It was the index’s third consecutive decline, prompting the Cabinet Office to say that it was “signaling a possible turning point.”

This is the first in a series examining how the northeast and the nation are progressing with efforts to deal with the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Nearly a thousand storage tanks are scattered across the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, holding ...

Earlier in the day, labor ministry officials had explained the idea to ruling lawmakers, but Suga said the ministry isn’t considering the move currently.

Even hikers who have no intention of reaching the summit of Mount Fuji will be asked to make a donation of ¥1,000 for stepping foot on the country's highest mountain from this summer, local prefectures said Thursday. Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, which the 3,776-meter-high volcanic ...

A majority of the respondents found education about disaster preparedness and related risks helpful in times of disaster.

Just as a tide of canceled orders has prompted Airbus SE to halt production of the A380 superjumbo, Japan's biggest airline is betting it can succeed where others have failed — by filling the luxurious double-deckers with tourists flying to Hawaii. From May 24, ANA ...

A man and woman from Hong Kong charged with trespassing on the grounds of the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo in December pleaded not guilty Thursday in the first hearing of their case at the Tokyo District Court. Kwok Siu-kit, 55, and Yim Man-wa, 26, ...

Perhaps none of the communist legacies shared by Vietnam and North Korea highlighted during Kim Jong Un's "goodwill visit" to Hanoi is stranger than the embalmed leaders on display in their capitals — and the secretive team of Russian technicians who keep the bodies ...

“I’m glad that the bail was granted. I hope this case will become the start of ending the ‘hostage justice’ system,” lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said.

Seoul's spy agency has spotted movements by supply transport vehicles at a major North Korean missile research facility, possibly indicating preparations for a rocket launch, South Korean media said Thursday, following revelations a day earlier that the North appears to be rebuilding a rocket ...

As a child, Tatsuo Sato was terrified when the Namahage demons roared into his house every year, but in adulthood he mourned as the centuries-old tradition faded away. "The kids disappeared, the young people disappeared. We had to give it up," Sato, 78, said of ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday he is willing to hold direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to break a deadlock over the abduction issue. "I have to meet face-to-face with Chairman Kim Jong Un to resolve this issue," Abe said at ...

Venezuela's government said on Wednesday it had expelled the German ambassador for interfering in the country's internal affairs, two days after the diplomat welcomed opposition leader Juan Guaido at Caracas airport. President Nicolas Maduro's government said Ambassador Daniel Kriener had 48 hours to leave Venezuela ...

A Canadian judge set Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's next court date for May 8 at a brief court appearance on Wednesday where her lawyer briefly raised comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump. Canada arrested Meng on Dec. 1 at ...

Leong Yuet Meng cannot walk more than 10 meters without assistance. Yet, the frail 90-year-old still runs a wonton noodle stall in downtown Singapore, selling at least 200 bowls on any given day. Leong rises around 4 a.m. to do some accounting and prayers before ...

Creating a level playing field for female entrepreneurs will unleash the tremendous potential of this country.

We can no longer ignore the fact that plastic is a problem at all stages of its life cycle — not just after it ends up in the ocean.

Spring is a time of celebration in Japan, and the Royal Park Hotel knows all about celebrations. Available now until April 30, the hotel's basement-floor Chinese restaurant Kei-ka-en is hosting head chef Daisaku Arimoto's Full Bloom Celebration Dinner Course for guests to experience the flavors, ...

Born in Kochi Prefecture in 1938, Toshiko Okanoue was a creator of striking photo collages with a surreal aesthetic. Surrealism draws on images from one's subconscious to create imagery that often defies logical comprehension, while photo collage combines a series of visuals to make ...

High school students from one of Tokyo's top boys' schools organized a study and field trip to the Tohoku region, which was devastated by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, for themselves and exchange students from a partner high school in ...

Going to Bangalore, a city of more than 10 million people in India's south, to spend five days watching movies is not the sort of thing I usually do. Which is exactly why I agreed to serve on a jury for the Network for ...

Following her breakthrough role in Naomi Kawase's 2014 Palme d'Or nominated film "Futatsume no Mado" ("Still the Water"), Junko Abe looked as though she was destined to go on to become a big star in Japan. Back then she was known by her stage ...

The upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament seems to have everything going for it. The basho kicks off with a wealth of storylines. One is a tale of vengeance as Takakeisho seeks to correct the record on his controversial non-promotion to sumo's second-highest rank. Others involve veterans like ...

American Tomoki Hiwatashi is in second place after the short program on Wednesday at the world junior championships in Zagreb. The 19-year-old from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, posted a personal-best score of 81.50 points for his skate to "Cry Me a River" and trails compatriot Camden ...

Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo, who won the women's doubles for Japan's first Olympic gold in badminton in Rio de Janeiro, suffered a shock defeat on the first day of the All England Open Badminton Championships on Wednesday. Takahashi and Matsutomo, ranked second in the ...

The Osaka Basho, which gets underway on Sunday, is arguably the most wide-open tournament sumo has seen in years. With three of the last four meets crowning first-time champions, guessing who will be hoisting the Emperor's Cup on March 24 is like trying to predict ...

The Toyama Grouses, one of B. League's premier offensive clubs, present a formidable challenge for opposing defenses. They put points on the board in a hurry. The Grouses are No. 2 in the 18-team first division in scoring (84.3 points per game). They also have a ...

Vissel Kobe has added another name to its ever-growing list of Barcelona connections. The J. League first-division club announced on Thursday the signing of defensive midfielder Sergi Samper, who will become the third player to trade the famed Spanish side's blue and red for Kobe's ...

Hanshin Tigers backup catcher Fumihito Haraguchi resumed training at the club's minor league facility in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture on Thursday, after undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. The 27-year-old, who had been diagnosed with cancer in an yearend health check last year, said Jan. 31 on ...