for the issuance of a false missile alert in some parts of the country following North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday. (NHK)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting a warning for residents to take cover and a temporary suspension of train operations in northern Japan. (Reuters)

Japanese employees are famous for working long hours but labor productivity is very low when it comes to work efficiency. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito, 62, will have an MRI scan of his prostate after doctors detected "somewhat concerning indications" in health exams, the palace said on Monday. (AFP)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Monday to revive the nation's pandemic-battered inbound tourism industry by setting a new goal of increasing foreign tourists' total spending to more than 5 trillion yen annually. (Japan Today)

McDonald's Japan will adopt paper straws and wooden utensils at all locations starting on Friday, a move that the fast-food chain expects will eliminate 900 tonnes of plastic waste a year, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

Regulators and tax rules are fueling a new brain drain (Nikkei)

All Nippon Airways says it will test attaching sharkskin-like film to its aircraft. The trial using what's called riblet technology is expected to help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. (NHK)

Japanese carriers AirDo and Solaseed Air merged their operations on Monday to cut costs and create a stronger business in the face of greater business uncertainty. (smartaviation-apac.com)

Fumio Kishida wants to boost the country’s military capabilities over the next five years. (Al Jazeera)

Japanese manufacturers' business mood worsened in the three months to September, a central bank survey showed on Monday, bolstering views that the weakening yen and its inflationary impact on business costs undermined a fragile economic recovery. (Reuters)