What was once thought limited to the realm of animation is set to become reality in Yokohama this fall when an 18-meter mobile Gundam robot steps into action. Fans of the iconic anime series will be able to get an up-close look at the 25-ton ...

Major restaurant chain operator Skylark Holdings Co. said Monday it will end around-the-clock operations by April due to a labor shortage and falling demand for such services. The operator of restaurant chains such as Gusto and Jonathan's will also shorten late night operating hours at ...

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday vowed to tackle "outstanding issues" between Japan and China to clear the way for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for this spring. Both countries "share a great responsibility to ensure the peace and prosperity of ...

If Iran's nuclear file is sent to the United Nations Security Council, then Iran will withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday, according to the official IRNA news agency. "If the Europeans continue their improper behavior or send ...

Highly sensitive information on defense, electricity or other infrastructure operations, however, was not breached, the company said.

The prime minister Monday focused his speech on foreign policy, delivering a notable change in phrasing regarding South Korea.

The World Wildlife Fund expressed concern Monday over standards set for commodity procurement by the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying that they are "inappropriate." In a statement, the WWF said it was "deeply concerned" that the organizing committee produced "protocols ...

Every month, a unique event is held at a temple in Saitama Prefecture to help people get a better understanding of visual impairment by having them walk through the temple wearing eye masks and depend more on their senses of hearing and smell. The event ...

Moments before launching into his raucous news conference in Beirut earlier this month, Carlos Ghosn was enthusiastically greeted by a throng of local journalists who crowded around his lectern, taking turns to embrace the fallen automotive titan and snapping souvenir selfies. Ghosn happily returned the ...

A majority of people around the world believe capitalism in its current form is doing more harm than good, a survey found ahead of this week's Davos meeting of business and political leaders. This year was the first time the Edelman Trust Barometer, which for ...

In an honor usually reserved for presidents, the U.S. Navy said Sunday that it would name a future Ford-class aircraft carrier after Doris "Dorie" Miller, the African American mess attendant who heroically leapt into combat — despite limited training — during Japan's surprise attack ...

A fire drill was held Monday at the World Heritage-listed Yakushiji temple in the city of Nara. The practice was held following a blaze that destroyed several buildings at Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, last year. Ahead of the country's Cultural Property Fire Prevention Day, ...

Toshiba Machine Co.'s share price soared Monday after the company said Japan's best-known activist investor, Yoshiaki Murakami, plans a tender offer. The stock jumped as much as 19 percent, to ¥3,700, in Tokyo for the biggest intraday gain since October 2008. Toshiba Machine said late ...

Shin Kyuk-ho, a wartime migrant to Japan who returned home to build a little-known chewing-gum maker into the Lotte Group, South Korea's biggest retailer, has died. He was 97. Shin had been hospitalized in Seoul for various age-related symptoms and died Sunday at 4:29 p.m., ...

Nomura Holdings Inc. plans to hire dozens of private bankers in Hong Kong and Singapore in a bid to extend its wealth management push from Japan and mainland China to the rest of Asia. The Tokyo-based firm, which has already outlined aggressive plans for China, ...

At least $1 trillion of investment in new fuel technology is needed to enable the shipping industry to meet U.N. targets for cuts in carbon emissions by 2050, a study published on Monday showed. The global shipping fleet, which accounts for 2.2 percent of the ...

Opposition parties are set to grill the government over the controversial handling of public documents pertaining to a state-funded cherry blossom-viewing party as well.

As part of efforts to alleviate a labor shortage in the elderly care sector, the welfare ministry plans to extend to fiscal 2026 special transitional measures that grant graduates of care courses provisional certification without the need to pass a national exam, ministry sources ...

Japan is accelerating efforts to improve access to accommodations and transport for the Paralympics, but people with disabilities are questioning whether enough is being done. While the games are being touted as a chance to create a more inclusive society, 66 percent of respondents to ...

Japan has the 15th highest level of social mobility in the world, according to a report published Monday by the World Economic Forum. Ranking highest among Asian countries, Japan scored high marks for educational and work opportunities. However, its rating was pushed down by low ...

The agriculture ministry will propose a new law aimed at preventing the smuggling to other countries of genetic materials, such as fertilized eggs and semen, related to wagyu cattle. The envisioned law allows requests for injunctions against improper trading of such genetic materials and, if ...

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's government again pushed back on a key demand of protesters as a downtown rally turned violent, showing the unrest that began last June still has no end in sight. In a lengthy statement Sunday, a government spokesman recapped failed ...

Like others approaching middle age, the World Economic Forum turns 50 insisting it has matured, that it has moved on from hard partying and wants more meaningful relationships. The focus for this week's annual meeting in Davos will be as much on hearing from climate ...

World leaders are to travel to Israel this week to mark 75 years since the Red Army liberated Auschwitz, the extermination camp where the Nazis killed over a million Jews. It is set to be one of the most important events ever organized by the ...

China's top economic planner said it would cut the production and use of plastic over the next five years, helping reduce one of the world's biggest sources of plastic pollution. By the end of this year, nondegradable plastic bags will be banned in places such ...

BBritain’s Prince Harry spoke on Sunday of his sadness at being forced to give up his royal duties in a deal with Queen Elizabeth II and senior Windsors that will see him and his wife, Meghan, exit official roles to seek an independent future. Buckingham ...

A search and rescue operation for the four South Korean trekkers and three Nepali guides missing after being struck by an avalanche in northwest Nepal could take weeks due to bad weather, rescuers said on Sunday. The area of Friday's disaster lies along the popular ...

Climate activists set off on a three-day hike from Landquart in eastern Switzerland to the ski resort of Davos on Sunday to draw attention to global warming at the World Economic Forum this week. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the center of Landquart, ready to ...

U.S. electric car pioneer Tesla has agreed to buy a property on the outskirts of Berlin, bringing it a step closer to opening its first European factory, local authorities said on Sunday. The U.S. carmaker last November announced plans to build a giant factory in ...

Ideally Japan's think tanks should be able to help steer the best and brightest young people into government service.

The longstanding academic debate over reputation and foreign policy is having real-world effects.

As Japan's ama (female divers) numbers dwindle, younger divers strive to find ways to pass down the culture.

From horizontal vases to panty-clad glasses, Japan's handmade market can offer some extraordinary gift ideas for Valentine's Day.

Non-Japanese residents face a pretty high chance of being randomly stopped by the police. Make sure you know your rights ahead of time.

Police harassment is a fact of life for some people in Japan, which makes the occasional flash of progress all the more rewarding.

Australian tennis great Margaret Court said she was being "persecuted" for her beliefs on Monday after criticism of her anti-gay views overshadowed 50th-anniversary celebrations of her 1970 Grand Slam. The 77-year-old, now a church pastor, urged the media to focus on her tennis and not ...

Yokozuna Hakuho's incredible 43 championships, 15 perfect titles and numerous other records and achievements rightly see him often referred to as the greatest rikishi in the history of sumo. Comparing eras is hard enough in sports that have only been around since the 1800s. Trying ...

Rank-and-filer Shodai snapped a seven-bout losing streak against ozeki Takakeisho on Monday to leave himself in a two-way tie for the lead at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. Shodai (8-1), chasing his first top-division title, brushed aside one of his overnight co-leaders after Takakeisho ...