Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten and supermarket chain Seiyu are starting a drone delivery service for summer visitors to an island off Yokosuka, near Tokyo. (NHK)

Japanese manga needs a new superhero. Battered by a shrinking population and changing consumer tastes, the once undisputed champion of the country's pop culture is on the ropes as readership plummets. (Nikkei)

The number of private lodgings in Japan has increased eightfold since the law legalizing them took effect a year ago to relieve a shortage of hotel rooms in the wake of the inbound tourism boom, according to data released by the government. (Japan Today)

A Japanese firm has shelved an advertising campaign intended to promote gender equity at home after its #beWHITE hashtag sparked concern about racial sensitivities. (Japan Today)

Food delivery staff working in Japan for ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc said Wednesday they plan to form a labor union in a bid to improve what they see as disadvantageous treatment for being classified as independent contractors rather than employees. (Japan Today)

More than 60 percent of women in Japan have experienced the enforcement rules calling for the wearing of heels in the workplace or while job-hunting, or have witnessed others being forced to wear them, according to a survey conducted by a Japanese business website, which also reported the findings Tuesday to a Diet discussion. (Japan Today)

Japan's leading instant noodle company is joining the fight against pollution. Nissin Food Products says it will redesign its containers to use less petroleum-based products and more so-called bio-plastic, derived from plants. (NHK)

Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation, says major companies are planning to trim summer bonuses this year. (NHK)

Japan is bringing in more foreign workers to help address a labor shortage, and the government wants to make sure Tokyo and other major cities are not the only places that benefit from the additional manpower. (Nikkei)

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday, as their countries have been discussing a bilateral trade deal with a focus on whether it could involve a provision to prevent competitive currency devaluation. (Japan Today)

Airbnb Inc. says it’s back in business in Japan, a year after stricter short-term lodging regulations forced it to freeze a major portion of its listings in the country. (Japan Times)

E-commerce group Rakuten, Japan's newest wireless carrier, will partner with information technology group NEC to install roughly 16,000 low-cost 5G base stations across the country over five years, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

With Japan's annual shareholders meetings season coming up later this month, institutional investors are ramping up pressure on companies to appoint more and better external directors who can improve corporate governance. (Nikkei)

Sony will increase salaries by up to 20% for new recruits with high-tech skills in fields such as artificial intelligence, moving away from the traditional Japanese emphasis on seniority to better compete in a battle for talent that crosses industries and international borders. (Nikkei)

Amazon.com Inc.’s Japanese unit and Life Corp., one of the country’s major supermarket chains, said Thursday they will join forces to sell fresh foods online starting later this year, aiming to attract elderly and busy customers. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it clear that the US won't get special treatment in a trade deal with Japan. (NHK)

Amazon Japan will start offering groceries from supermarket chain Life in certain parts of Tokyo by the end of the year, Nikkei has learned, tapping growing demand for convenience among working couples and the elderly. (Nikkei)

Japan's economic expansion dating to December 2012 remains intact thanks to wholly unexpected growth in the first quarter, but mounting headwinds have pushed the economy onto unsteady footing. (Nikkei)

The chairman of Suzuki Motor will voluntarily forgo compensation for a full year to atone for the string of inspection cheating scandals that led to one of the biggest recalls in Japan's history. (Nikkei)

The heads of Nissan Motor, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault will gather Wednesday to discuss Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' proposed merger with the French automaker, as Nissan reckons with the question of how to deal with the changes to the alliance that would ensue. (Nikkei)