The health ministry proposed a rule change Wednesday to begin allowing public health insurance to cover sex reassignment surgery for people with gender identity disorder, or GID, from April. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare made the proposal to an advisory panel with no ...

North Korea’s firing of its most powerful missile to date has some saying the lengths taken by it to stress its commitment to peace suggests it may be open to renewed dialogue.

After weeks of heated media coverage, sumo grand champion Harumafuji announces his retirement to take responsibility for the Oct. 25 assault on wrestler Takanoiwa.

North Korea’s firing of its most powerful missile to date has some saying the lengths taken by it to stress its commitment to peace suggests it may be open to renewed dialogue.

For the first time in nearly half a century, the Supreme Court changes its interpretation of what constitutes indecent assault, saying a perpetrator can commit such a crime without having sexual intentions.

A high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision to retry an 84-year-old man who served prison time for fatally stabbing an acquaintance in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1985. Rejecting an appeal by prosecutors, the Fukuoka High Court, presided over by Judge Masataka Yamaguchi, said ...

A white guide cane of a visually impaired man walking on a station platform was caught between the doors of a departing train in Tokyo earlier this month and remained unnoticed until it arrived at the next station, officials of railway operator Tokyu Corp. ...

Subaru Corp. picked an apt time to roll out a new model whose name is synonymous with moving up. The carmaker is debuting the new Ascent sport utility vehicle at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show amid a growth spurt that's been the envy of ...

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers tasked with drawing up proposed constitutional amendments approved a plan Tuesday that does not include a guarantee to make all education free. The LDP's decision comes as the party continues to debate proposed revisions, with an aim toward presenting a ...

Bitcoin surpassed $10,000 for the first time, bringing this year's price surge to more than 10-fold even as warnings multiply that the largest digital currency is an asset bubble. The euphoria is bringing to the mainstream what was once considered the providence of computer developers, ...

German shoemaker Birkenstock plans to double its business in Japan and offer consumers a wider range of products through selective distribution, according to the first chief executive officer from outside the founding family to run the centuries-old company. The iconic footwear firm known for its ...

People in Japan raised by those with mental illnesses, who often face fear and anxiety due to the difficulty understanding their parents' conditions, are launching a group to share their experiences and offer mutual support. Nursing professionals, meanwhile, are publishing a book of memoirs by ...

On a moderately crowded train, I've just woken up after dozing off, but I can't remember where I am or where I'm going. Apart from the noise of the moving train, it's quiet, and the other passengers are half asleep, fiddling with their phones ...

From 2017 to 2019, the University of Melbourne, in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria, is celebrating 100 years of Japanese language education. Although Japanese is the most widely taught foreign language in Australian schools today, the university is only one of two post-secondary institutions in ...

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is in peril from climate change and widespread bleaching, but scientists said Tuesday a small portion may be resilient enough to keep much of the rest alive. About 3 percent of the World Heritage site — home to the planet's largest ...

A United Nations women's rights panel called on Myanmar on Tuesday to report within six months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by its security forces in northern Rakhine state and measures taken to punish soldiers. The U.N. Committee on the ...

Mass media in this country remains a male-dominated community and its understanding of gender equality is far too insufficient.

North Korea is the land of second-best solutions, it has been said. But war is far worst than second best.

Turn on the TV in Japan and you're likely to see a black face from time to time. Rarely will it be in a drama, but on game shows, variety and comedy shows, even some commercials. I wouldn't say we're commonplace, but we're out ...

Traveling overseas for a homestay to brush up their English or try life in another culture has become almost de rigueur for Japanese students, with many going as teenagers through their schools or as a private arrangement. However, the costs involved mean such an ...

To see a performance of butoh, the Japanese dance form in which the body twists and contorts on stage, is to almost feel like you're being transported to another world. And noone was more otherworldly than the late Kazuo Ohno (1906-2010). Performance artist Takao Kawaguchi ...

Tatsushi Omori's films have been pushing boundaries since his 2005 debut "The Whispering of the Gods," with its story of a young murderer's return to a Christian community presided over by the priest who abused him as a child. A similar fascination with the darker ...

At a recent concert in Tokyo, Haruomi Hosono enlisted a pair of comedy acts to open the proceedings. First stand-up duo Knights did a routine based on mangled misreadings of the headliner's Wikipedia page, then impersonator Michiko Shimizu and her brother, Ichiro, performed the ...

Kawasaki Frontale sent the J. League championship title race down to the wire with a gutsy 1-0 win away to newly crowned Asian club champions Urawa Reds on Wednesday night. Kawasaki needed all three points to stay in with a chance of catching leaders Kashima ...

Yokozuna Harumafuji announced his intention to retire at a press conference on Wednesday. The decision is the result of a scandal involving the violent beating of a junior wrestler, and now means the careers of the last two yokozuna to retire end under a cloud. The ...

Japan boss Vahid Halilhodzic recalled Kashima Antlers striker Mu Kanazaki and brought in several new faces as he named a 23-man squad on Wednesday for the upcoming E-1 Football Championship. Returning Cerezo Osaka midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake was also named to the squad made up entirely ...

Urawa Reds have gained an unwanted reputation for choking on the big stage in the 10 years since they first won the Asian Champions League, but that tag may have to be re-evaluated after they reclaimed the title with a series of composed performances ...