Between January 24 and 30, some 700,000 Chinese tourists are expected to arrive in Japan to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (tokyoreporter.com)

A farewell ceremony for Japanese doctor Tetsu Nakamura, who was killed in Afghanistan in December, was held Saturday attended by about 5,000 people paying respect for his longtime contribution to development of the central Asian country. (Japan Today)

Osamu Yano, a former gang boss on death row over the killing of four persons nearly two decades ago, has died in prison in an apparent suicide, the Ministry of Justice said, reports TBS News (Jan. 26). (tokyoreporter.com)

A former care home worker accused of mass killings in Japan has rejected his lawyers' argument that he is mentally unfit to stand trial. (NHK)

A 73-year-old man arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty kept 73 dogs at his home in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, police said. (Japan Today)

A 61-year-old postman failed to deliver thousands of postal items that he kept at his home instead, police said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 49-year-old man who is suspected of drugging and raping dozens of women over the past three years, reports NHK (Jan. 22). (tokyoreporter.com)

A woman and three children were found stabbed to death in a car in a park in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on Wednesday morning. (Japan Today)

Dangerous stunt by Japanese civil servant gets slammed online. (soranews24.com)

Okayama Prefectural Police are questioning a man after a woman was fatally stabbed and her husband injured at their residence in Okayama City earky Saturday, reports TV Asahi (Jan. 20). (tokyoreporter.com)

Visitors at a Buddhist temple in western Japan marked a time-honored tradition by soaking themselves in cold water in a ritual aimed at toughening the body and soul. (NHK)

Three employees were slashed by four men in a bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo, early Saturday morning. (Japan Today)

Fans of Kyoto Animation Co artworks on Saturday visited the site of its studio where an arson attack killed 36 people and injured 33 others exactly six months ago to commemorate the victims. (Japan Today)

Events were held on Friday morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Hyogo Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after a dump truck rammed an office of a criminal syndicate in Adachi Ward early Friday, reports Jiji Press (Jan. 17). (tokyoreporter.com)

Emperor Naruhito expressed his hope for a bright future for children in his poem recited Thursday at the first New Year’s Poetry Reading Ceremony held since he ascended to the chrysanthemum throne last year. (Japan Times)

Applications to become Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa's girlfriend have topped 20,000, streaming service AbemaTV said on Thursday, ahead of its documentary on his search for a "life partner" to take on his moon voyage. (Japan Today)

A Tokyo-based Australian journalist and father was given a suspended prison term of six months by the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday for illegally trespassing into a building complex where his in-laws live in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward in October, in what the journalist said was an attempt to check on his children after a powerful typhoon. (Japan Times)

Kitakyushu welcomes its first Coming of Age Ceremony of the Reiwa Era in its typical outrageous fashion(s). (soranews24.com)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth to make a state visit to Britain in early 2020, in what will be their first overseas visit since Naruhito acceded to the throne in May last year. (Japan Today)