At least 314 people stranded by heavy rains manage to descend a mountain on Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture after they were forced the spend the night in a cabin or in vehicles.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated Sunday his hope to hold unconditional and candid talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "By meeting Workers' Party of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un without setting conditions, I want to talk with him frankly with an open mind," ...

A new survey finds about 61 percent of voters support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s stance of seeking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without a guarantee of progress on the issue of abducted Japanese nationals.

There is no need to be worried that the United States will impose a quota on Japanese automobile imports, economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Sunday. "There is no worry judging from the U.S. announcement," Motegi said on a television program, noting that such a ...

As years of near-zero interest rates in Japan make traditional lending barely profitable, one regional bank is seeking to drum up business through less conventional enterprises, from opening wine bars to helping fishermen farm sea urchins. The new approach comes as regulators cautiously loosen the ...

Taiwan's top diplomat has ripped into the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper after it referred to the island nation as part of China in a tweet praising Taipei's passage of a law legalizing same-sex marriage. In a Twitter post Sunday morning, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph ...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday basked in the glow of a "miracle" election victory that sparked praise from U.S. President Donald Trump, soul-searching on the left and speculation about what policies he will pursue. Morrison's Liberal-National coalition bucked the polls to secure a ...

A Japanese abductee held by North Korea for more than two decades before being repatriated in 2002 has expressed hope for a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim Jong Un to seek progress in saving others still believed held.

Warning of a possible eruption, authorities raise the volcanic alert level for Mount Hakone after increased seismic activity is detected near the popular hot-spring resort area southwest of Tokyo.

The U.S. and its allies must prevent local military crises from escalating into great power wars.

Internet shopping provides benefits to both sellers and consumers, and should be regarded as the main player in the third revolution in the distribution of goods.

Racecars, zip lines and the great outdoors — a visit to Twin Ring Motegi tracks in Tochigi Prefecture will keep the kids racing around in excitement.

As a scholar of Japanese law, Polish Ambassador Jacek Izydorczyk brings a distinct cultural understanding to the diplomatic world, where he works day in and day out to deepen ties between Poland and Japan.

As seniors worry about leaving the burden of unwanted possessions to relatives upon their death, more are learning to use flea market apps to declutter early.

From keeping your touch screen free of potato-chip grease to using tap cards to gain access to exclusive online content, the smartphone keeps changing the way we go about life.

Riding the full length of Tokyo's central Yamanote railway line takes about an hour, but walking it has its own rewards.

This handsome round-eyed gray tabby came to ARK in March when his owner became ill, and one of the things that stood out about him was his unusual name, Odairi. The o-dairi-sama is the doll that represents the emperor on the top tier of dolls ...

The Netherlands won the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday at a show in the seaside Israeli city of Tel Aviv that featured a performance from Madonna, plenty of glitz and some controversy. The oh-so-glamorous and famously kitschy finale gave Israel a chance to showcase ...

Reiya Konishi failed in his second shot at a world championship Sunday, losing to IBF world light flyweight champ Felix Alvarado of Nicaragua by unanimous decision. The 25-year-old Konishi stayed in the fight until the seventh round, but all three judges at Kobe Portopia Hotel ...

No. 1 favorite Loves Only You picked up her maiden Grade 1 victory on Sunday, winning the Japanese Oaks by a neck. Ridden by Italian jockey Mirco Demuro, Loves Only You finished the 2,400-meter race for three-year-old fillies at Tokyo Racecourse in 2 minutes, 22.8 ...

Wataru Matsumoto worked five innings to win his pro debut for the Saitama Seibu Lions in a 9-3 Pacific League victory over the Orix Buffaloes on Sunday. The 22-year-old Matsumoto, the Lions' first pick in last autumn's draft, allowed two runs on four hits and ...

Kakeru Tanigawa won the men's competition at the NHK Cup for the first time Sunday, booking his spot at this year's world championships in Germany. Tanigawa, who won his second straight national championship last month, claimed a total of 254.363 points for the victory in ...

Overnight leaders Kakuryu and Tochinoshin fell into a three-way tie with rank-and-file grappler Asanoyama following their upset losses at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. The joint leaders sit at 7-1 after lone yokozuna Kakuryu was stunned by No. 3 maegashira Tamawashi and sekiwake ...

Jabari Blash was in demand before the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles' "home" game at Tokyo Dome on Thursday. When he came off the field after batting practice, a Rakuten staffer led him to a television crew that was waiting for him. When that was done, ...

Naoya Inoue claimed another world title belt in dominant fashion Saturday, beating International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez by second-round technical knockout. Inoue, the undefeated World Boxing Association bantamweight champion, booked his place in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final with the win. The ...

One of the first words every new sumo fan learns is tachiai. Combining the characters for "stand" and "meet," it is the term for the initial charge that gets all sumo bouts underway. To call the tachiai the key moment is to vastly understate its importance. Sumo, ...

Two-way player Shohei Ohtani drove in a pair of insurance runs with a home run for the Los Angeles Angels in a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. With the Angels leading 2-0 in the sixth inning, Ohtani came up with one ...

Shinji Kagawa scored his fourth Turkish first-division goal for Besiktas on Saturday, but it was not enough to avoid a 2-1 loss to Trabzonspor. The Japan midfielder equalized for Besiktas in the 74th minute at Senol Gunes Stadium after coming on as a halftime substitute. ...