A scandal centered on allegations that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe improperly wielded his influence to help a close friend cut through government red tape has roared back to life after seeming to have died down last year. And this time, Abe appears to be in ...

The government is weighing the creation of a new residence status allowing those on the program to stay longer in the country, as part of efforts to tackle labor shortages.

Rescuers recovered the body of a woman on Thursday from the site of a massive landslide in Oita Prefecture after confirming the death of a male resident the day before. The body is believed to be that of one of five women who remained unaccounted ...

The Bank of Japan on Thursday raised its assessments for two of the country's nine regional economies, underscoring a steady economic recovery amid robust exports and an uptick in household spending. In its quarterly Sakura Report, the central bank upgraded its view of the Shikoku ...

The data showed a notable increase in the number of cases involving people aged below 20, raising concern that use of the drug is becoming more widespread among juveniles.

For Sachiko Tanaka, her battered Japanese dictionary, the Kojirin, is not just any other lexicon. It was something Tanaka read in her bed under the covers during blackouts throughout World War II, something she had in her hands when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima on ...

The organizer of a spring sumo tour on Thursday said the sport's governing body requested that girls be excluded from an event in which school-aged children joined wrestlers in the dohyō (ring). An official of the Japan Sumo Association in charge of the tour in ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, have affirmed that using multilateral mechanisms to tackle steel overproduction and other trade issues is important, the OECD chief said Thursday. "Tariffs are the manifestation . . ., but ...

Beleaguered retail chain Toys R Us Inc. is negotiating to sell its 85 percent stake in its Asian business, including the Japan operations. A spokeswoman at Toys R Us Japan headquarters in Kawasaki confirmed Thursday that Toys R Us Asia Ltd., its parent, is in ...

The Justice Ministry is considering attaching GPS trackers to inmates at four open-type prisons following the recent escape of a convicted thief from one of them, said a source close to the matter Wednesday. The idea of using GPS data to monitor inmates was presented ...

India is heavily promoting Buddhist tourism in a bid to attract more tourists from countries with sizable Buddhist populations, including Japan, as part of a strategy to boost foreign tourist arrivals. India is not only organizing an international Buddhist conclave every other year, but is ...

The U.S. marijuana industry has a new spokesman: John Boehner. The Republican former speaker of the House has joined the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a company that cultivates, processes and dispenses cannabis in 11 U.S. states. Boehner's endorsement, after saying nine years ago he ...

AP Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur is now facing a seventh murder charge involving a missing man whose family initially thought he had abandoned his wife and two daughters. The prosecution said in the courthouse Wednesday that the 66-year-old landscaper has been charged with first-degree murder ...

The Russian military said on Wednesday it was closely watching the situation around Syria and was aware of the movements of a U.S. naval strike force headed for the Gulf. The U.S. Navy said on Tuesday that the strike group, headed by the aircraft carrier ...

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday told lawmakers that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. But he pushed back on Congress members' suggestions that users ...

Donald Trump's recently announced trade tariffs and upcoming summit with North Korea give China an unprecedented opportunity to prove its strength before the eyes of the world.

By monitoring utility use, companies can play a role in reversing the tragic trend of "lonely deaths."

The weather is crisp when I arrive at Shin-Aomori Station via the Tohoku Shinkansen. I'm not surprised, though, the northernmost prefecture on the island of Honshu is known as a cold and isolated place. It's likely thanks to the chillier environment keeping people inside with ...

Pop singer Mariah Carey revealed on Wednesday that she suffers from bipolar disorder, telling People magazine that she was diagnosed in 2001 but had only recently been taking medication. Carey told People in an interview that she got the diagnosis when she was hospitalized following ...

Reigning 66-kg world champion Hifumi Abe has agreed to a management contract under a new company established by three-time Olympic judo champion Tadahiro Nomura, the company announced Thursday. Although it is unusual for Japanese judoka to be managed while still attending college, the 20-year-old Abe ...

New national soccer team manager Akira Nishino believes Japan is capable of making an impact at this summer's World Cup despite taking over just two months before the tournament begins. "If the players perform as they are capable of doing and come together as a ...

Tatsuya Ito is enjoying a solid rookie season for the Kyoto Hannaryz. The steady point guard has showcased his scoring ability and excited fans with his passing acumen along the way. In Kyoto's 74-72 road defeat to the Shiga Lakestars on Sunday, the 23-year-old contributed ...

Oakland Raiders pass rusher Khalil Mack was absent from the start of voluntary workouts under new head coach Jon Gruden. Money appears to be at the heart of the matter as Mack is seeking a long-term contract extension. The 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the ...