A former top bureaucrat at the farm ministry admitted Wednesday to killing his socially reclusive son, during the first day of his high-profile trial in Tokyo. Hideaki Kumazawa, 76, who once served as vice minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is on ...

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday defended her country's treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority during testimony at the International Court of Justice, countering claims that they have been subjected to genocide. Suu Kyi said claims made the previous day at the ICJ ...

By sexual orientation, 2.8 percent of those polled said they were bisexual, 1.4 percent said they questioned their sexuality, while 0.9 percent described themselves each as either asexual or gay.

The confidence index covering firms capitalized at ¥1 billion or more stood at minus 6.2 in the fourth quarter of 2019, sharply down from 1.1 in the previous quarter.

The government leans toward reviewing its current plan to deploy the U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system in the city of Akita due to strong local opposition.

Two hotels, with a total of more than 1,700 rooms, will be built in Tokyo at Haneda Airport, according to Sumitomo Realty and Development Co. Sumitomo said Tuesday a large-scale multipurpose development complex connected to the airport, comprising the hotels, shopping areas and an open-air ...

The funeral of Tetsu Nakamura, the Japanese physician and devoted aid worker who was killed last week in Afghanistan, was held in his home prefecture of Fukuoka on Wednesday. "He was a great global figure the school was proud of," said Shunsuke Takenaka, 74, who ...

Bougainville has voted by a landslide for independence from Papua New Guinea, according to official referendum results released Wednesday, a major step toward creating the world's newest nation. Bertie Ahern, chairman of the Bougainville Referendum Commission, said 176,928 people — 98 percent of voters — ...

The retired lawmaker is in a stable condition after being shot by a suspect in his 80s, who immediately turned himself into police.

Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso says Abe should not leave his successor the task of revising the supreme law, which proponents of revision say will clarify the status of the SDF.

China's once-in-a-generation car slump is hobbling carmakers around the globe that placed their bets on what is the world's biggest auto market. But one group is weathering the slowdown unscathed: Japanese automakers. Iconic car companies like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. are increasing ...

China said Tuesday that its investigative process has wrapped up for two Canadians detained in the communist country over vague espionage-related charges, hinting at the possibility of trials, exactly one year since they were first arrested. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have ...

Scientist Akira Yoshino accepted the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Tuesday at a ceremony in Sweden for his contribution to the development of lithium-ion batteries. The 71-year-old received the medal and diploma from Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf in the ceremony at the Stockholm Concert ...

The melting of Greenland's massive ice sheet is happening much faster than expected and could put millions more people at risk by the end of the century, scientists warned Tuesday. Up to 3 km thick (2 miles) in some places, Greenland has lost 3.8 trillion ...

The prime minister's leadership proved key to the broader evolution of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

The region is facing a host of shared challenges from maritime piracy and crime to heated territorial disputes.

Music historian Kato David Hopkins is using his Happy Hour event in Kyoto to educate people about some of the lesser-known bands of the Kansai underground scene of years gone by

Mina Perhonen's emotive approach to fashion highlights artisanship, eco-friendliness and our natural desire to connect and remember the past.

The International Paralympic Committee and Japan's public broadcaster NHK will team up to produce an official documentary film of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, the organizers said Wednesday. NHK, formally called Japan Broadcasting Corp., will first broadcast the documentary before the IPC releases it in ...

Mana Iwabuchi, Mina Tanaka and Mayu Ikejiri netted a pair of goals each as Nadeshiko Japan started the EAFF E-1 Women's Football Championship final round with a 9-0 rout of Taiwan on Wednesday. World No. 10 Japan dominated every facet of the game at Busan ...

Sunday's J. League Awards should have been an opportunity for the league and its promotional team to take a victory lap after a 2019 season that shattered attendance records and drew unprecedented interest from overseas. Instead, it demonstrated a stunning lapse in the league's understanding ...

For young men with Japanese nationality, joining sumo can be as easy as knocking on a stable door, sending an email, or picking up the phone. Sumo is very likely the only sport in the world where virtually anyone can try their hand at being ...

Members of Japan's men's national rugby team marched through Tokyo's Marunouchi Naka-dori street on Wednesday in a parade held to express appreciation for the support they received from fans during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Even though its been over a month since the end ...

Meditation may be one way to care for your mental health, but for those who would rather find their own version of peace and serenity through punches and kicks, a Tokyo gym owner might have the answer. Former world champion kickboxer Akeomi Nitta says that, ...

Teenage prodigy Ansu Fati became the youngest player to score a Champions League goal as a second-string Barcelona side beat Inter Milan 2-1 to send the Italians crashing out of the competition on Tuesday. The 17-year-old Guinea-Bissau-born attacker picked up a Luis Suarez cross to ...