International baseball star Ichiro Suzuki has turned down the nation's prestigious People's Honor Award for the third time, a government spokesperson said Friday. Ichiro, who retired from professional baseball last month, instructed his agent to notify the government of his intention to decline the award, ...

A Japanese probe on Friday successfully launched an explosive device at an asteroid to blast a crater in its surface, from which it is planned to scoop up material that could shed light on how the solar system evolved. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) ...

The deputy land minister boasted that he helped get funds for a highway project without Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and deputy Taro Aso having to tell him to.

Nissan Motor’s savior is now suspected of redirecting money that the carmaker paid to an Omani distributor to himself instead, sources say.

Nomura Holdings Inc. said Thursday it will reduce the number of its sales outlets in Japan by at least 30, or 20 percent of its 156 domestic outlets, as part of structural reform measures. The brokerage giant aims to cut operating costs by a total ...

Blood pressure and stroke risk rise steadily the more alcohol people drink, and previous claims that one or two drinks a day might protect against stroke are not true, according to the results of a major genetic study. The research, which used data from a ...

The number of people who plan to take advantage of this year's expanded Golden Week holiday period by traveling abroad is projected to rise 6.9 percent from the year before to a record 662,000, according to the latest report on travel trends by leading ...

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has agreed a deal with Nike, the sports apparel giant has announced. The Japanese tennis player, who had previously been tied to rival Adidas, will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix later this month, the U.S. sportswear-maker ...

The government relied heavily on the internet when checking that the new era name, Reiwa, was not already in common use as the name of places, companies or organizations. The research method was a world away from the approach taken the previous time the government ...

The au Pay service will utilize QR codes and loyalty points, and be available through its electronic money app, which is reloadable via bank accounts or other sources.

Australian Brenton Tarrant appeared in a New Zealand court on Friday where the suspected white supremacist was charged with an additional 49 counts of murder at two mosques last month. In an attack broadcast live on Facebook, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons targeted ...

The former chairman is being hung out to dry over alleged misconduct allegations, but no one will come out of this saga looking like a hero.

Although the streets of Asakusa are familiar stomping grounds for tourists and locals alike, a ride on a jinrikisha (rickshaw) can bring a refreshing new perspective to the historic area, and even reveal a secret spot or two.

Hiromu Inada is by no means your average 86-year-old. Inada is the oldest triathlete to complete what many consider to be the most difficult race in the world — the ironman triathlon — at the world championships. But with his steely resolve, the Japanese senior ...

"Game of Thrones," the fantasy epic imagined more than 20 years ago by author George R.R. Martin, will have its much-anticipated finale on HBO later this year. But in a strange twist never before seen in literature, Martin will himself discover the on-screen ending of ...

George R.R. Martin, the 70-year-old writer behind HBO's blood-spattered epic "Game of Thrones," has created a multitude of fantasy worlds spanning medieval pasts to distant sci-fi futures. Portly, with a white beard, glasses and usually wearing a cap, Martin has been described as "America's Tolkien" ...

With a strong belief that her role is to connect the invisible with the visible world through art, contemporary artist Miwa Komatsu continues to depict otherworldly creatures. People can’t help but be intrigued by the powerful and colorful images of seemingly frightening, yet strangely ...

Celine Dion will release new music and embark on her first North American tour in more than a decade this year, the French-Canadian superstar has announced. The tour will kick off in Quebec City in September, coming after the Grammy-winner wraps her more than 15-year ...

When a team scores three times as many points as its opponent at the free-throw line, it's usually a good sign for the team getting fouled repeatedly. Exhibit A: The Kawasaki Brave Thunders converted 21 of 24 foul shots in Friday's B. League series opener. The ...

Taisuke Yamaoka worked eight innings and rookie Yuma Tongu broke up a scoreless game with a fourth-inning RBI single as the Orix Buffaloes held on to beat the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 2-0 on Friday for their first win of the season. Yamaoka (1-0) yielded ...

Brazilian midfielder Leo Silva made an early bid for goal of the season as the Kashima Antlers came back to beat table-topping Nagoya Grampus 2-1 in the J. League on Friday night. The 33-year-old attacker struck the winner with nine minutes left at Kashima Stadium, ...

The Japanese Olympic Committee is set to name former Olympic judo gold medalist Yasuhiro Yamashita as successor to longtime president Tsunekazu Takeda, who is under investigation by French authorities for alleged bribery, a source said Friday. Takeda will retire at the end of his current ...

Fresh off their first win on Australian soil, the Sunwolves look to knock over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday for their third win of the season, and set themselves up with a shot at reaching the playoffs. Tony Brown's side is currently fifth and last ...

During the past decade, Yuki Kawauchi has been perhaps Japan's most famous marathon runner. He's been known as the "Citizen Runner" or the "Civil Service Runner." But he no longer carries these catchphrases when he runs. Kawauchi became a professional runner on Monday, meaning he will ...

Japan's women's ice hockey team, Smile Japan, blanked France 3-0 behind goalie Nana Fujimoto's 25 saves in their opening game at the world championships in Espoo, Finland, on Thursday. Mei Miura opened the scoring for Japan when she netted a backhander from point-blank range in ...

Zeljko Pavlicevic has never been shy about accepting bold challenges. He embraced the pressure of high-profile coaching jobs in Yugoslavia, Greece and Spain before setting foot in Japan in 2003 to lead the men's national team and plant the seeds of success for the future ...