A national opinion poll conducted over the weekend showed 58.4 percent of voters are opposed to the dispatch of a Maritime Self-Defense Force unit to the Middle East.

Some people will shudder at Hiroki Enno's idea of a "social experiment," yet he believes the project could someday benefit society as a whole. The 28-year-old CEO of Plasma Inc., a Tokyo-based IT company, is paying participants in exchange for allowing him to film their ...

A volcano near Manila spewed a massive cloud of ash into the sky on Sunday, forcing the precautionary evacuation of thousands of residents, authorities said. Government seismologists recorded magma moving toward the crater of Taal, one of the country's most active volcanoes located 65 kilometers ...

China's navy commissioned its biggest and most advanced surface warship yet, the Nanchang guided-missile destroyer, on Sunday morning in the port city of Qingdao, state media reported. Observers say the commissioning of China's first 10,000-ton-class Type 055 destroyer, which is expected to accompany aircraft carriers ...

Iran's admission that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 aboard, has provoked international outrage and triggered protests against Iranian authorities in Tehran and other cities, including one in which Britain's ambassador was detained. In what President Hassan Rouhani called a "disastrous mistake," ...

Japanese teachers are taking lessons learned from the 1995 earthquake that devastated the city of Kobe 25 years ago next Friday and using them as part of an effort form disaster relief teams across the nation. The first was launched in 2000 in Hyogo Prefecture, ...

With the sky outside a menacing red, Nerilie Abram's family is staying indoors with the windows shut and curtains drawn at their home in Canberra, Australia's smoke-choked capital. On their return from recent holiday travels, "the kids didn't want us to open the curtains because ...

After weeks of criticism over the handling of the bush fires scorching Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday, when the fires claimed another firefighter's life, that he will propose a national review into the response to the disaster. With the Australian bush burning for ...

Chinese state media have accused Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen of "dirty tactics" and cheating after she was re-elected with a landslide victory in a stunning rebuke of Beijing's campaign to isolate the self-ruled island. Tsai, who has pitched herself as a defender of liberal democratic ...

The Brazilian government will propose legalizing oil and gas exploration as well as hydroelectric dam construction on indigenous land, a report said Saturday, citing a draft of a bill to be sent to Congress. Opening up protected native territory was a key campaign pledge for ...

Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, said he's "not thinking" of staying on as ruling party leader beyond the end of his current term in September 2021. Some in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have called for Abe to continue for a fourth straight term ...

Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn’s decision to flee to Lebanon effectively ended his legal prosecution in Japan, leaving former Nissan executive Greg Kelly at the center of the sprawling case.

The United States and China have agreed to resume semiannual talks on economic and trade issues, according to a published report. These discussions had been conducted in previous administrations but were halted by the Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the resumption ...

Fears are growing in Taipei that Japan might agree with Beijing on a new political document effectively expressing its support for China’s strategy toward what it regards as a wayward province.

Iran's acknowledgement that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people, raises new challenges for the Islamic Republic both externally amid tensions with the U.S. and internally as it deals with growing discontent from its people. The country did itself no favors by having ...

Businesses in Japan are gearing up to take the opportunity of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics this summer to boost their presence and expand sales.

At first glance, things seem to be getting better for Japanese women. In an economy that's historically lagged other developed nations when it comes to female workforce participation, a record 71 percent are now employed, an 11 point leap over a decade ago. The government boasts ...

In Taiwan's presidential election Saturday, young people, who are favorably disposed toward Japan, may have been one of the major contributors to the re-election of incumbent Tsai Ing-wen. They are enthusiastic about Japanese pop culture such as anime, comic books, music and TV dramas. Moreover, ...

More civil servants are taking second jobs amid the nationwide labor crunch, with some municipalities giving the green light for side jobs that contribute to society. Municipal and prefectural governments issued 41,669 approvals in 2018 allowing employees to take additional jobs, according to the internal ...

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory on Saturday as voters delivered a stunning rebuke of Beijing's campaign to isolate the self-ruled island and handed its first female leader a second term. Tsai, 63, was greeted by thousands of jubilant flag-waving supporters outside her ...

From "one team" to "unity in diversity."

Labour leadership candidates are still having to preach the left-wing gospel despite the party's stunning loss in last month's election.

The company's new safety filter to reduce high-tech doctored media is has big holes

Ambassador of Norway Inga Nyhamar is delighted to be in Tokyo. Yet there are times when the Trondheim native, who grew up with swathes of forest on her university-town doorstep, itches to escape "civilization" and reconnect with the great outdoors.

Kento Momota, the world's No. 1 men's badminton player, opened his year by winning the Malaysia Masters on Sunday. Momota beat Denmark's Viktor Axelsen 24-22, 21-11 in the men's singles final to win his first title of the year ahead of this summer's Tokyo Olympics. ...

Federica Brignone won a World Cup Alpine combined event on Sunday after most top racers including Mikaela Shiffrin failed to complete a tricky opening super-G run. Shiffrin skied out midway down in the morning for her first failure to finish a race in almost two ...

Portuguese motorbike rider Paulo Goncalves has died after a crash during Sunday's Dakar Rally seventh stage, organizers announced. The 40-year-old suffered the fatal accident after 276 km of the day's ride from Riyadh to Wadi Al Dawasir. "The organizers received an alert at 10:08 (0708 GMT) ...

After achieving one of their goals for this season, the Sunrockers Shibuya are now moving on to shoot for the second: the B. League championship. After capturing the team's second All-Japan Championship title with a 78-73 win over the Kawasaki Brave Thunders at Saitama Super ...

Rowan, an anglicization of the Irish O Ruadhain, isn't a name widely found in sport. Indeed, apart from a South African cricketer active from the 1930s to 1950s, you'd be hard pressed to find any noteworthy athletes with the name. A few journeymen soccer and baseball ...

The Sunrockers Shibuya are back on top of Japanese basketball for the first time in five years. The Tokyo side claimed the Emperor's Cup title on Sunday with a nail-biting 78-73 win over the Kawasaki Brave Thunders in the All-Japan Championship final at Saitama Super ...

The 2019-2020 Japan Rugby Top League season kicked off Sunday with a plethora of world superstars and Rugby World Cup winners playing in front of big crowds across the nation. The season was pushed back five months to accommodate last year's World Cup and will ...

Hakuho started his pursuit for a record-extending 44th career championship on a winning note on Sunday, while fellow yokozuna Kakuryu suffered a shocking defeat on the opening day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. Hakuho seized komusubi Daieisho's belt with his right hand following ...

Serena Williams broke a three-year title drought when she beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to win the singles final at the ASB Classic. Williams hadn't won a title since the Australian Open singles in January, 2017, and not since she became ...

Australian Open organizers said Saturday that U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet have withdrawn due to knee injuries. "The Australian Open is unfortunately too soon in my rehab process and I sadly will not be able to play in ...

With a "2019 World Series Champions" patch stitched onto the right sleeve of his white Washington Nationals jersey, and his eyes — one brown, one blue — open wide, Max Scherzer made it clear as clear can be Saturday that his neck is just ...

With his bright red shoes and relentless running, Derrick Henry grabbed the spotlight and wouldn't let go. When he was done leading Tennessee into the AFC championship game Saturday night, he did a lengthy victory lap around the Baltimore Ravens' home, slapping hands and taking ...

By gaining redemption for one of the darkest days in its history, Southampton succeeded in pushing record-breaking Liverpool even closer to its first English league title in 30 years. A 2-1 win at Leicester on Saturday gave Southampton a measure of revenge for its humiliating ...

Jimmy Garoppolo threw a TD pass on his opening drive as a playoff starter and then watched San Francisco's defense and running game take over from there in the 49ers' 27-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round Saturday. The Niners' (14-3) first ...