Human rights and LGBT activists on Friday denounced a ruling by Japan's Supreme Court upholding a law that effectively requires transgender people to be sterilized before they can have their gender changed on official documents. The court said the law is constitutional because it was ...

A panel recommended broadening the scope of punishable acts — now restricted to unauthorized downloads of videos and music — to all materials, including images.

The Justice Ministry said the firms ordered workers to perform tasks other than those specified in their contracts, among other violations.

A local fisheries association in western Japan will resume commercial whaling from July 1 for the first time in 31 years, association sources have said. The move comes after Japan announced its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in December. An association ship in Taiji, ...

Deal would allow voters to choose yes, no or neither regarding the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Renault picked Jean-Dominique Senard on Thursday to replace Carlos Ghosn, who has been detained in Japan for alleged financial misconduct, as chairman.

The United States Navy has sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Pacific Fleet told The Japan Times, as military and trade tensions continue to fester between Beijing and Washington. The guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell, which is based in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, and ...

Kang Sung-il buys Sancho, his Pomeranian, a toy every business trip and will dress it up in a new $50 suit when he visits his mother this Lunar New Year holiday. Kang and his wife say children are too expensive and bring too much pressure. ...

The condemnation of Japan became louder with the announcement that Tokyo would leave the International Whaling Commission, but is there a benefit to this?

A 22-year-old university student armed with a knife and a hammer attacked a policeman at a police substation Thursday in Toyama, the same city where an attack last year on a police box left an officer and another person dead. Masaki Maeda, a resident of ...

Japanese researchers now believe it is possible that the northernmost breeding region for humpback whales has shifted far northward to around Tokyo's Hachijo Island. Waters off the island of Kagoshima Prefecture's Amami Oshima, some 500 kilometers south of Hachijo Island, have been known as the ...

In measures the opposition says are aimed at stifling dissent, Russian lawmakers on Thursday backed a proposal mandating jail terms of up to 15 days for insulting authorities online and another prohibiting the spread of fake news. The two bills passed their first of three ...

Cambodia's strongman leader Hun Sen on Thursday called on his country's military to "destroy" opponents if the government comes under threat, in a tirade in which he described himself as the "the one who steers the wheel" of the army. The 66-year-old premier has in ...

China's open disregard of international rules and its penchant for bullying explain why it essentially remains a friendless power.

China's new geopolitical strategy is a threat to open networks; America and its allies must respond.

Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula is a treasure trove of forests, wild animals and birds. But from early February to early March it is the home of ice diving, scuba diving beneath the drift ice that blows south from the Sea of Okhotsk.

With its well-preserved samurai and geisha districts, various temples and traditional crafts, the castle town of Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture is often nicknamed "Little Kyoto." Although Kenrokuen Garden and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art get the most tourism buzz, the city has ...

The "Fab Five" from Netflix's hit reality series "Queer Eye" will bring their makeover talents to Tokyo this year for special episodes, the media streaming company has announced. The five TV lifestyle consultants — Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France and Antoni ...

Her role as a victim of sex trafficking was so harrowing that Mrunal Thakur almost backed out. To research the experiences of women and girls sold into the sex trade, like the title character she plays in the film "Love Sonia," Thakur met survivors in ...

World No. 1 Kento Momota breezed past reigning Indonesia Masters badminton champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 21-9, 21-10 on Friday to secure a semifinal spot. Momota, who is Japan's first male badminton player to hold the world No. 1 ranking, was in control almost the entire ...

Veteran big man David Simon had a game-high 21 points and four teammates also scored in double figures in the Kyoto Hannaryz's 85-74 road victory over the Levanga Hokkaido on Friday. Simon snared seven rebounds and handed out seven assists for Kyoto (17-17), which led ...

Ryogoku is the center of the sumo world. The district on the east bank of the Sumida River is home to Ryogoku Kokugikan and several stables. There are also numerous sumo specific- stores, shrines and museums in the area. Despite all that, Ryogoku can't claim to be ...

Newly promoted sekiwake Takakeisho handed yokozuna Hakuho his third straight loss on Friday at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. Hakuho gave up his share of the lead, falling one win behind Tamawashi (11-2) with two days remaining in the 15-day tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku ...

Yoshitomo Tsutsugo was struck by a strange thought while playing for Samurai Japan during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. There were pitch limits in effect during that tournament, which features professional players, adults from MLB, NPB and other leagues. Meanwhile at the high school level ...

Jim McKean, who umpired 10 no-hitters and three World Series during a big league career from 1973-01, has died. He was 73. Jamie McKean, one of his sons, said McKean died in his sleep early Thursday at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, near ...

With about 4½ minutes left in the first half, a section of Santa Clara fans started counting down the shot clock's final seconds well ahead of time in an attempt to rattle Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura. Like most everything the Broncos tried against the No. 4 ...

Japan has been drawn with two-time defending champion Chile, Uruguay and Ecuador in Group C for this year's Copa America in Brazil, the South American Football Confederation announced Thursday. The Samurai Blue, currently ranked 50th by FIFA, will open their campaign against No. 13 Chile ...

Five-time Olympic champion swimmer Nathan Adrian said Thursday he has testicular cancer but is confident of recovery and wants to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Adrian, who won gold in the 100-meter freestyle at London 2012, has four additional Olympic gold medals as a ...

Tiger Woods felt good in his first competitive round of 2019, from his tee shot right down the middle on No. 1 at Torrey Pines South to the 12-foot birdie putt on 18 that elicited roars from the crowd. "It was nice to have some ...

The video assistant referee made a decisive debut in the Asian Cup on Thursday, playing a role in Ritsu Doan's penalty goal in Japan's 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Vietnam. Groningen winger Doan gave Japan the lead 12 minutes after the break when he converted the ...