The health ministry plans to expand the range of hospitals that can impose additional fees on patients with no referral from their regular doctors as early as fiscal 2018. Currently, extra fees of ¥5,000 or more are charged on initial visits to large hospitals with ...

The Liberal Democratic Party has resumed discussions on revising the Constitution after its big win in last month's election, when it pledged to pursue the first-ever amendment. With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe eager to revise the Constitution, particularly the war-renouncing Article 9, the LDP is ...

Subaru Corp. issued a recall for some 395,000 vehicles on Thursday after it was revealed that the carmaker had allowed unauthorized workers to carry out final inspections at two of its plants for more than 30 years. The recall affects all nine of the company's ...

Nine reactors at five nuclear power plants in Japan, including some currently in operation, have used products manufactured by the Kobe Steel Ltd. group which has admitted fabricating product quality data, it has been learned. According to documents shown at a meeting of the Nuclear ...

Public concern is mounting over a government plan to open new commercial flight routes over central Tokyo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in light of incidents in which aircraft parts have fallen from the sky. The transport ministry has been discussing the new routes — ...

Three surviving crew members from a capsized North Korean fishing boat, found in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, were handed over to another North Korean vessel on Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon the Japan Coast Guard was still searching for 12 crew members believed ...

As his trial opened, a former civilian worker at a U.S. base accused of raping and killing a 20-year-old woman in Okinawa, in April last year, denied intent to murder.

An Indonesian meat distributor is importing wagyu, long banned in the Southeast Asian country, in cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization to test the local market, which has been dominated by the same breed from Australia. Johana Koswara, managing director of PT. Global Pratama ...

Japan was placed 10th in a global ranking that assesses nations on their level of development in information and communication technology, moving up one spot from last year, according to an annual United Nations report. The survey, published Wednesday by the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union, ...

The social welfare system has long been viewed as a form of assistance for the needy. But the organizer of Super Welfare Expo, featuring innovative welfare products in Tokyo earlier this month, believes producing stylish wheelchairs and hearing aids that people without disabilities would also ...

The health ministry relaxed planned rules on smoking at restaurants after a ban on smoking at all venues over 30 square meters was opposed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Being a politician is taxing enough. But juggling that job and being a mom is hectic, to say the least. As the government takes various measures to encourage more women to work, the realm of politics has yet to become a friendly environment for working ...

The Beaujolais Nouveau 2017 vintage went on sale in Japan on Thursday, but with people's tastes maturing, the traditional celebration of the French wine's seasonal release is on the decline. As imports of the wine from the Beaujolais region are expected to fall for the ...

German parties negotiating a possible coalition government want all nuclear warheads stationed in Germany to be removed, a document seen by Reuters showed on Wednesday. The discussion paper on defense and foreign policy did not mention the United States, which is believed to have 20 ...

SoftBank Group Corp. plans to invest as much as $25 billion in Saudi Arabia over the next three to four years deepening investment ties with the kingdom, according to reports.

Wall Street economists are clashing with Wall Street traders over whether inflation is poised to awaken around the world after a long slumber. From Morgan Stanley to Bank of America Corp. there's a growing chorus of economists siding with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's "best ...

Japan, the U.S., India and Australia should lead the effort to ensure liberalism prevails over illiberalism in the Indo-Pacific.

America's global commitments have left its military overstretched.

Maison Tateru Yoshino, a French restaurant at the ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka that earned a star in the Michelin Guide Kyoto-Osaka 2018, is offering several courses commemorating the honor through Jan. 31 (excluding Dec. 22 to 25). Tateru Yoshino, the chef and creator of the ...

Pop outfits Little Glee Monster, Hey! Say! Jump and Twice will grace the stage for the first time at this year's "Kohaku Uta Gassen," with NHK appearing to court new viewers for its annual end-of-year musical extravaganza. Other artists making "Kohaku" debuts include singers Midori ...

An orchestra is a lot like a perfect society: the instruments all have different roles and personalities, and when they come together beautiful music is created. Every society needs a leader, though, and last week the Boston Symphony Orchestra introduced its new leader to ...

He's been away for such a short time, you may not have noticed Steven Soderbergh had even stopped making movies. In 2013, the director — who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes with his 1989 debut, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," when he was just ...

All Blacks legend Dan Carter is set to finish his career in Japan with Kobe Kobelco Steelers, sources told Kyodo News on Thursday. Media reports earlier in the week in both France, where the three-time World Rugby Player of the Year currently plays for Racing ...

Yokozuna Hakuho improved to 5-0 on Thursday, the fifth day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Seeking to extend his record for most career championships with his 40th, Hakuho showed more nerves than usual in dispatching winless No. 2 maegashira Tochiozan. The yokozuna gave the ...

Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura was fired Wednesday, two days after the Azzurri's failure to qualify for the World Cup. Meanwhile, the refusal of Italian Football Federation president Carlo Tavecchio to resign was met with protest at a summit called to assess the failure. Ventura leaves ...

The Shiga Lakestars' rise to playoff contender occurred after a poor start. The Lakestars dropped six of their first seven games, but it wasn't time to push the panic button. Hardly. Since then, first-year coach Shawn Dennis' squad has triumphed in seven of its last eight games, ...

Terunofuji pulled out of the ongoing Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament citing a knee injury Thursday, ending the possibility of his immediate return to ozeki status. Terunofuji's withdrawal from the 15-day meet leaves him with an 0-5 record as he forfeits Thursday's bout against fellow sekiwake ...