The sōgō shōsha's organization and business model is unique to Japan. This is, for the most part, because they are a reflection of Japan's own unique economic development, first during the Meiji Restoration's period of rapid industrialization and commercialization aimed at building a strong ...

As the United States’ commitment to global leadership and principles grows ever more uncertain under President Donald Trump, Japan finds itself with little choice but to look beyond its closest ally to ensure economic and military security, according to analyst Ian Bremmer, the head ...

Yoshito Sengoku, who served as the top government spokesman and an administrative reform minister when the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan was in power, died of lung cancer last week, the Lower House secretariat said Tuesday. He was 72. Sengoku concurrently served as the minister ...

Japanese shock absorber-maker KYB Corp. said Tuesday it fabricated quality data for seismic absorption and control devices installed in nearly 1,000 buildings across the quake-prone country. KYB, which mainly manufactures shock absorbers used in cars and trains, operates in 24 countries, according to its website. ...

Sakae Muto said re-examining an estimate on tsunami risk was appropriate, citing what he says was the low credibility of the data used for the projection.

The seven-story tower with a glass exterior near Tokyo's trendy Omotesando district serves not just as a co-working space with computers and free Wi-Fi. There is also a pantry, a bar counter and a spacious lounge where you can drink freshly roasted coffee and ...

Japan's biggest electronics trade show kicked off Tuesday, offering a future peek at how the latest technologies can be integrated into everyday living. This year's CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture is still making a push to cast off ...

An extreme close-up shot capturing a delicate sakura cherry blossom clothed in white floating on a tranquil surface of water won the Prince Takamado Memorial Prize in this year's version of the Japan Through Diplomats' Eyes annual photo competition. Without gaudy hue embellishing the bloom, ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Tuesday for a five-day European tour that will take him to Spain, France and Belgium, during which he will attend a biennial conference and hold talks with world leaders. Referring to the Asia-Europe meeting set to start Thursday in Brussels, ...

Support groups for detainees had complained that the cameras, set up after cases of vandalism, violated the privacy of those held there.

The government said Tuesday it will mandate that new hotels over a certain size make at least one of their rooms accessible to people in wheelchairs. The revised barrier-free enforcement order approved by the Cabinet applies to hotels or inns with more than 50 rooms ...

The health ministry plans to conduct a fact-finding survey of gaming disorder as soon as the current fiscal year, ahead of the World Health Organization's possible addition of the behavior pattern to the International Classification of Diseases, sources have said. Gaming disorder is characterized as ...

Police have obtained arrest warrants for 12 men and women over a bogus land sale in which homebuilder Sekisui House suffered a loss of about ¥5.5 billion, and took some of them into custody Tuesday, investigative sources said. The man believed to have masterminded the ...

With Pope Francis expressing his intention to visit Japan next year, hopes are high among Hiroshima and Nagasaki residents and A-bomb survivors' groups that he may come to their cities. The Vatican has already ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and the ...

Japan's minister in charge of trade talks said Tuesday that six countries will likely finish the domestic procedures necessary to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in November, paving the way for the 11-member free trade pact to take effect early ...

The estimated number of foreign visitors totaled 2,159,600 in September, down 5.3 percent from the year before, amid a string of natural disasters.

The 1,103 cases reported this year through Oct. 7 represent an increase of 135 from the previous week and around a twelvefold jump from the previous year.

Consumers and businesses had a mixed response to the Abe government's decision Monday to lift the consumption tax rate to 10 percent next October as planned, with some understanding the need to restore fiscal health and others concerned about the impact on the economy. Retail ...

The company to be formed through a merger between major oil refiners Idemitsu Kosan Co. and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. will be led by Idemitsu President Shunichi Kito, company sources said Tuesday. Idemitsu Chairman Takashi Tsukioka and Showa Shell President Tsuyoshi Kameoka will become board ...

The Imperial Household Agency said Monday it will jointly excavate Japan's largest ancient mounded tomb, together with a local government, for the first time. The agency had restricted surveys of Daisen Kofun, which was first built in the fifth century and is officially designated as ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un insists Pyongyang has made "many concessions" to Japan over the abduction issue, arguing that Tokyo is to blame for the deadlock in talks on the matter, a person familiar with the situation said Monday. Kim has expressed the view ...

A rally was held Monday in New York calling on the United Nations to enact a world orphans day in honor of the wishes of a Japanese woman who raised about 3,000 orphans on the Korean Peninsula during and after World War II. Among those ...

Alberta expects to have 80 to 100 cannabis retail stores licensed over the next month, with 17 locations ready for the first day of legal sales on Wednesday. The Canadian province is confident it will have adequate supplies ready for Wednesday, said Alain Maisonneuve, chief ...

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, the man who persuaded school-friend Bill Gates to drop out of Harvard to start what became the world's biggest software company, died on Monday at the age of 65, his family said. Allen left Microsoft in 1983, before the company ...

The real estate investment trusts that own the malls and shopping centers where many Sears stores are anchor tenants have waited years for the retailer's demise to renovate the sites and boost rent, although redevelopment costs may strain some plans. Most large U.S. malls are ...

U.S. President Donald Trump surveyed the damage from Hurricane Michael and met with survivors on Monday, saying food and housing were the top priorities for those hit in Florida's storm-ravaged Panhandle. "To see this personally is very tough — total devastation," Trump said in Lynn ...

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday "rogue killers" may have been behind the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet King Salman over the case. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, Washington Post columnist and leading critic ...

Islamists in Nigeria have killed an aid worker who was being held hostage after a deadline imposed by the militants expired, the Nigerian government said on Monday. Medical workers Hauwa Mohammed Liman and Alice Loksha were working in the town of Rann in March when ...

Those warning about artificial intelligence's dangers are right to invoke Pandora and her jar of miseries.

How can America fix its epidemic of loneliness?

Showcasing 170 blades, 19 of which are National Treasures and 61 are Important Cultural Properties, "Swords of Kyoto: Master Craftsmanship from an Elegant Culture" is the largest sword exhibition in the Kyoto National Museum's 120-year history.

Oct. 20-Jan. 20 Although many are familiar with astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) and his book "On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres," little is known about the initial printing of his work. Printing, introduced in Europe during the 15th century, had a major impact on ...

Oct. 19-March 17 Next year marks the Shiseido Gallery's 100th anniversary. Shinzo Fukuhara (1883-1948), the founder and first president of Shiseido Company Ltd., was not just a successful businessman, he was also an acclaimed photographer who enjoyed capturing the spirit of early modern Japan and ...

Oct. 27-Nov. 18 In 2015, Art Gallery Artium launched its first group exhibition series themed on "region," choosing its participants from a public art competition. As part of that project, "Local Prospects 4" focuses on artists based in Kyushu, Okinawa and nearby areas, and features ...

Although the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks failed to repeat as Pacific League champions, they have what it takes to beat the new champs, the Seibu Lions, and reach the Japan Series for the fourth time in five years. The race for the brass ring heats up ...

The chairman of Tottenham opposes the Premier League club's temporary home of Wembley Stadium being sold to a rival for both soccer and NFL. With building work on its own new stadium in London overrunning by several months, Tottenham has been rescued by the English ...

Former professional four-organization minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama will be granted his wish to receive an amateur license from the Japan Amateur Boxing Federation, it was announced at a news conference on Tuesday. The JABF said that Takayama, 35, would officially be registered as an amateur ...

Follow our live coverage as the Samurai Blue take on Uruguay in the toughest test yet for new manager Hajime Moriyasu.

Kaori Sakamoto took the skating world by storm last season in her first year as a senior competitor. The 18-year-old finished second at Skate America last November, then took second again at the Japan championships in December to earn one of the two spots for ...