U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says Washington seeks to include an agreement to prevent competitive currency devaluations in any trade deal it strikes with Japan.

The long-running American TV series "Grey's Anatomy" is popular because of the way it mixes standard medical drama with mushy romantic intrigue, but another part of its appeal is the makeup of its characters. The drama takes place in the surgical department of a ...

You wake to pitch blackness, the house shaking crazily. Nightmare? Yes — a waking one. "Where are my glasses?" You're helpless without your glasses. The shaking gets worse. Earthquakes, typhoons, torrential rain, withering heat — this summer was a crash course in coping with natural ...

Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it. One of the most buzzed about developments in online culture in Japan over the past 12 months has been a boom in virtual YouTubers, animated characters operating their ...

The Toyosu wholesale food market opened its doors to the public for the first time Saturday, allowing tourists to wander the massive complex, browse exhibits and dine at some of the famous restaurants that relocated from the Tsukiji district last week. Many were impressed by ...

As Japan-China relations continue to improve, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit China for three days later this month.

With an aim to facilitate the achievement of goals from the landmark 2015 Paris agreement, the Japan Action Climate Summit, organized by nonstate actors, was held Friday in Tokyo's Minato Ward. A total of 257 organizations and municipalities took part in the meeting to share ...

U.S. President Donald Trump claims he is being "very tough" with Saudi Arabia and Britain has warned of "serious consequences." But besides demanding the truth about the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the West is likely to continue doing business as usual with the ...

An increasing number of schools and companies in Japan are encouraging their students and employees to cry as a way of relieving stress and improving mental health. Tears of sadness and happiness are believed to reduce stress, as the act of crying relaxes autonomic nerves ...

While U.S. President Donald Trump appears to wage a trade "Cold War" on China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will promote a thaw with Beijing at a summit this month where business ties will be in the spotlight. A tough line on China helped Abe regain ...

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called on the United States to move toward the nuclear-armed North's demands for a declaration the Korean War is over, as the allies pursue increasingly different approaches towards Pyongyang. Washington has shied away from a formal announcement that the ...

A delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in Turkey as part of a joint investigation into the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, three Turkish sources said Friday. A Saudi source also said a senior royal, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, visited Turkey on Thursday for ...

Traces of two past unknown eruptions of Mount Fuji have been found in a layer at the bottom of Lake Motosu, northwest of the country's tallest mountain, according to a research group that included Akita University. The finding about the 3,776-meter volcano, a UNESCO World ...

The Environment Ministry decides to obligate retailers to charge fees for plastic checkout bags or provide loyalty points to shoppers who bring their own.

Perched cross-legged on an altar in one corner of Churenji Temple, cupped palms facing upward, the monk Tetsumonkai is set up for perpetual meditation — just as he intended as he lay dying nearly two centuries ago. The skeletal figure draped in clerical robes is ...

Minoru "Shiro" Hirasawa served the country's first sushi over 40 years ago.

For the director of the Japan Society in New York, it was a teenage encounter with a Shoichi Ida print that led to her love of art and its international influence

As Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo kicks in, PR veteran Junko Naito talks about her life in style

Founded in 2015, the playfully branded Jailhouse Coffee is an organic line of beans roasted in Queens, New York and sold throughout the U.S. — as well as Japan.

Dojima Sake Brewery, which opened this past September on the grounds of Fordham Abbey, about an hour outside of London, is brewing quality Japanese sake in a chic, contemporary setting.

Snack-maker Kabaya Foods Corporation has put out a sweet potato gummy that aims to capture the nostalgic taste of said root veggie, fried up.

Junko Tabei was a pioneering alpinist who dramatically changed the landscape of mountaineering around the world. Previously available only in Japanese, excerpts of her writing have been translated and compiled into "Honouring High Places," a beautifully illustrated retrospective.

In Oe's "Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness," the lifelong sense of obsession and profound sense of guilt engendered within his own familial history finds acute literary expression.

Beautifully written, thought-provoking and utterly immersive, Nahoko Uehashi's "The Beast Player" uses the genre of fantasy to question the political realities of human tyranny over the natural world.

The 23rd edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened Oct. 4 as Typhoon Kong-rey approached the South Korean port city. When the storm peaked on Saturday morning, some public events were cancelled, but the screenings continued and were still packed with press, ...

Without hesitation, the Swallows sent their Giants killer to the mound for Saturday's postseason series opener, but it did not work out the way they had hoped. Instead, the Giants who came through, scoring key late runs and relying on solid pitching in their 4-1 ...

Former NBA forward Jeff Ayres scored a game-high 26 points, including 5-for-9 from beyond the 3-point arc, as the Ryukyu Golden Kings beat the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins 79-68 on Saturday afternoon. Ayres, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs ...

Masahiro Nakatani's 11th-inning RBI single lifted the Hanshin Tigers to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Chunichi Dragons on Saturday as NPB completed its regular season. With both teams playing their final games under managers who will not be back for 2019, the Tigers came ...

The high-five at the plate from Brandon Woodruff nearly took out Lorenzo Cain. It's not often that a reliever hits a home run. Batting left-handed. Off lefty Clayton Kershaw. In the playoffs. Woodruff stunned the ace with an early home run and Milwaukee's normally shutdown bullpen held ...

Seven teams confirmed their places in the playoffs to determine the Japan Rugby Top League champion Saturday as the pool stage reached its penultimate round. Yamaha Jubilo, the Panasonic Wild Knights, Ricoh Black Rams and Kubota Spears will all progress from the White Conference, while ...

Wheelchair tennis players Yui Kamiji and Shingo Kunieda on Friday became the first two Japanese athletes to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games by winning gold at the Asian Para Games in Indonesia. Kamiji defeated China's Zhu Zhenzhen 6-3, 6-4 in the women's singles gold-medal ...

Alfredo Despaigne started the NPB postseason with a bang, hitting a first-inning grand slam as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks cruised to an 8-3 victory over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series' first stage on Saturday. The Hawks ...

Defending champion Roger Federer eliminated Kei Nishikori with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters on Friday night. Federer, who had won five of their seven previous meetings, came back from 4-1 down in the second-set tie-breaker to close out ...