Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is being considered, the first official confirmation that a trip by him could take place. Abe did not say when Rouhani would make the trip, though diplomatic sources said earlier that sometime around ...

The Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel is planning to give preferential tax treatment to mobile phone carriers and others to help spread fifth-generation, or 5G, high-speed wireless communications services. The party wants to allow the amount equivalent to 9 percent of related investment to be ...

Yoshino underscores that the development of the batteries can be linked with that of AI, the “internet of things” and next-generation wireless networks.

During the course of the session two ministers resigned, a plan for reforming college English-language tests was withdrawn and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was accused of breaching election campaign laws.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy meet for the first time Monday, many wonder what Moscow's long-term goal is in strife-torn eastern Ukraine. The talks, mediated by France and Germany, will focus on implementing the Minsk accords — agreements drawn up ...

More and more onsen (hot-spring baths) have been popping up in urban areas of Osaka Prefecture, reflecting their popularity among foreign visitors hoping to experience Japanese culture and residents looking for places to relax. Both new and existing facilities at hotels and spas are fighting ...

In late November, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) gave the green light for restarting the No. 2 reactor at Tohoku Electric Power Co.'s Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture, which had been damaged in the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. The announcement once again ...

The expansion was propelled by capital investment and individual consumption ahead of the Oct. 1 consumption tax hike.

SoftBank Group Corp.'s massive investment in WeWork triggered a multibillion-dollar write-down and a rare apology from founder Masayoshi Son. But one analyst argues the deal is likely to work in the end and SoftBank will have the "last laugh." Chris Lane of Sanford C. Bernstein ...

Prosecutors on Monday asked a court to sentence a 23-year-old man to life in prison over a random knife attack aboard a bullet train last year that left one person dead and two others injured. Ichiro Kojima began planning the June 9 attack three months ...

First it was Japan. Then Europe. Now investors are scanning the world for the next outbreak of stagnant inflation and tumbling yields. The malaise of "Japanification" burst into the mainstream this year, leaving in its wake a record amount of negative-yielding debt. Quantitative easing and ...

Funeral services will be held Wednesday in Fukuoka. Japanese police will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death and launch an investigation into his murder.

A sharply dressed crowd of singles shuffle awkwardly around conference-room tables, exchanging small talk and CVs in an attempt to find a marriage partner — all of them accompanied by their parents. One 38-year-old woman, who declined to give her name, said she "didn't have ...

The United States has shown approval toward Japan's plan to have Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visit the country, according to diplomatic sources, as Tehran is seeking to break a deadlock over a nuclear deal with world powers. Washington has also urged Tokyo to share the ...

The Daijokyu halls, where imperial enthronement-related rites were performed last month, drew 782,081 visitors during the 18 days between Nov. 21 and Sunday when the site was open to the public. The number rose sharply from 439,780 visitors also over 18 days on the previous ...

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he risks losing "everything" through hostility toward the United States, a day after Pyongyang said it had carried out a major new weapons test. "Kim Jong Un is too smart and ...

Hundreds of smaller think tanks and personal offices — essentially small to medium-sized enterprises — around the country may hold the key for Japan's rebirth.

Let's hope that Washington has enough wisdom to keep Ukraine, Turkey and South Korea on our side.

Innovative traffic and transportation management strategies are being developed to handle the surge in travelers and traffic during the games and the various trial events.

Sapporo proposed on Monday an additional supplementary budget of ¥700 million ($6.5 million) to its city assembly for road repair expenses, in preparation for the 2020 Olympic marathon and race walk events that were confirmed last month to be relocated to the city from ...

Just over five years ago, Yokohama F. Marinos showed their faith in then-22-year-old Teruhito Nakagawa when they announced they would sign the Senshu University attacker to a pro contract, less than two weeks after he had severely damaged his right knee on the pitch. Following ...

An AC Milan supporter was stabbed outside Bologna's stadium on Sunday in a fight over who had caught a players' shorts, according to media reports in Italy. The dispute broke out between the two visiting fans after Milan players threw shirts and shorts into the ...

Kohei Arihara wants to pitch in the major leagues in the near future. Haruki Nishikawa wants to make the move as well. Hayato Sakamoto doesn't want to, but he had to address it all the same. Welcome to Japanese baseball's new normal — where the ...