Japanese firms served up lots of fun on April Fools' Day for those sharp enough to spot the joke.
Many of the falsehoods played off current social and international questions.
Daily newspaper Tokyo Shimbun surprised its readers with the news that U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump is now crazy about hanafuda (Japanese playing cards). Officials believe Tokyo could take advantage of his new interest in Japanese culture, calling it a "trump card" for Japanese diplomacy.