When the government raised the consumption tax from 5 percent to 8 percent in April 2014, Japan suffered a recession. One possible indicator if such a downturn will happen prior to next month's long-delayed hike to 10 percent is how much people are spending ...

Progress: good, or bad? Bad, thought Confucius, who for hundreds of years taught Japan to seek its ideals in the ancient past. Good, thought 19th-century modernizers, who redirected the nation's gaze to the future. Prominent among modernizers was Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), for whom civilization and ...

For elementary school children in Japan, their weeks-long summer vacation isn't entirely a time for leisure. Instead, it's overshadowed by a stack of homework that features, among other things, an assignment known as jiyū kenkyū (independent project). As the name suggests, jiyū kenkyū is an ...

China and the Solomon Islands on Saturday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties after the Pacific island nation ditched relations with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a Chinese province and seeks to cut off from the international community. The Chinese government's top diplomat, State ...

A day after millions marched to urge world leaders to act on climate change, thousands of activists fanned out across beaches and rivers throughout Asia on Saturday, picking up garbage and drawing attention to the amount of trash that is dumped worldwide. The volunteers turned ...

Typhoon Tapah, the season’s 17th typhoon, strengthens and threatens to bring heavy rain and winds to wide areas of Japan over the weekend, the Meteorological Agency said.

North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator welcomed on Friday U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that a "new method" be used in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs. Kim Myong Gil praised Trump's "wise political decision" to seek a new approach to the stalled talks without a ...

Masses of children skipped school to join a global strike against climate change that teen activist Greta Thunberg said was "only the beginning," ahead of a U.N. youth summit she will participate in Saturday. Some 4 million people filled city streets around the world, organizers ...

Brewers and eateries across Japan are gearing up to meet the boosted demand for beer during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which is expected to draw 500,000 visitors from overseas. Efforts are underway to prevent taps from running dry at the 12 venues across the ...

Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is to stand trial for a fourth time on corruption charges, even as the leftist opposition leader vies for the position of vice president in elections next month. The 66-year-old, who served two terms as president, is accused of having ...

Princess Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, paid a courtesy call on Hungarian President Janos Ader on Friday to mark the 150th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Dressed in kimono, the 24-year-old younger daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, the emperor's younger brother, ...

Family members of a mother and her daughter who were killed after being struck by a car driven by an 88-year-old man in Tokyo in April have submitted a petition to prosecutors seeking the driver’s indictment.

A private women's university in Miyagi Prefecture said Saturday it will start accepting from April 2021 students who were assigned male at birth but identify as female, becoming the first private institution in Japan to admit such transgender students. Miyagi Gakuin Women's University in Sendai ...

Racism or youthful indiscretion? Images published one week into Canada's general election showing Justin Trudeau in blackface mark a low point in his political career, but it's not clear if they've caused grievous harm to his re-election bid, experts say. "Both in Canada and abroad, ...

The Tokyo District Court is expected to hold the first hearing for former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn on April 21 on charges he underreported his remuneration by around ¥9 billion over eight years.

Supposedly outdated content formats like LPs and print allow consumers — and marketers — to go beyond the masses.

Since 2006, Ginpachi has been raising bees on the rooftops of Ginza, creating a local hive-to-table network of apiaries and bee gardens, prooving nature is never far from daily life.

Public speaking coach Lipschutz has a plenty to say about taking command of language in a foreign country.

The third UNESCO-commended washi paper, Hosokawa-shi from Saitama Prefecture, was once used to keep records and accounts but is now used to make art prints and to preserve and restore cultural properties.

After cooking in Italy, Australia and Denmark for over a decade, kaiseki chef Taka Nishimura returned to Kyoto to open Yanagi Koji Taka, a small, local joint with a menu of perfectly executed bar food.

At Cafe Y, "Toast Lady" Chisato Kijima has been serving airline personnel, students and local families massive, homestyle meals for 43 years and counting.

Although the dorayaki pancake is almost always on convenience store shelves, Lawson, Seven-Eleven and FamilyMart have each rolled out new flavors for the fall.

Japanologist and product designer Zacher on Japanese design, gadgets and university scholarships.

The oldest surviving quarter of Toba, Mie Prefecture, pins its hopes on crafts and small businesses to stay afloat.

Author William Plomer came to Japan during the 1920s following the publication of "Turbott Wolfe." Hugely inspired by the country, in his later life he persuaded Benjamin Britten to watch a noh performance, inspiring him to write the opera "Curlew River," and publisher Jonathan ...

"Japanese Linguistics" is a broad-spectrum primer on Japanese, covering everything from grammar to the social context of the language, for the undergraduate student or avid polyglot alike.

Set in the early 17th century, "The Swords of Silence" focuses on the plight of Japan's hidden Christians and the closing of Japan to foreign trade and relations — with a fantasy twist.

Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara wrapped an arm about Shinnosuke Abe, one of his longest-serving veterans, as they walked toward the left-field stands at Yokohama Stadium, where their fans were waiting to greet them with rapturous applause. The pair, who have been through so many ...

Naomi Osaka beat Elise Mertens of Belgium on Saturday to reach the final of the Pan Pacific Open, thrilling her Japanese fans in the city of her birth. Top seed Osaka dispatched No. 9 seed Mertens 6-4, 6-1 to reach her first final since winning ...

Three wrestlers head into the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament tied for the lead, with sekiwake duo Takakeisho and Mitakeumi winning on Saturday to set up a showdown with surprise rank-and-filer Okinoumi. The two wrestlers at sumo's third-highest rank will battle for ...

One of the side effects of having Hakuho, the greatest rikishi of all time, succeed another legend in Asashoryu at the top of the sumo pile, is that fans in recent years have become accustomed to seeing dominant championship performances. There have been 24 perfect ...

Kaho Minagawa on Friday secured Japan one of the 21 Tokyo Olympic berths up for grabs at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships. The top 16 individuals from the all-around final and the best five teams in group exercises earn their national federations the right to ...

Kei Nishikori announced Saturday that he will skip the upcoming Rakuten Japan Open and Shanghai Masters due to pain in his right arm and elbow. "I have some good news and some bad news. These past days I sat down with my medical team to ...