Japan's government and its rail companies lobbied the U.S. for years to sell their bullet-train technology and found little success. Finally, there's an international buyer: India. The South Asian country is to become the first to import the iconic shinkansen technology after Japan's near-neighbor Taiwan, ...

Hit by fresh U.N. sanctions, North Korea responds by shooting a second ballistic missile over Hokkaido and into the Pacific Ocean.

"Missile launch! Missile launch! A missile appears to have been launched from North Korea. Take cover in a building or underground," the alert blared. To the accompaniment of blaring sirens and emergency phone alerts, that was the terrifying loudspeaker message that jolted millions of Japanese ...

In a victory for contract workers, the Tokyo district court rules that Japan Post must compensate those denied allowances given to full-time employees who performed the same work.

A group of four scientists, including two from Japan, won the spoof Ig Nobel biology prize on Thursday for their discovery of insects with genitalia that reverse the traditional sex roles. The recipients include Kazunori Yoshizawa, associate professor at Hokkaido University, and Yoshitaka Kamimura, associate ...

The policy-setting Atomic Energy Commission on Thursday called for nuclear power to remain a key component of the nation's energy supply despite broad public support for a less nuclear-reliant society. The commission recommended in a report that nuclear power account for at least 20 percent ...

The latest threat to the nation's biggest utilities is growing in rural communities like Miyama, a town in Kyushu with a population of about 38,000. It may spread to the big cities next. Tired of its citizens forking over hard-earned yen to regional utilities and ...

Making the streets in the nation's capital more accessible ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 — particularly for those with disabilities — will come at a cost. And for Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, that means 70 platanus trees are on the chopping block ...

Iran's on-off space program has received a boost from Washington's irritation at a recent satellite launch by the middle eastern nation, with Tehran dusting off plans for a manned mission, perhaps with Moscow's assistance. "Ten skilled pilots are currently undergoing difficult and intensive training so ...

Your afternoon chocolate craving may be fueling climate change, destroying protected forests and threatening elephants, chimpanzees and hippos in West Africa, research suggests. Well-known brands, such as Mars and Nestle, are buying through global traders cocoa that is grown illegally in dwindling national parks and ...

Climate change is opening up vast regions in Russia to farming.

Without new climate initiatives, the region's cities could contribute more than half of the increase in global greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years.

Cut off by the Ou Mountains to the south and far removed from any center of power, Aomori Prefecture's remote Tsugaru Peninsula was largely left to its own devices until the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603). In the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), different factions of the Tsugaru ...

With an ambitious goal to eventually become the best table tennis league in the world, the T.League Premier League will kick off in Japan in the fall of 2018. On Friday, the league held a meeting in Tokyo for companies and groups that are interested ...

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said Thursday the chances are low that right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma will return from the disabled list to play this season with only three weeks left. "I wouldn't rule it 100 percent out, but the chances are pretty slim," Servais was ...

Ozeki Goeido seized a share of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament lead on Friday, when he improved to 5-1 by knocking off previously unbeaten Onosho. The 21-year-old Onosho, fighting as a No. 3 maegashira in just his third tournament in the elite makuuchi division, showed ...

"Moneyball" baseball executive Billy Beane is joining a consortium including Chinese businessman Chien Lee and American investor Paul Conway to acquire English soccer club Barnsley, a source told Reuters on Friday. The consortium will pay £20 million ($26.78 million) for a 98.5 percent stake in ...

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin released a statement Thursday night through the NHL team expressing frustration about the league's decision to skip the Olympics. "I wanted to make this statement so that my words are clear and nobody misunderstands what I am saying," the Russian ...

World silver medalist Shoma Uno began his Olympic season by scoring a personal best of 104.87 points at the Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo, Italy, on Thursday. Uno will take a massive lead of more than 20 points over second-place American Jason Brown (83.01) into Saturday's ...

Qualifier Miyu Kato stunned Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic in straight sets to reach the semifinals of the Japan Women's Open on Friday. Kato, the world No. 171 and the only local player left in the singles draw, was in total control at Ariake Tennis Forest Park, ...

First in a three-part series Take a typical Hollywood script and add several more twists and turns to the plot. That would help give you a vivid picture of the life that Tom Meschery has lived. Immigrant. War survivor. College basketball star. NBA standout. Poet. Bookstore ...

On a winning streak that just won't stop, the Cleveland Indians have posted shutouts, blowouts and routine wins. All that was missing were a walk-off victory and extra innings. "Check those two off," closer Cody Allen said. "We're checking all the boxes." And check this out: 22 ...

Arsenal recovered from a goal down to beat FC Cologne 3-1 after crowd disturbances in London, while AC Milan's new signing Andre Silva scored a hat trick in a rousing 5-1 win at Austria Vienna as the Europa League group stage got underway on ...