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 ...

Restaurant operator Kirin City Co. will introduce a new service that allows customers to place orders and make payments using smartphones, according to parent Kirin Holdings Co. The service will be introduced at Craft Marche by Kirin City, a craft beer restaurant to be opened ...

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During the course of the session two ministers resigned, a plan for reforming college English-language tests was withdrawn and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was accused of breaching election campaign laws.

Xiaomi Corp., the world's fourth-largest maker of smartphones, is entering the Japanese market, embarking on a quest to win the hearts of iPhone-loving Japanese consumers. Though late in joining the game, the timing may end up working well for the Beijing-based firm known for producing ...

Kim Il Sung University set up specialist Japanese language and literature courses in the spring of 2017, it was learned Saturday from the university. The training course for Japanese researchers was established at the prestigious institution in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, at a ...

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 ...

The European Union's biggest business leaders threw their weight behind a plan to make the bloc climate-neutral, a commitment that could be adopted at a leaders' summit this week. "Europe has the technology and the political will to take the lead in transitioning towards a ...

Thousands of firefighters burned grassland in eastern Australia on Monday in a desperate bid to starve an anticipated new front of wildfires of fuel before forecast searing temperatures Tuesday. More than 100 fires are ablaze in New South Wales and Victoria states, many of which ...

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 ...

The current account surplus rose 38.0 percent in October from a year earlier, as imports dropped faster than exports amid falling crude oil prices and the prolonged U.S.-China trade conflict, government data showed Monday. The surplus came to ¥1.82 trillion, marking the 64th straight month ...

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.

Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto, known for its "Konotori no Yurikago" (storks' cradle) baby hatch, will start a program allowing women to give birth while keeping their names secret, a senior official has said. The hospital decided on the move after making little ...

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.

Messaging app provider Line Corp. on Monday started a new service that allows users to transfer money to bank accounts via its smartphone payment platform, a first for Japan in a crowded market. Other mobile payment service providers in the country have enabled transfers between ...

Tighter government climate regulations by 2025 could wipe up to $2.3 trillion off the value of companies in industries ranging from fossil fuel producers to agriculture and carmakers, an investor group warned in a report. Rules aimed at lowering carbon emissions are expected to accelerate ...

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 ...

French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and senior Cabinet ministers were due to meet late Sunday to discuss the government's proposed pensions reforms as public transport in France was crippled for a fourth day running in protest. The country's powerful labor unions, who ...

SoftBank Group Corp. has scaled back ambitions for its second Vision Fund after the failure of big bets, including WeWork, by its first fund rattled partners such as Saudi Arabia, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The second Vision Fund is expected to fall significantly short ...

Two adventurers have successfully crossed the Arctic Ocean on skis after persevering through brutal conditions, briefly running out of food, and struggling to traverse thin ice caused by global warming, their team said on Sunday. South African-born Swiss Mike Horn, 53, and Borge Ousland of ...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was nervous about his narrowing lead in opinion polls ahead of Thursday's election but pledged to deliver a "transformative" Brexit that will allow lower immigration. The Dec. 12 election will decide the fate of Brexit and the world's ...

Thailand will delay the deportation of the wife and children of the top commander of the Arakan Army insurgent group that is fighting Myanmar's army while authorities carry out a full investigation, Thai officials said on Sunday. Hnin Zar Phyu, 38, the wife of Maj. ...

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 ...