A year ago, the big news story in Japan was former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn languishing in a jail cell while the media discussed whether he should be there, thus sparking an overdue discussion about the country's so-called hostage justice system. It was a ...

For their final issues of December, the weeklies — their covers trimmed in gold color (except for the Sunday Mainichi, which came out in yellow-orange) — typically publish two-week bumper issues with extra pages. This gives many of them leeway to write about lots ...

Last year was all about looking back. Between the end of the Heisei Era (1989-2019) and the decade coming to a close, people appeared to go to extra lengths to reflect on the recent and not-so-recent past (this column included). Now that we’ve entered ...

More than 1,600 people were confirmed killed and some 1,000 others listed as missing in the most catastrophic earthquake to hit the Kansai region in nearly 50 years.

Former Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya denies receiving about ¥1 million in cash from a Chinese gambling operator involved in a suspected casino-bribery case.

Lebanon is unlikely to hand over former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Japan after he jumped bail and fled Tokyo where he was facing trial for alleged financial misconduct.

Swedish teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg pledged to continue her fight this year for measures to curb climate change and expressed hope that, given the opportunity, she may visit Japan. In an interview Friday the 17-year-old said she remains "determined ... to have an impact ...

In October, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani met with his Iraqi Shiite militia allies at a villa on the banks of the Tigris River, looking across at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Revolutionary Guards commander instructed his top ally in Iraq, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and ...

Eyeing a new digital society where a variety of data will be better utilized for people's lives and industrial activities, Japan and India have stepped up cooperation in the area of digital infrastructure. The two countries are particularly focusing on sharing information on the development ...

Honda Motor Co. is preparing to become the first Japanese automaker to launch a vehicle with Level 3 autonomous driving.

Two people have died and a national park has been almost totally destroyed on Australia's tourist haven of Kangaroo Island, authorities said Saturday. Devastating conditions overnight helped flames rip through the island's Flinders Chase National Park and threaten more heavily populated areas of the island. Two ...

A skeleton found by hikers this fall near California's second-highest peak was identified Friday as a Japanese American artist who had left the Manzanar internment camp to paint in the mountains in the waning days of World War II. The Inyo County sheriff used DNA ...

Nissan's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who skipped bail and turned up in Lebanon, was last seen on surveillance video leaving his Tokyo home alone, presumably to board his getaway plane. Although the security cameras at his home were on 24 hours, the footage was only ...

An adviser to a Chinese gambling operator that is under investigation for allegedly bribing lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto, formerly a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, over a casino resort project, has told investigators that the company also gave cash to another five lawmakers, a ...

Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who skipped bail and fled to Beirut, is due to be summoned by Lebanon’s public prosecutor next week for questioning.

Nearly 175,000 people remain displaced in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta and nearby towns on Saturday after flash floods and landslides killed at least 53 people amid some of the heaviest rain since records began, authorities said. "The death toll has risen to 53 people, with ...

President Donald Trump's lawyers asked a judge Friday to throw out an advice columnist's defamation lawsuit over his response to her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s. Trump's lawyers argue E. Jean Carroll's suit can't go forward in a New York state court ...

The Tokyo District Court let Carlos Ghosn post bail last March, overruling prosecutors' objections that he was a flight risk. After all, how could one of the most recognizable foreign people in the country flee while under round-the-clock surveillance? As the world learned this week, ...

The rise of the streaming-video leader has spurred a rash of mergers that are transforming the industry.

As an 'artistic emissary for the Japanese government, pianist and composer Motoki Hirai travels the world to promote Japanese culture and heal hearts with music.

Few people associate Japan with artisanal cheese. But since the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement came into effect last year, Japanese cheese is gaining a global reputation for quality and innovative use of terroir.

Today, Jeffrey Montgomery's mingei (folk crafts) collection is well-known among international dealers and many of his pieces are of a quality rarely seen today, even in Japan; some are unique.

The first meal of the year is always important. When it's the first of the decade, though, it surely takes on even weightier significance. So what's it to be? Fine dining or casual? Traditional or contemporary? Homegrown Japanese, something from overseas or perhaps some ...

In Japan, mugicha (barley tea) is a ubiquitous and generally unremarkable drink. But for Janice Ishizaka, CEO and cofounder of The Canadian Barley Tea Company, the drink's lack of appreciation represents an opportunity to create a new, healthy, made-in-Canada beverage.

How do you make Year of the Rat-themed sweets adorable? Look to the mouse, of course.

A new decade brings a whole host of translations from prize-winning Japanese authors and books about Japan, from detective fiction to geopolitical studies.

In this grand year of Olympic celebration, here are the books that view sport authentically, acknowledging both the very best and worst of humanity.

Jose Mourinho on Friday said Tottenham will be "intelligent" in the January transfer window and there will be no quick fixes at the Premier League club. Mourinho has repeatedly said that he will not be overhauling his squad this month and that any business could ...

Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday, bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career that included a World Twenty20 triumph. The 35-year-old left-arm seamer played 29 tests, 120 one dayers and 24 T20Is for India, picking ...

The Kawasaki Brave Thunders built a big lead in the first half on Saturday against the visiting Toyama Grouses. In the second half, they never let the Grouses chip away at that lead. The result? An 83-60 victory. Kawasaki (24-3) rolled to its 16th consecutive win with ...

Gael Monfils secured France's first victory at the ATP Cup, rallying from a break down in the second set and saving three breakpoints as he served for the match in a 6-3, 7-5 win over Cristian Garin. Benoite Paire opened the Group A encounter against ...

Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke is projected to be the top quarterback taken in the Canadian Football League draft this spring. He's pretty good at the American collegiate version, too. Rourke, from Oakville, Ontario, accounted for 231 yards of offense and ran for a touchdown to ...

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne's stellar summer reached a new peak with his first double century before New Zealand showed great resolve on a deteriorating Sydney Cricket Ground pitch to battle its way to 63 without loss on the second day of the third test. Labuschagne scored ...

When Rick Welts bought his first home in California he eagerly invited his boss at the time, then-NBA commissioner David Stern, over to show it off. So Stern visited. Predictably, he told Welts everything that was wrong with the place. Welts, now the president of the ...

Ilya Samsonov isn't playing like a rookie. He isn't playing like a backup, either. Samsonov made 18 of his 38 saves in the first period, and the Washington Capitals edged the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Friday night. "We allowed them to get the momentum, and he ...

Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is convinced James Harden operates on a different level than most players, especially after his latest dazzling performance. Harden had 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Rockets to a 118-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on ...

Yoshihito Nishioka thrashed higher-ranked Pablo Cuevas with a 6-0, 6-1 rout, as injury-hit Japan made a statement against Uruguay on the second day of the inaugural ATP Cup Saturday. Japan suffered major blows before the 24-team event with the withdrawals of injured star Kei Nishikori ...

Christian McCaffrey's versatility and superb statistics helped him to a rare double: The Carolina Panthers running back has made The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team at two positions. McCaffrey rushed for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching a phenomenal 116 passes for 1,005 yards ...

Tottenham striker Harry Kane sustained a tear in his left hamstring muscle during the 1-0 loss at Southampton, the Premier League club said Friday. Tottenham did not give a timescale for Kane's absence, only saying: "Our medical staff will continue to review the injury with ...

Pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani should bat more often for the Los Angeles Angels when he returns from two major operations, new Angels manager Joe Maddon said. Maddon, who in 2016 guided the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908, spent ...