Two men believed to be ringleaders of a large-scale phone scam based in Thailand were arrested Thursday in Japan, bringing the total number of those arrested in the case to 28. Kengo Yasutake, 36, and Shimpei Hirata, 34, are suspected of sending instructions to a ...

As Kobe commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake that took the lives of more than 6,400 people, the city and region are working to remind younger generations of the past devastation — and the importance of disaster-preparedness — even as they ...

The Financial Services Agency decided Thursday to reduce compulsory automobile liability insurance premiums from April. The move reflects the improved finances of the insurance program as wider use of vehicle safety devices such as automatic braking systems contribute to a decline in the number of ...

Nissan Motor Co. may stop placing former executives in advisory posts as part of an overhaul to its corporate governance practices following the ousting of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn, sources said Wednesday. The possible abolition of the komon adviser and sōdanyaku consultant posts is aimed ...

The sneakers have helped elite runners shatter records since their release.

Two Air Self-Defense Force planes arrived at an air base on the outskirts of Sydney on Thursday to assist in fighting unprecedented and deadly bush fires across the country. ASDF Col. Masashi Ota, who is leading the mission, told reporters upon arrival that he is ...

Disaster prevention initiatives with entertaining twists are becoming popular as the nation marks a quarter century since the Great Hanshin Earthquake on Friday. The citizen-led "fun disaster" programs seek to pass on the lessons of solidarity and mutual assistance learned from the 1995 quake that ...

A secret operation by specialist firefighters has saved the world's last stand of Wollemi pines, a prehistoric species known as "dinosaur trees," from Australia's unprecedented bush fires, officials said. Fewer than 200 of the trees exist in the wild, hidden in a gorge in the ...

China will boost spending on U.S. products in exchange for rolling back of some tariffs under an initial trade deal signed by the world's two largest economies Wednesday, defusing an 18-month row but leaving numerous thorny issues unresolved. Beijing and Washington touted the "phase one" ...

A 69-year-old man who has dedicated his time since the 1995 Kobe earthquake to visiting and listening to people affected by the disaster is ready to hand his mission over to younger generations. "The most important thing is to continue connecting," said Shuichi Maki, head ...

Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai are suspected of having paid 13 female campaign announcers a daily allowance of ¥30,000, double the amount permitted by law.

Kubota Corp. said Wednesday it will release a rice-planting machine with automated driving functions in October. The aim of the first such machine in the industry is to reduce the burden on farmers by reducing the need for manpower in the process of planting rice. ...

w/cap

A draft ordinance designed to curb internet and video game addiction among children and teenagers in Kagawa Prefecture has sparked controversy, as it seeks to restrict daily smartphone usage for those under 18 to 60 minutes on weekdays. If it comes into effect in April ...

Toyota Motor Co. is investing $394 million (¥43.3 billion) in Joby Aviation, one of a handful of companies working toward the seemingly implausible goal of making electric air taxis that shuttle people over gridlocked highways and city streets. Toyota is the lead investor in Joby's ...

Emperor Naruhito expressed his hope for a bright future for children in his poem recited Thursday at the first New Year's Poetry Reading Ceremony held since he ascended to the chrysanthemum throne last year. The theme of this year's waka poems was nozomi (hope). Empress Masako, ...

The French president felt the conditions of Carlos Ghosn’s detention and interrogation by Tokyo prosecutors were substandard.

A Chinese national in his 30s who lives in Kanagawa Prefecture tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said.

President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for "unity" and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run, after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner. The Kyiv-bound Boeing 737 was shot down in a catastrophic error ...

A microorganism scooped up in deep-sea mud off Japan's coast has helped scientists unlock the mystery of one of the watershed evolutionary events for life on Earth: the transition from the simple cells that first colonized the planet to complex cellular life — fungi, ...

Tesla Inc. bears won't let anyone steal the title for the most-shorted stock. Not even Apple Inc. A parabolic spike in shares of the electric carmaker hasn't stopped short sellers from betting the stock will go down. They drove the total dollar amount of shares ...

T-Mobile US Inc.'s bid to buy wireless rival Sprint Corp. is in a judge's hands after the companies made their final plea for him to reject a state lawsuit seeking to block the deal. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in New York heard closing arguments ...

The U.N.'s top court said Wednesday it will deliver its decision next week on whether emergency measures should be imposed on Myanmar over alleged genocide against its Rohingya Muslims. The ruling comes a month after Myanmar's civilian leader and Nobel peace laureate, Aung San Suu ...

Business chiefs on Wednesday insisted they are not waiting on bickering governments to fight climate change, after Wall Street titan BlackRock joined a campaign pressuring companies to do more in the buildup to a week of networking in Davos, Switzerland. Prior to the new decade's ...

When French trade unions declared a nationwide strike to protest against planned pension reforms, Nicolas, a 34-year-old maintenance technician with the Paris metro, went on strike for three straight weeks. Then he went back to work. "It was a financial thing," he said as he ...

Disaster response poses an ongoing challenge in this calamity-prone country.

New focus on preparedness instead of hasty recovery could be a model for the region.

Japan is a country that prides itself on focusing on the smallest details, so why do incorrect English translations plague signage across the country?

The winners of the prestigious Akutagawa and Naoki literary awards were selected Wednesday, with two novelists earning acclaim for their respective works about the past and present lives of a family in Kyushu and the history of the indigenous Ainu ethnic group in the ...

After more than 60 years of playing country music, and having staged numerous festivals in his native Kumamoto Prefecture, Charlie Nagatani shows no signs of stopping.

Anshul Chauhan's woman-in-crisis drama has won prizes at festivals in Japan and abroad, despite the director having never attended film school.

Takako Matsu reunites with director Shunji Iwai to play a middle-aged woman who exchanges letters with her late sister's high school flame.

Sergey Sokolovsky recently took the new recruit exam and, when he makes his competitive debut in March, the 22-year-old will become the first-ever Ukrainian in professional sumo. He won't be the first rikishi with a connection to the eastern European nation, however. The father of yokozuna ...

Shodai headlines a group of three men tied for the lead at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament after besting fellow rank-and-filer Hokutofuji on Thursday in a battle to remain undefeated. Coming off a day of rest, No. 2 maegashira Hokutofuji (4-1) had no response ...

The Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka have turned to Josep "Pep" Claros to orchestrate a turnaround for the struggling B2 club. It's another reclamation project for the well-traveled Spaniard, who was named the team's new coach on Tuesday. He replaces another Spaniard, Iurgi Caminos, who was in ...

Right-hander Shun Yamaguchi, the newest addition to the Toronto Blue Jays' pitching staff, said Wednesday that overcoming eastern Canada's cold weather will be his top priority as he competes for a rotation spot. After being introduced by Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins in a ...

Reigning Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka joined several other top players on Wednesday for a charity match to help relief efforts for the wildfires that have recently devastated large parts of Australia. The Australian Open's Rally for Relief event at Rod Laver Arena, where the ...

Kendrick Nunn was the last Miami player off the court at halftime, required to hang out for an extra minute or two in order to pick up his second Eastern Conference rookie of the month trophy. "Hopefully, I get some more," Nunn said. He's well on ...

Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald will return for a 17th season in the NFL after agreeing terms on a one-year extension, the franchise confirmed Wednesday. The 36-year-old Fitzgerald, who is second on the NFL's all-time receiving yards and receptions list behind Jerry Rice, ...

Kakuryu withdrew from the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Thursday, joining fellow yokozuna Hakuho on the sidelines due to injury. Kakuryu pulled out of the 15-day meet following his third loss the previous day against No. 1 maegashira Myogiryu. With both Mongolian-born grand champions out ...