News On Japan

Hyogo Prefectural Police have arrested the number-two boss of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi for traffic violations last month, an apprehension that appears to be related to the ignoring of a court order, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will invest ¥7.5 billion in the developer of a taxi-hailing app to jointly create services that help cab drivers pick up customers more efficiently using artificial intelligence. (Japan Times)

Osaka Prefectural Police are seeking the whereabouts of the driver of a vehicle that slammed into the office of a criminal syndicate early Thursday, an incident that is believed to be connected to an ongoing dispute, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

A public elementary school in the posh Ginza district in Tokyo has decided to adopt new uniforms designed by Italian high-end brand Armani, triggering protests from parents who say they are expensive, local education board said Thursday. (Japan Today)

Famed wild deer in the city of Nara appear to be growing increasingly frustrated with tourists who make them wait to munch on crackers while trying to frame the perfect photo. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 51-year-old executive at a real estate firm for allegedly forcing a man in debt to cut off one of his fingers, a crime the suspect says was done in jest, reports Sankei Sports (Feb. 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, met with her longtime calligraphy teacher at an exhibition in Tokyo on Friday in her first official duty since the Imperial Household Agency announced she will postpone her marriage until 2020. (Kyodo)

Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar and hip-hop group N.E.R.D. were among the acts announced Friday morning to appear at this year’s Fuji Rock Festival. (Japan Times)

YouTube has temporarily suspended all ads from video star Logan Paul's channels after what it calls a pattern of behavior unsuitable for advertisers. (Japan Today)

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso this week that he favored a bilateral trade deal - which Tokyo opposes - to fix trade imbalances, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. (Japan Today)

Coincheck Inc., the hacked virtual currency exchange operator, said Friday that it will restart customer withdrawals of yen deposits on Tuesday. (Jiji)

A 43-year-old Japanese man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, Thai police said Thursday. (Japan Today)

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a hotel operator to pay public broadcaster NHK a subscription fee of about 6.2 million yen, upholding lower court rulings. (Japan Today)

Japan's government debt has reached a record high, due to a heavy reliance on government bonds. (NHK)

The expansion of Amazon.com into physical stores is driving partnerships between Japanese retailers and information technology companies looking to withstand the American e-commerce company's growing might in both online and bricks-and-mortar realms. (Nikkei)

A green turtle died as oil reached the southern Amami-Oshima Island coast, the local government said Thursday, but it was not clear whether the oil came from an Iranian tanker that sank in nearby waters last month. (Japan Times)

Teachers at a public high school in Toyama Prefecture have cut the hair of 44 students since April last year to make it short enough to meet school rules, the school and local education board said Friday. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe briefly met with North Korea's second-highest-ranking official on Friday, during their visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Japanese government sources said. (Jiji)

Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda is expected to continue his massive monetary easing campaign in his second term as prices remain stagnant, though calls for an exit strategy could grow louder as his global peers roll back stimulus. (Nikkei)

Tourists and residents in Japan who don't speak Japanese no longer need to be concerned about missing out on earthquake and tsunami alerts. (Japan Times)

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