A group of “visiting deity” folk rituals were added on Thursday to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In the festivals, people in rural communities wearing masks or costumes visit homes to drive away evil spirits at the end of the year or when seasons change.

The city of Osaka won a race to host the World Expo in 2025, beating out cities in Russia and Azerbaijan over 2 rounds of voting in Paris on Friday. The western Japanese city held the event in 1970, which attracted 64 million visitors.

A Japanese director’s “Shoplifters”, a story of an impoverished family, won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The film portrays human connections through a Tokyo family that lives in poverty.

The government announced on Friday that the Emperor is set to abdicate on April 30, 2019, after a meeting of the Imperial House Council. His eldest son, the Crown Prince, will ascend the throne a day later.

A Japanese national research institute said on Monday that a geological period from 126,000 to 770,000 years ago will soon be called “Chibanian.” The name is based on a stratum discovered in Chiba Prefecture.

The planned engagement of Princess Mako has triggered a debate on the male-only succession to the imperial throne. After her marriage, the number of imperial family members is expected to drop to 18

The Imperial Household Agency on Wednesday dismissed media reports that the Japanese Emperor, 82, intends to abdicate the throne before he dies.