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.

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 ...

Police confirmed 169 cases of hacking targeting cryptocurrency in 2018, up 20 from the previous year.

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.

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 Democratic Party said Wednesday it will not allow Fox News to host any of its primary candidate debates, after published revelations suggested the network is a "propaganda" vehicle for President Donald Trump. National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez said a story in this week's ...

Netflix said Wednesday it has acquired the film rights to "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and will turn it into a Spanish language TV series. Rodrigo Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia Barcha, the sons of the late Colombian author, ...

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 ...