News On Japan

Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested a male Latvian national in the smuggling of stimulant drugs valued at more than 170 million yen, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

A 39-year-old employee of Japanese E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc has been arrested on charges of attempting to smuggle into Japan a stimulant drug from Taiwan, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Embattled Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. is selling its stake in a medical equipment leasing company to Canon Inc. for ¥31.4 billion ($277 million). (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 32-year-old man for threatening via social media to kill a popular voice actress, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

The Japanese government compiled a plan Tuesday to ease visa restrictions for foreign workers in designated special economic zones to address the growing need for services amid a rise in the number of visitors to the country. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are seeking the help of the public in locating a man suspected of installing a hidden camera in the residence of a woman in Komae City last year, reports Nippon News Network. (tokyoreporter.com)

A buoy designed to observe ocean waves has exploded at a quay in the western Japanese city of Wakayama, killing one worker and injuring another. (NHK)

A man cut his own belly with a knife near the main entrance of the headquarters building of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday morning. (Jiji)

The Japanese government will submit a bill to toughen penalties for sex offenders to parliament as soon as early March, informed sources said. (Jiji)

A kindergarten known for its nationalist curriculum has apologized after coming under fire for hostile comments about Korean and Chinese parents. (Japan Times)

Tired of waiting in a long line to use the bathroom? The internet may offer a solution. (Japan Times)

Businesses leaders and government officials gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday to promote a labor initiative known as "Premium Friday." (NHK)

A man who taught English at a well-known chain of foreign language schools in Japan pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding his students out of more than $230,000. (Japan Today)

Ueno Zoo halted public viewing of two giant pandas on Wednesday because female panda Shin Shin appears to be in heat. (Japan Times)

The 27-year-old suspect in a deadly stabbing rampage last July at a facility for the mentally disabled told police he sped up his plans for the attack after hearing he was being pursued by a gangster, investigative sources said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Rakuten shares received a boost Wednesday following news of a stock buyback plan, but the rally's staying power is in question, as the Japanese company's key operations sputter including the mainstay e-commerce business in its home country. (Nikkei)

Japanese women's wages hit an all-time high last year, but they continued to earn far less than men. (Nikkei)

Two Japanese cities are playing up their ninja roots to attract more domestic tourists and international travelers. (NHK)

Japan's Foreign Ministry has protested to South Korea over a video clip that calls the body of water between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula the "East Sea" instead of the "Sea of Japan". (NHK)

The tracks of the now-defunct Takachiho Railway in Miyazaki Prefecture - discontinued due to damage caused by Typhoon No. 14 in 2005 - have been revived as a popular tourist attraction that carried 26,000 passengers in fiscal 2015. (the-japan-news.com)

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