Long considered a rising star, Shiori Yamao exits the Democratic Party amid an emerging scandal, dealing a blow to the nascent leadership of the struggling opposition.

On the sidelines of a forum in the Russia, Abe and Putin condemn North Korea’s nuclear test but remain at odds over the path toward its denuclearization.

A coordinated effort will be critical in applying pressure of a ‘different dimension’ on Pyongyang, Abe says to Moon.

Doctors and nurses at a national hospital could theoretically rack up monthly overtime at three times higher than the government threshold, a labor-management agreement shows.

A special envoy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday called on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to cooperate in putting more pressure on North Korea following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test earlier this month. But the Iranian president, whose country has long had amicable relations with ...

Western Digital Corp. is planning to take just under 16 percent of the voting rights in Toshiba Corp.'s chip unit after it goes public in the future, sources close to the matter said Thursday. The complicated monthslong bidding process surrounding Toshiba Memory Corp. could take ...

In a bid to help fix the nation's child care crunch, a Tokyo-based start-up is testing a new service combining robots and sensors to monitor kids at nurseries. Global Bridge Holdings, a child care and nursing care venture, is working with academics from Gunma University ...

The number of reported cybercrimes rose to a record in the first half of 2017, the National Police Agency said Thursday, warning of a new scam in which virtual currency accounts are hacked for illicit money transfers. The police say they received 69,977 reports in ...

With Japan in the grip of a tourism boom in the run-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics, many domestic and foreign hotel operators are capitalizing on the growing demand for accommodations. Marriott International Inc.'s top-end Edition brand will debut in Japan with two luxury hotels ...

It's been more than a year since "Pokemon Go" took the world by storm, getting people to wander outside and look for virtual monsters with their smartphones. The game became a social phenomenon, with adults and children gathering in parks and public areas to train ...

The nation's only seaplane company is thinking of launching a new service for tourists next spring to show off parts of western Japan facing the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea. Setouchi Seaplanes plans to fly its amphibious Kodiak 100s between the Sanin ...

Amiri Afifa, a 24-year-old Afghan woman who lost one of her legs to a land mine at age 4, visited an orthotics and prosthetics maker in western Japan this summer to be fitted with an artificial limb for the second time. "Does it hurt here?" ...

McDonald's Japan is adding to its restaurant count in the second half of the year, underscoring a turnaround that has seen same-store sales climb for 21 straight months. McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan plans to open more restaurants than it will close in the second half, ...

The United States wants the U.N. Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban the country's exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean laborers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according ...

President Donald Trump is considering many candidates to head up the Federal Reserve and has soured on nominating his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, to lead the central bank, according to sources close to the White House and an administration official. Two sources said Trump ...

A former key Foreign Ministry negotiator sees a window of opportunity in which both sides can be persuaded to pull back, but it will only last a year or so.

German Deputy Finance Minister Jens Spahn's apparent bet on the rise of Trump-style populism is risky.

The Family Stay 2017 vacation plan is being offered at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, which is conveniently located in the heart of Tokyo, through Sept. 22. Free parking for one vehicle is included in the plan for guests to enjoy easy access to sightseeing ...

Disability presents different challenges for everyone but wheelchair users share a common dilemma: Their mode of locomotion stands out, while they often struggle with social isolation. That was my takeaway from "The Lost Coin," a 2016 short by Mizuko Yamaoka, a filmmaker who has ...

Hirokazu Koreeda is best known for intimate family dramas that overseas critics often compare to the work of Yasujiro Ozu (1903-63), the genre's unquestioned master. Koreeda rejects these comparisons, however, and says he feels more of a cinematic kinship to Mikio Naruse (1905-69), one ...

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles are officially on a winning streak. It's only two games, but it's a start, and with the way the last few weeks have gone, the Eagles will gladly take it. Carlos Peguero drove in two runs, Yuki Matsui recorded his ...

Kenta Hasegawa, who managed Gamba Osaka to a domestic triple in 2014, will not receive a contract extension past this season, the team announced Thursday. The 51-year-old Hasegawa took the reins in 2013 after Gamba had been relegated to the J2. Under his guidance, the ...

Kimiko Date still wanted to stay on the court and play the game she has always loved. But her body will not allow her to do that anymore. Speaking publicly for the first time since she announced her impending retirement from tennis on her blog late ...

Some things never change. Among the constants in Japan, of course, are beautiful fireworks during summer festivals, friendly small-town merchants and an endless array of delicious noodle shops. Add this item to the list: SeaHorses Mikawa mainstay Kimikazu Suzuki's reign as head coach. He took over as ...

What a month it was for Hotaka Yamakawa. On Aug. 11, the burly Seibu Lions slugger filed marriage papers with his girlfriend of seven years. He also experienced one of the best stretches of his career on the field during that month. A run of ...

Yokozuna Kisenosato and Kakuryu have pulled out of the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament due to injuries, their respective stablemasters said Thursday. The announcement of their withdrawal, which came three days before the start of the meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, once again dashed ...

Japan feels sorry it could not come through for Australia against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but the Socceroos' minimal win over Thailand did not help matters, firing up the Saudis who saw an opportunity they did not let go of to qualify for their ...