The transport ministry plans to introduce fixed-fare unlimited-ride services for taxis, similar to commuter passes for trains, to help attract more customers, officials said Wednesday.

Formal talks between May and Prime Minister Abe are to begin Thursday and are expected to focus on issues surrounding Brexit, bilateral economic cooperation and increased defense ties.

The emergency landing by a U.S. military Osprey aircraft on Tuesday in Oita Prefecture was the result of precautionary measures being taken against possible instrument malfunction, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Wednesday. Tuesday's incident at Oita Airport, which caused no injuries, is the latest in ...

Sumiteru Taniguchi, an influential survivor of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, died of duodenal papilla cancer Wednesday, an A-bomb survivors’ council said. He was 88.

The Japanese government has insisted that it is taking necessary steps to counter North Korea's missile threat, but the ballistic missile that flew over northern Japan on Tuesday exposed the limits to which the country can fully prepare for the highly unpredictable launches. "We've been ...

Conveyor belt sushi chain Kurasushi will offer a low-carbohydrate sushi-like dish using Japanese daikon in place of orthodox vinegared rice, its operator said Tuesday. Osaka-based Kura Corp. hopes to attract consumers who are limiting their intake of rice and other carbohydrates as the new dish ...

Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Wednesday retracted a remark to lawmakers of his faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that could be interpreted as a defense of Adolf Hitler's motive for genocide during World War Two. Tuesday's comment by Aso, who also serves ...

For working people with health issues, visiting a clinic has long meant taking hours off work on a weekday and spending more time in the waiting room than talking with a doctor. But such days might be approaching an end. Reversing a longtime aversion, Japan ...

As Elon Musk pushes out from his California base to make electric vehicles ubiquitous, a Japanese firm deep in the depths of the battery supply chain is riding his wake. Tanaka Chemical Corp., which has a long history in developing battery materials, says it's boosting ...

Unprecedented flooding unleashed by Hurricane Harvey in the United States underscores the need for even wealthy countries to boost their disaster plans to keep vulnerable people safe and help them deal with the knock-out blows that climate change could bring, experts say. Yet few expect ...

Pyongyang said the missile launched over Japan on Tuesday was an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 and meant to counter U.S.-South Korean war games.

Amid surging tensions in the Asia-Pacific region — including over Chinese moves in the East and South China seas and North Korea's nuclear program — the White House is reportedly considering naming the top U.S. military commander in the region to be ambassador to ...

Is the North Korean crisis slowly eroding the postwar taboo against using nuclear weapons?

Tariffs subsidize narrow interests and for Americans as a whole the record is one of almost unrelieved failure.

Remembering Hillel Wright, who died on Aug. 1 at the age of 73.

A selection of readers' — and writers' — tributes to Jean Pearce, who for decades helped Japan's foreign community feel more at home in their adopted country.

For a Japanese national, the question of why a person from the West would come to Japan is a fascinating one, so much so that there's even a TV show about it: "You wa Nani Shi ni Nihon E?" ("Why Did You Come to ...

Despite a career spanning nearly three decades, Yukiko Mishima hasn't appeared on many lists of up-and-coming Japanese female directors, mine included. One reason: She had a relatively late start, not releasing her first feature, a drama based on the Junichiro Tanizaki story "The Tatooer," ...

The ongoing project to rerelease Yoko Ono's full catalog of 11 albums, which began in late 2016, has now reached its second stage with the release of a trilogy of early-1970s albums — taking in "Fly" (1971), "Approximately Infinite Universe" and "Feeling the Space" ...

Kohei Arihara threw a four-hitter on Wednesday, pitching the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to a 3-1 win over the Pacific League-leading Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Before 15,111 at Asahikawa Starffin Stadium in central Hokkaido, Arihara (7-11) allowed a run without issuing a walk. The right-hander needed ...

Hiroaki Okuno struck twice in the second half as Vegalta Sendai stunned J. League champions Kashima Antlers 3-1 in the first leg of the Levain Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. Yoshihiro Nakano broke the deadlock on the hour for Sendai, which is currently 12th in the ...

Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic has called for 11 samurai warriors for Thursday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Australia and believes his players have the quality to beat the Socceroos and secure a berth at next year's finals in Russia. "Australia are the current Asian champions ...

Shohei Otani, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' slugging ace pitcher expects more from his start on Thursday than he got during his aborted first outing over a month ago. "If I can make use of the work I've put in since last, time, I'll be ...

Ai Miyazato has decided to retire from competitive golf after next month's Evian Championship in France, the former world No. 1 said on her official blog on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Okinawa native announced in May that she would draw the curtain on her 14-year professional ...

Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki was granted his unconditional release by the Toronto Blue Jays, the American League club said Tuesday. Aoki was designated for assignment on Monday and cleared to become a free agent with the right to negotiate with any team, potentially a contending ...

Australia coach Ange Postecoglou said on Wednesday he will not take his foot off the gas even though the Socceroos' World Cup qualification chances were given a boost with Saudi Arabia's overnight loss to the United Arab Emirates. The second-place Saudis' 2-1 defeat means Australia, ...

Jungyo is similar to baseball's spring training for sumo; wrestlers are more relaxed and laid back, and fans have more opportunities to interact with the giant fellows. Some of the venues provide an unusual atmosphere not normally seen at the six regular tournaments each year. On ...

Ai Shishime defeated Natsumi Tsunoda in an all-Japan final of the women's 52-kg competition at the world judo championships Tuesday, while countryman Hifumi Abe claimed the gold medal in the men's 66 kg. Shishime, 23, claimed an ippon victory over 25-year-old Tsunoda with an uchimata ...