Moscow is planning to boost its missile defense capabilities, including on disputed isles off Hokkaido, by 2020, an internal Russian government document showed Sunday, in a move likely to hurt the two nations' efforts to step up talks on concluding a postwar peace treaty. The ...

The government has decided to toughen regulations for the employment of disabled workers after ministries and agencies were found to have inflated their employment figures to meet legal quotas, sources close to the matter said Sunday. A bill to be submitted to the Diet next ...

As many as four people die in accidents amid heavy snow over the weekend as wide areas of the country are gripped in frigid weather.

Crested ibises in Japan are facing less risk of extinction amid efforts to reintroduce the birds to the wild, leading the government to consider lowering its status on the list of threatened species, government sources said Saturday. The crested ibis was classified as "Extinct in ...

The creation by 11 Pacific Rim countries of a massive free trade zone will give Japan a crucial role to play as a stabilizing force tasked with enhancing the appeal of multiparty free trade agreements.

With the first Imperial abdication in about 200 years looming, Japan has yet to address concerns about the future of the Imperial line and the shortage of royals performing official duties.

Katokaen, a flower farm in the suburbs of Tokyo, has built a thriving business by producing blooms that are not only pretty but are also enriching the culinary arts with colorful petals as crisp as lettuce or as sweet and sour as berries. Run by ...

Japan's tourism industry is looking for ways to attract LGBT visitors from overseas and take advantage of their tendency to spend more than average tourists. Tourism-related businesses all over the world are "scrambling" to attract LGBT travelers, who have "considerable purchasing and spending power," said ...

Unmistakable for its exterior splashed with illustrations of colorful flowers, a bright pink bus glows at a Shibuya park one December evening, its dazzling design standing out as the darkness of the night sets in. Set up nearby are three pink tents. Once inside, visitors ...

The daughters of Nissan Motor Co.'s former chairman Carlos Ghosn, indicted on suspicion of violating Japan's financial reporting laws, believe the accusations are part of an internal revolt within the carmaker to prevent a merger with Renault, the New York Times reports. His eldest daughter, ...

The 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact entered into force on Sunday, creating a free trade area covering more than a tenth of the global economy. The trade deal, signed in March, will cut tariffs on agriculture and industrial products, ease ...

The ugly truth is that the emissions battle will be won or lost (and at present is being lost) thanks to the energy policies of China, India, the U.S. and Russia.

It is hard to imagine Dave Spector doing anything else. Although tempting to call the fun- and pun-loving force of energy that is Spector a workaholic, he enjoys what he does so much that his palpable passion makes "playholic" more accurate.

As consuming wild meat, including wild boar and deer, gains popularity in Japan, Tottori Prefecture, in the Chugoku region of Honshu, aims to game to the next level.

The 7th AEON Eco-1 Grand Prix environmental competition highlights school kids' inventive solutions to environmental issues.

On the small island where I live in the middle of Japan's Seto Inland Sea, new year celebrations are stalwart traditional. Preparations start a week before when the holiday spirit wafts in on sea breezes tinted with chilling temperatures. The island holds a community ...

Maria Bueno Working in Japan, Spanish The best thing about 2018 was traveling. I live in Japan so I had opportunities to travel around Asia. I visited Nepal and had a great experience. My main goal for 2019 is to learn Japanese because I've been living ...

Rivas, a German shepherd mix, came to ARK after he was found wandering the streets. He's a "fluffy, bright-eyed ball of exuberance," about 4 years old and 25 kilograms. He's strong and fast and can be excitable, and he needs someone who loves big, ...

Most of the fans at the arena seemed to notice the fight was over before the referee. Referee Laurence Cole was concentrating on a corner, where champion Masayuki Ito was raining punches after punches against Evgeny Chuprakov. A few seconds later, the ref noticed a towel ...

On a star-studded roster, Chiba Jets Funabashi shooting guard Shigehiro Taguchi can be overlooked at times. That wasn't possible on Sunday, though. Taguchi captured the attention of fans and put his stamp on the final outcome with a game-changing performance. The veteran perimeter sniper delivered a ...

Nao Kodaira won her sixth national sprint championship on Sunday, beating Miho Takagi by a narrow margin. Kodaira kept her lead from the previous day by winning the women's 500 meters and placing runner-up in the 1,000 at Meiji Hokkaido Tokachi Oval. She scored a two-day ...

J. League first division runner-up Sanfrecce Hiroshima will part ways with Thai international Teerasil Dangda after his loan period concludes on Monday. The 30-year-old forward joined Sanfrecce on loan from Thai side Muangthong United on a deal running from February through the end of December. ...

Former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ace Tadashi Settsu will retire after he was unable to land a contract with a Nippon Professional Baseball club for next season, a source familiar with the matter said Sunday. Settsu, who won the Sawamura Award in 2012 as Japan's most ...

With just over a year and a half to go until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, some significant challenges remain for organizers, but 2018 proved to be a year in which progress was made and notable milestones were achieved. The end of the year ...

Offseasons in NPB are about change, just not exactly the type that immediately springs to mind. Japanese baseball has seen some big-name players change teams this winter. Two-time reigning Central League MVP Yoshihiro Maru is suiting up for the Yomiuri Giants next season and All-Star ...