Pop singer Namie Amuro was honored Wednesday by her home prefecture of Okinawa for her achievements and for inspiring the local population. "I am very happy to be honored is such a prestigious way," the pop diva said after receiving a certificate from Gov. Takeshi ...

Corrosion and holes have been found in ventilation ducts in 12 reactors across the country, raising concerns workers could be exposed to radiation in an accident.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced Wednesday the adoption of the Tokyo Declaration, in which 22 megacities around the world committed to reducing waste and tackling air pollution by sharing technologies and knowledge. The announcement came during the Tokyo Forum for Clean City and Clear Sky, ...

The Finance Ministry admits to the disposing of documents to cover up its Moritomo Gakuen negotiations, releasing records detailing exchanges on the steep land price discount given to the school operator.

The Defense Ministry said Wednesday its probe found no organizational cover-up of troop activity logs related to a controversial deployment to war-torn Iraq starting in 2004.

The mayor of Komae in western Tokyo expressed his intention to resign Wednesday after four female employees of the municipal government submitted a protest letter saying they had been sexually harassed by him. Mayor Kunihiko Takahashi, who had repeatedly denied the allegations, said at a ...

With less than three weeks to go before the first-ever planned U.S.-North Korea summit, both sides are engaging in a delicate diplomatic dance, claiming that the landmark event might not even be held while also serving up concessions to draw the other back to ...

China will steeply cut import tariffs for automobiles and car parts, opening up greater access to the world’s largest auto market amid easing trade tensions with the U.S.

Tokyo's taxi industry is undergoing some radical changes as Japan, already dealing with unprecedented levels of tourism, gears up to host two major sporting events in the next 26 months. More than 28 million tourists visited Japan in 2017 and the government has set a ...

One day when Saburo Kita was 14, he was taken from an institution for troubled children to see a doctor. Despite protesting that his health was fine, he was ordered to strip, lie down on a table, and was given a local anaesthetic. Then the ...

A former U.S. serviceman is offering recreational tours in the mountains and sea around a U.S. base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a goal of attracting military personnel there to learn about life outside the base and build ties with the local community. Earlier this year, ...

China jailed a Tibetan businessman for five years on Tuesday for "inciting separatism," his lawyer said, after he advocated the use of Tibetan in schools and was featured in international media reports. Liang Xiaojun, one of his lawyers, said Tashi Wangchuk was handed a five-year ...

An advanced U.S. destroyer equipped with cutting-edge ballistic missile defense technology arrived at its new home port at the Yokosuka naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Tuesday, as the U.S. Navy's Japan-based 7th Fleet looks to bounce back from two deadly accidents less than ...

Trump's "America First" strategy and Xi's "Chinese dream" are founded on a common premise: that the world's two biggest powers can act in their own interest with impunity.

Unconventional resources must be embraced to ensure universal access to clean water and sanitation.

Can the success of Alex Ferguson's 'kids' and Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' be linked to Buddhist philosophy? It's worth a try.

A selection of responses from readers to recent stories on the Community pages.

Hirokazu Kore-eda joins a list of Japanese master filmmakers after winning the top prize at Cannes. The road he took to get to this point, however, is not an easy one to copy.

Koji Fukada leads a younger generation of Japanese directors who are more internationally minded than their predecessors. He even used French export titles for his first two features — "Hospitalite" (2010) and "Au Revoir l'Ete" (2013) — reflecting the influence of French cinema, particularly ...

This year's edition of the Tokyo International Art Fair will feature paintings, sculpture, photographic illustrations, jewelry and a "sumo-size" book, with the work coming courtesy of hundreds of artists from 30 different countries, fair organizer Joelle Dinnage tells The Japan Times. The festival, now in ...

If you've ever flipped on a TV in a hotel room in a country whose language you don't understand, you'll know what it's like to try to grasp for meaning when all the usual semantic signposts are gone. In "Isle of Dogs," Wes Anderson's latest ...

May 24-Nov. 18 This comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Japanese realist works focuses on Toshiro Aoki, who was greatly inspired by Johannes Vermeer's "View of Delft" (1660-1661); Osamu Obi, whose artistic style changed direction after depicting a Rembrandt portrait; and Kenichiro Ishiguro, who studied art in ...

Orix ace Chihiro Kaneko allowed a run over six innings Wednesday, winning his first game of the season in a 5-2 victory over the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Kaneko (1-4), the Sawamura Award and Pacific League MVP from 2014, allowed an unearned run on two ...

Former Nihon University football head coach Masato Uchida denied on Wednesday ordering a controversial and dangerous illegal tackle that left an opposing player in the hospital. At a hastily called press conference along with assistant coach Tsutomu Inoue, Uchida said Taisuke Miyagawa's illegal hit on ...

Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has agreed to join J. League first-division side Vissel Kobe, league sources confirmed Wednesday. The 34-year-old Iniesta won four Champions League titles and multiple Spanish League crowns during his time with Barcelona. Iniesta was also a key part of Spain's first ...

Japan coach Jamie Joseph named a 33-man squad Wednesday for June's test matches against Italy and Georgia, as the Brave Blossoms get set for a busy year ahead of hosting Rugby World Cup 2019. "As we head towards the World Cup this is a great ...

Tochinoshin remained at the top of the heap with an unbeaten record on Wednesday, the 11th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Tochinoshin remained one win ahead of Hakuho and fellow yokozuna Kakuryu, who survived a scare against komusubi Mitakeumi (7-4) at Tokyo's Ryogoku ...

Naoya Inoue was a little surprised to get a title shot in his first fight in a new weight class, against someone he describes as the toughest boxer he has ever had to face in his professional career. But the Japanese phenom, who has been ...

The Sunwolves' win over the Stormers in Hong Kong last weekend was a big boost for rugby in Asia and justified the efforts of those who have pushed for a Super Rugby presence in the world's most populated continent. Anyone who was at Mong Kok ...

Right-handed reliever Junichi Tazawa was released by the Miami Marlins and will remain in the United States in a bid to land a minor-league contract, baseball sources said Tuesday. The Marlins designated Tazawa for assignment on Thursday after a pair of dismal outings last week ...