As of yesterday, Japan's old paper health insurance cards can no longer be used at hospitals — the country has fully switched to a digital insurance card built into the national ID card. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.

This week, Japan decided on a plan to raise the minimum wage. The national average will go up to a new record. It is important news for everyone who works, especially part-time workers. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.

Japan has just launched a new intelligence agency — a single command center for gathering and analyzing information about national security and diplomacy. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.

Japan's most beloved summer sports event is almost here: the national high school baseball tournament, played every year at a famous stadium in western Japan. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.

Tonight's story is about a historic milestone for Japan: the country's population has fallen below one hundred twenty million for the first time in forty-two years. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.

An aquarium in Okinawa has done something no one in the world had ever done: it hatched the babies of a big, beautiful ocean fish called the opah. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.

Today's story is a serious one. A powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan earlier this week, and rescue and relief work is still going on. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.

This week, a zoo in Tokyo shared some happy news: seven chicks of the crested ibis, a very special Japanese bird, are growing up healthy. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.

Tonight in Osaka, one of Japan's three biggest festivals reaches its main night, with a parade of about one hundred boats on the river and three thousand fireworks. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N5-N4.

Today's story is from the world of football. The Japan Football Association has chosen Go Oiwa as the next manager of the national team, with an unusual half-year handover plan. Learn Japanese with native audio, furigana, vocabulary and grammar. Level N4-N3.