Transport authorities launched a full-fledged investigation Sunday into the derailment of a bullet train on the Akita Shinkansen Line in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, on Saturday afternoon.
It's a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chinese warships in the East China Sea challenged Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces patrols in a manner deemed threatening. And on Feb. 12 came North Korea's nuclear test.
Here's an open secret: Japanese men have a bad international reputation on the romance front.
SELLING WOMEN: Prostitution, Markets and the Household in Early Modern Japan, by Amy Stanley. University of California Press, 2012, 282 pp., $49.95 (hardcover) In the vast cultural landscape, Japan fascinates the mainstream with manga and anime, the martial arts, Zen and kimono. Of course, ...
Kenta Maeda shook off worries about his form with five shutout innings as Japan beat China 5-2 in first-round Pool A of the World Baseball Classic on Sunday at Fukuoka Dome. Japan improved to 2-0 following a tough win over Brazil in Saturday evening’s ...
Reader G.R. writes: “My apartment has a serious mold problem. The bathtub is built in such a way that there is a space between the tub and the wall and water can easily get underneath and does not drain well. “I have already dealt ...
Reader BM is worried about the inheritance of his house: “I am half-owner of my house and my two children own the other half. If I die, my half will be divided between my kids and my (second) wife. Thus, my kids will own ...
In our August 23 column (www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20110823at.html), we looked at whether foreign residents should carry their alien registration card on them when re-entering Japan. The official answer from the Immigration Bureau is that their officials will ask to see your ARC, or “gaijin card,” in ...
Gina, an Australian citizen and permanent resident of Japan, is considering heading back to her homeland: “I am 51 and thinking of returning to Australia to live permanently (and work) in a couple of years. By that time I will have paid into the ...
French citizen DTMV is concerned about the name listed on her alien registration card, which includes her maiden name, married name, two first names, and “epouse” (listed before her married name), which means “spouse” in French. As such, she is often referred to as ...
Shortly after the March 11 disasters, Hans left Japan without a re-entry permit. He came back on a tourist visa and is wondering if he can easily regain his previous visa status: “I am a German national and have been married to my Japanese ...
Reader GR is seeking legal assistance: “I recently moved out of a house that I rented for about five years. A few weeks later the owner sent me a message asking for ¥450,000 on top of the ¥70,000 he had for the deposit. This ...
Lee would like to prepare a will in Japan and is not sure how to proceed: “I have been living in Japan for the past 15 years and married for 12½ years to a Japanese national; we have two young children. My wife and ...
Reader JG is concerned about the changes to the Immigration Law that were passed in 2009 and are scheduled for implementation in July 2012. According to the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Justice and immigration lawyers, the new law will bring about a few ...
