The Japanese government will release a new type of economic index from next month that tracks service-sector activity. It is the first such gauge to be created in 38 years.
The Cabinet Office currently calculates its monthly Coincident Index of business conditions based on components such as production and employment.
The Japanese government is considering further easing coronavirus measures for arrivals from overseas, starting next month.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said on Monday that his government will lay out new policies as soon as possible to modify its strict anti-infection measures.
A survey by a private research firm indicates that Japanese firms are slowing down their shift away from Russia, six months after the country's invasion of Ukraine began.
Teikoku Databank says, as of Sunday, 44 percent of 168 major Japanese companies have decided to suspend their business in Russia or pull out from the market.
The Japanese government plans to continue imposing sanctions on Russia and supporting Ukraine, as the Russian invasion appears likely to drag on for a long time.
Wednesday marks a half year since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Japan's government is considering changes to its current system for reporting coronavirus cases.
Officials confirmed 343 deaths on Tuesday. That's up over 20 from the previous high, recorded in February.
An annual memorial service has been held in Tokyo to remember Japanese nationals who died in Soviet detention camps in Siberia and elsewhere after World War Two.
About 150 people on Tuesday observed a moment of silence at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, where the remains of more than 17,000 internees are interred.
The Japanese government is moving to start accepting overseas tourists who do not want to take guided tours in a bid to address a decline in the numbers of foreign travelers visiting Japan.
The country reopened to foreign holidaymakers in June with the easing of anti-coronavirus border controls. But all tourists are still required to join guided tours and obtain a visa.
A Japanese ruling party lawmaker has agreed with Taiwan's president that the international community must work together to stop China's efforts to change the status quo by force.
Former National Public Safety Commission chairperson Furuya Keiji heads a nonpartisan group of lawmakers working to advance exchanges with Taiwan. The Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker is visiting Taiwan with the group's secretary-general.
Japan has invited South Korea's Navy to take part in the Maritime Self-Defense Force's international fleet review for the first time in seven years.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force holds a fleet review about once every three years, with foreign naval vessels as guest participants. As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the MSDF's founding, there are plans to hold a large-scale international fleet review for the first time in 20 years.
A teenage girl arrested for stabbing and seriously injuring two women in Tokyo has told police that she decided to try to kill someone on the day of the crime.
Police say the 15-year-old junior high school student living in Saitama Prefecture stabbed a 53-year-old woman and her 19-year-old daughter in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Saturday. She was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.
The arrested former executive of the organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics reportedly said he had introduced several potential sponsors to the Games' organizers. He reportedly denies receiving compensation for it.
Tokyo prosecutors have arrested Takahashi Haruyuki and three others, including former chairman of business wear retailer Aoki Holdings Aoki Hironori, for suspected bribery related to the Tokyo Games sponsorship. Prosecutors suspect that Takahashi had received about 370,000 dollars in bribes from Aoki and the two other suspects in relation to sponsorship and licensing contracts.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 21,770 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The daily tally for the capital is 1,741 fewer than a week ago.
Japan's industry minister Nishimura Yasutoshi says he intends to do everything possible to ensure that the country has a stable energy supply.
Nishimura spoke to reporters on Tuesday after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and relevant ministers met to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, it will be six months since the invasion began.
A group of Japanese scientists say they have found that dogs shed more tears when they are reunited with their owners. The new study says this is a possible trait developed during the animals' process of domestication, as they tried to strengthen their ties with humans.
Researchers at Azabu University published their findings in the magazine Current Biology on Tuesday.