At the end of June, a Nigerian man in his 40s died at an immigration detention center in Nagasaki. According to a support group, the man had been on a hunger strike to protest his lengthy confinement, which had continued for more than three ...

The utopia of utopias is "Utopia" by Sir Thomas More (1478-1535). Its best feature is leisure. There are no idle nobles; everyone works. A burden shared is a burden lightened. Utopians "do not wear themselves out with perpetual toil from morning to night, as ...

The operator of Seven-Eleven’s new smartphone payment service is under fire for appearing clueless at a news conference that was held after customers were allegedly defrauded through unauthorized access. On July 4, Seven & I Holdings Co. said some 900 convenience store customers using the ...

To the knowledge of more than 40 percent of Japanese workers, no fathers at their workplaces had taken any child care leave, according to a Jiji Press opinion survey in June. Among respondents with jobs, 31.5 percent, the largest share, said that paternal leave systems ...

Hiroshi Osaki, chairman of major Japanese talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings Co., stresses the importance of efforts to eliminate connections between its comedians and purported organized crime groups.

South Korean officials say they asked Japan to lift strict controls on high-tech exports, rejecting claims by Tokyo that no such demand was made.

The National Personnel Authority is likely to recommend raising the monthly salaries of government employees for a sixth straight year this year to close gaps between the public and private sectors, sources said Friday. The salaries of government employees in April were believed to have ...

Brussels The European Union has called on Facebook and other platforms to invest more in fact-checking, but a new study shows those efforts may rarely reach the communities worst affected by fake news. The analysis, by the big data firm Alto Data Analytics over a three-month ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in his recent meetings with Russian, Chinese and U.S. counterparts, called for security guarantees instead of the lifting of sanctions in return for denuclearization, diplomatic sources said Friday. Kim's renewed focus on security guarantees could be an effort by ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to be avoiding discussing Iran and Japan’s territorial dispute with Russia in his campaign speeches for the July 21 House of Councilors election.

Turkey's main opposition scored a major blow against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month when it won control of Istanbul, but now faces a wounded government reluctant to relinquish power. With Erdogan expected to stay in office until at least 2023, the new mayor of ...

U.N. ambassadors from 37 countries released a letter Friday defending China's treatment of Uighur and other minorities in the Xinjiang region, in direct response to Western criticism earlier this week. Envoys from across the EU — along with Australia, Canada and Japan and New Zealand ...

U.S. Ambassador William Hagerty will leave his post to run for the Senate, President Donald Trump tweeted late Friday. Hagerty received a “Complete & Total Endorsement” from the American leader.

A total of 61 percent of South Koreans blame the Japanese government alone for the recent diplomatic friction between Seoul and Tokyo, an opinion poll in South Korea has shown. In the survey released Friday by research company Gallup Korea, 17 percent of the respondents ...

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved a roughly $5 billion settlement with Facebook Inc. this week over its investigation into the social media company's handling of user data, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday. Investors cheered news of the deal and pushed ...

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday rejected a Chinese threat to impose sanctions on U.S. firms involved in sales of weapons to Taiwan. The U.S. State Department recently approved a planned sale of tanks and missiles to Taiwan for an estimated cost of $2.22 billion, ...

The importance of bees to Japan's agricultural sector certainly isn't lost on domestic hobbyists.

There aren't many female filmmakers in Japan, making even fewer female film editors. Aika Miyake is an exception.

There’s no doubt about it — a colorful yukata (light cotton kimono) accessorized with a flat uchiwa fan says “summer.”

Barista Training Lab Tokyo offers classes in brewing, roasting and tasting coffee, covering all the skills a professional barista — or interested amateur — needs to know.

At Mottainai Project Uoharu's Yurakucho and Nakameguro bars, the daily menu relies on "unwanted" seafood from wholesale fish markets in order to combat food waste and promote food sustainability.

On a recent balmy evening, representatives from nine sake breweries in Yamagata Prefecture, clad in understated kimono, bow modestly onstage amid the glow of pink and lavender lights. The bling-drenched ballroom also boasts gold-covered walls and a bold red carpet adorned with a dizzying ...

Name: Kenro Taura Age: 62 Nationality: Japanese Occupation: Executive director of Kiko Network Likes: Justice and equal rights, positive thinking Dislikes: Selfishness, authority 1. What does Kiko Network do? Kiko Network is an environmental non-governmental organization that works to tackle climate change by bringing forth major changes in society. 2. How ...

Hiromi Kawakami's "The Ten Loves of Nishino," a collection of interconnected short stories centering around the titular character, is a poignant examination of gender relationships in Japan and a bittersweet ode to an ageing playboy.

Children's author Taro Gomi has authored over 450 books in his striking visual style, many of which — "Everyone Poops" included — have become classics of the genre, both in Japan and abroad.

Hanshin Tigers rookie Koji Chikamoto became the second player to hit for the cycle in in the NPB All-Star Series, leading the Central League to an 11-3 win over the Pacific League in Saturday's series finale. Chikamoto, who became the first rookie to lead off ...

A Teruhito Nakagawa goal that was — then wasn't — then was again overshadowed by 90 minutes of end-to-end attacking play in Yokohama F. Marinos' 3-1 win over the Urawa Reds on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium. Matches between teams comprising the J. League's "Original ...

Joint leaders Hakuho and Kakuryu both won again on Saturday to wrap up the first week of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament with unbeaten records. Hakuho comfortably accounted for No. 3 maegashira Daieisho, while fellow Mongolian Kakuryu improved to 12-0 in his career against No. ...

Fumihito Haraguchi was recovering from surgery to combat cancer when the NPB season began. On Friday night, he took his place among the best players in Japan as part of the Central League roster for this year's All-Star Series. As if being an All-Star wasn't enough, ...

After an NBA Board of Governors meeting earlier this week, commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media, and that gathering in New York included an assessment of the rise in Japanese players during the ongoing NBA Summer League. The commissioner also commented on the positive impact ...

After watching the home run derby before the game, some Seibu Lions, past and present, put on a power show of their own. Lions catcher Tomoya Mori hit a two-run home run, teammate Hotaka Yamakawa had a solo shot and former Lions star, and current ...