A former elementary school teacher who managed an online group of educators involved in covert filming and image sharing has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, in a case that has also raised concerns at universities training future teachers. (News On Japan)

JR Tokai has announced a new inspection-equipped Shinkansen named 'Doctor S', set to take over the role of the famed 'Doctor Yellow', the bright yellow bullet train affectionately known as the train that brings good luck when spotted. (News On Japan)

Japan's medical sector is facing an acute shortage of nurses, triggering a wave of ward closures and even hospital shutdowns. Once regarded as an admired profession and often described as 'angels in white,' nurses are now under mounting strain from long working hours and wages many say do not match the demands of the job. (News On Japan)

The fleet of 190 EV buses introduced for the Osaka-Kansai Expo has been withdrawn from plans for reuse on regular routes, with Osaka Metro abandoning efforts to redeploy the vehicles after the event. (News On Japan)

TOTO said on April 16 that it will gradually resume new orders for its unit bath products from April 20 after securing a clearer outlook for raw material procurement. (News On Japan)

A species of poppy containing narcotic compounds was found earlier this week standing alone among about one million nemophila flowers in full bloom at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka City. (News On Japan)

Japan will release around 50 million stockpiled medical gloves from next month as concerns grow over shortages of medical supplies linked to tensions in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. (News On Japan)

Thirteen Japanese men detained last month at a fraud base near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, were transferred to Japan on Thursday and arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of fraud. It marks the first time Japanese nationals have been apprehended in a special fraud case operating out of Indonesia. (News On Japan)

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held telephone talks on the night of April 15 with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, conveying Japan’s hopes for the resumption of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran and for an early agreement. (News On Japan)

Spending by foreign visitors to Japan from January to March rose 2.5% from a year earlier to 2.3378 trillion yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said, marking the third-highest quarterly total on record, while the number of inbound visitors in March increased 3.5% to 3,618,900, setting a new record for the month. (News On Japan)

Tokyo’s and Osaka’s flagship theme parks are both marking their 25th anniversaries this year, raising expectations that milestone celebrations could provide a boost to visitor numbers and earnings. (News On Japan)