Since the new Cabinet was announced on Sept. 11, the focus has been on Shinjiro Koizumi as environment minister. Described by some as earnest but lacking in substantive ideas, the 38-year-old lawmaker has tried to make the most of the spotlight, commenting on Japan's ...

Netizens have been anticipating the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan for months now and not just because of the action on the field. While the online masses closely followed and reacted to the Japanese team’s opening match win over Russia — ...

Mainstream media last month broke a long-standing silence they've had concerning the activities of Japan's organized crime groups, which are referred to in official circles as "boryokudan" (violent groups) or, colloquially, as "yakuza." The Mainichi Shimbun (Sept. 15) reported that Kobe's Municipal Board of Education ...

A construction company involved in a scandal at Kansai Electric Power Co. increased its sales at least sixfold over the five years to August 2018 for work related to nuclear power plants, data by a credit research agency showed Saturday. Yoshida Kaihatsu, based in Takahama, ...

A ceremony to commemorate noted Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene, who died in February this year aged 96, was held at Columbia University in New York, his alma mater, on Friday. About 200 people, including some who studied under him, attended. Keene, who was ...

A Defense Ministry official says four Chinese and Russian bombers approached the disputed Senkaku Islands in July.

Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong announced plans Saturday to run for election and warned that any attempt to disqualify him will only spur more support for monthslong pro-democracy protests. His announcement came ahead of a major rally later in the day to mark the ...

As world leaders met in New York, one question kept coming up at climate change events: How did you get here? Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg made headlines for deciding to sail rather than fly to New York for the climate summit that kicked off ...

China's armed forces are expected to roll out an array of new weapons at a military parade in Beijing next week as President Xi Jinping shows off his ambitious military modernization program. China's advanced missiles will be a main attraction at the Oct. 1 parade ...

The EU and Japan on Friday signed an infrastructure agreement to link Europe and Asia as a counter to China's ambitious Belt and Road strategy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker inked the accord to coordinate infrastructure, transport and digital projects. The ...

We should have more respect for the disease of addiction.

For Kazuko Hohki — member of performance group Frank Chickens as well as theater director and writer, '80s London —squats and all — provided the right community to foster artistic liberation.

From vegan and vegetarian to organic and superfood, plant-based cooking concepts are rooted in how Japanese people have approached eating for centuries.

More than 700 years of history provide a solid foundation for Takefu's knife and tool makers, who are renowned for forging the best handcrafted knives in Japan. How do they fashion such exceptionally keen blades? To find out, delve into the workshops of five ...

The further you travel in Japan, the more you discover that each corner of the country has its own character and food traditions. Every region produces its own distinctive strains of rice, seafood products, miso, pickles and sake. And those differences are important: They're ...

In Kyushu, a region famed for distilleries rather than brewing, Saga is the odd prefecture out. More sake is consumed there — and less shōchū — than anywhere else in southwest Japan. And that is all the more reason for discovering Kokushu Sakaba, a ...

Japanese food favorites such as udon noodles and sushi are gaining a presence in India, where the country's distribution network and tradition-bound food culture present Japanese entrepreneurs with formidable challenges.

With the kick-off of the Rugby World Cup, New Zealand's Harajuku Cookie Time outpost is celebrating with a Pavlova shake that comes with all sorts of Kiwi flair.

Psycholinguistics professor Yuki Hirose on why she can't read your mind, getting children to sit still for academic studies and the qualities she looks for in a mentor.

The master enters the room several minutes after the scheduled 9 a.m. start. He bows to the match officials before taking his seat at the board, but it is clear from the way he rubs his face and fidgets with his hands that he is ...

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's "Before the Coffee Gets Cold," gets its first English translation. This play-turned-novel has an all-female cast of main characters and a hefty dose of sentiment — a page turner to finish before your morning brew.

Singaporean artist Evangeline Neo walks travelers through Tokyo's best traditional must-sees, anime hot-spots and even Mount Fuji in her comic-book guide to the metropolis.

"Peak Japan" provides a painstaking overview of the country's social, economic and political trajectory since the 1990s.

Japan pulled off another Rugby World Cup shock for the ages with a fearless 19-12 win over Ireland on Saturday. Japan conceded two first-half tries to the world No. 2-ranked Irish at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, but standoff Yu Tamura kept the Brave Blossoms in the ...

Japan regular captain Michael Leitch hailed his team's momentous Rugby World Cup win over Ireland on Saturday as a "massive step" toward a first-ever place in the quarterfinals, but warned that nothing has been decided yet. "We still have a job to do," said Leitch, ...

South Africa's electric wing Makazole Mapimpi scored two tries as the Springboks eased to a nine-try 57-3 win over neighbor Namibia, but it was a far from polished performance in the Rugby World Cup Pool B clash on Saturday. Billed the "African Derby," there was ...

Ten days after their bid for back-to-back Asian titles came crashing down, the Kashima Antlers were spared another disappointing result on Saturday when Serginho's 50th-minute equalizer earned them a 1-1 draw against visiting Consadole Sapporo. The Antlers started the day with 51 points, one behind ...

Fervent Ireland rugby fans were in shock on Saturday but also praised Rugby World Cup host Japan for a stunning 19-12 win over their team, which entered the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world. "I feel that you never underestimate your opponents. Never," said ...

The All Blacks do not possess "plans C, D and E" to continue their global domination and would rather just make sure they execute Plans A and B at a level higher than any other team, assistant coach Ian Foster said on Saturday. The three-time ...

Yuki Nishi worked five innings, and four relievers completed a nine-hit shutout in the Hanshin Tigers' 7-0 victory over the Yokohama BayStars on Saturday. The Tigers have two games remaining and trail the third-place Hiroshima Carp by half a game in the battle for the ...

As a young man, Hiroshi Nakamura left Japan and settled in Canada. That decision had a profound impact on his life and the future of Canadian judo, too. Earlier this week, it was announced that Nakamura will be one of nine 2019 inductees into the Canadian ...

Argentina hooker Julian Montoya scored a rapid first-half hat trick as the Pumas beat Tonga 28-12 on Saturday to revive their bid for a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal place. Montoya's treble at Hanazono Stadium equaled Argentina's record for the most tries in a single World ...

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has changed his entire back row for Monday's Rugby World Cup match against Samoa, as his injury-hit team seeks to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Ireland. Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie and Blade Thomson come in for John Barclay, Ryan ...

The Oakland Raiders may be done with Antonio Brown, but it appears he is not yet done with them. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Friday that Brown is working on a "potential grievance" against the Raiders, attempting to recoup some of the $30 million in guaranteed ...

Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich overcame extreme heat and humidity to win the IAAF World Athletics Championships midnight marathon on Friday, in a grueling test of survival that saw nearly a third of the 70 starters fail to reach the finish line. Chepngetich, who has clocked the ...