Over 500 public schools in Chiba Prefecture, or some 40 percent of the total in the area, have confirmed damaged due to Typhoon Faxai, which hit the region earlier this month, according to a Kyodo News tally based on local government data. Altogether, 548 public ...

Newly appointed Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Wednesday that Tokyo urgently demands Seoul eliminate “violations of international law” regarding wartime Korean labor issues.

How would you like to spend an afternoon dangling 450 meters above the ground in a metal basket with room for only two people? For Takuma Tachibana, it's just another day at the office. "I've always liked high places," says the 32-year-old, as he prepares for ...

The government plans to require mobile carriers KDDI Corp. and SoftBank Corp. to ensure that customers of their new discount plans will have their handsets unlocked for usage on any network immediately, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. The two companies unveiled the plans ...

The suspect in the deadly arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio in July, who is in hospital with severe burns, has recovered to the extent that he can practice speaking again, investigative sources said Wednesday. Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Shinji ...

FactCheck Initiative Japan, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that analyzes information provided by politicians, has found issues with a number of claims that were made in relation to the July 21 Upper House election. Of the 11 claims of false or misleading statements and information it ...

The change means that exports of some strategic goods to Japan will receive greater scrutiny than shipments to 28 other fast-track destinations, South Korea’s trade ministry said Wednesday.

The body of Ryosuke Shindo, 9, was found near stairs in his apartment building hours after his mother informed the police he had failed to return home from his English conversation school.

At U.S. Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, three brand-new Osprey tilt-rotor transporters are waiting to be deployed to Japan next March. The aircraft, emblazoned with the Japanese flag, are used for aircrew and maintenance training for troops sent from the Air ...

The world faces a mounting threat of pandemics that could kill millions and wreak economic havoc, a international expert panel warns, saying governments should work to mitigate that risk. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, convened by the World Bank and the World Health Organization, said ...

Hong Kong democracy activists urged members of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to pass legislation to combat human rights abuses in the city, rejecting any suggestion that such a move would be inappropriate U.S. involvement in another country's affairs. "This is not a plea for ...

At a variety of levels Saudi Arabia is deeply engaged economically with Japan, and in many areas beyond oil.

Russia's offer to sell air defense systems to Saudi Arabia is really a bid to replace the U.S. as the region's go-to problem solver.

I'm fine with playing the German to humor my Japanese acquaintances — just not one German in particular.

An internship at a Japanese office can teach you a lot about the country's business culture.

Does the name "Stromboli" elicit images of the volcanic island off the coast of Italy for you? How about the 1950 film starring Ingrid Bergman, or the delicious turnover? Well, the fine folks at ARK would like to introduce you to a new Stromboli, and ...

In the late 1980s, a group of Japanese women came together to form the country's first female rugby club, efforts that have been immortalized in a short film by Mackenzie Sheppard

Mackenzie Sheppard's short take on the birth of women's rugby in Japan is a lesson in inspiration, emotion and breaking down barriers

Mika Ninagawa's "No Longer Human" tells the story of celebrated Japanese author Osamu Dazai, with a particular focus on his turbulent love life

Tomohiko Ito's anime feature "Hello World" sees the breaking down of the borders between present and future, and the perils and pitfalls of comupter-generated worlds

Zach Neal allowed five hits over eight innings to win his 10th-straight decision as the Seibu Lions beat the Orix Buffaloes 5-0 in the Pacific League on Wednesday. The Seibu win and a loss by the second-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks dropped the Lions' magic number ...

Risako Kawai booked her spot in next year's Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday along with compatriot Hiroe Minagawa as both advanced to the finals of their weight classes at the world wrestling championships in the capital city of Kazakhstan. The 24-year-old Kawai, who defeated four-time Olympic ...

Defending champions Kashima Antlers exited the Asian Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday with a 1-1 home draw against China's Guangzhou Evergrande. The teams had played to a scoreless draw in the first leg and Guangzhou advanced to the semifinals on away goals. Needing to win at ...

Top-seeded Naomi Osaka reached the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open by beating qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday. Osaka, who was broken twice early in the match, is looking to win her first title in her hometown after finishing runner-up in 2016 and ...

There are many ways of classifying rikishi and discussing those groups' various merits. Who are the best yokozuna or ozeki of all time for example? Which stable has been most dominant in history? Name your top ten Mongolians. The possibilities are numerous. In the early 2000s, one ...

Takakeisho pulled off a big win at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday, defeating ozeki Tochinoshin to remain in a tie for the lead in his bid to get re-promoted and win a second top-division title. The young sekiwake earned his fourth-straight win of ...

After seven years of hard work, the J. League's vaunted "Asian Strategy" has resulted in some significant successes. Building on them will be an even bigger challenge. European stars such as Andres Iniesta and David Villa may be giving the J. League its long-awaited global exposure, ...

Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle, just like his dad. Biggio homered in the third inning, singled in the sixth, doubled in the eighth and tripled in the ninth to boost the Toronto Blue Jays over the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 on Tuesday night. The rookie ...

China has chosen its most iconic animal — the panda — to be the official mascot of the Beijing Olympics in 2022, the Winter Games organizing committee announced Tuesday. The mascot, named Bing Dwen Dwen, is a chubby giant panda wearing a suit of ice. The ...