Advocates for bar hostesses and sex workers have urged the government to reconsider its exclusion of them from compensation for parents unable to work because of school closures, noting they are among the most vulnerable members of society. A support group for such workers submitted ...

The start of this year's visa-free exchange program between Japan and Russia is set to be postponed amid the coronavirus crisis, Japanese government sources said Thursday. The Russian side is concerned that the new coronavirus could be brought to Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands covered by ...

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan has found 16 cases of sexual abuse against minors spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s in its internal probe of churches in the country, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The Tokyo-based organization has been investigating all ...

When it comes to declaring a state of emergency in Japan, having the authority to do so is one thing and using the power another. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making that clear as he hesitates to take the step despite alarm at rapid increases ...

As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the global and national economies, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party agreed Friday that the government will provide ¥300,000 in cash to each household suffering from falling incomes amid the spread of ...

Apple Inc. on Thursday told employees that its retail stores in the U.S. will remain closed and that work-from-home procedures will stay in place until early May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a memo to employees, Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail and People ...

Businesses are facing difficulty due to prolonged teleworking periods amid the spreading coronavirus outbreak, with such periods expected to continue longer due partly to an extended school shutdown in Tokyo. Meanwhile, parents are worried that extended school closures may deprive students of their right to ...

Toyota Motor Corp. on Friday suspended seven production lines at five domestic plants to adjust to weak global demand due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The decision marks the first time that Japan's biggest automaker has halted operations at domestic factories since the novel coronavirus ...

On one day in February, about 10 people gathered for a discussion hosted by Fukushima University students in the city to raise awareness on LGBT issues. "Let’s create a world where everyone can express (themselves) and be accepted for who they are," said one of ...

As the number of COVID-19 infections surge, especially in the Tokyo metropolitan area, many junior high schools in Aichi Prefecture have been forced to change their school trip schedules, which are typically held in the spring with third-year students traveling to the Kanto region, ...

Years after Japan made a cautious recovery from its long deflationary spell, the world's third-largest economy may be headed back into a cycle of falling prices as the coronavirus threatens a deep downturn and policymakers struggle for options. A return to deflation would be a ...

Anger at being confused with China amid the coronavirus outbreak and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty is stirring heated debate in Taiwan about how to further distance itself from its giant and often threatening neighbor. At its core is a debate about whether to ...

The total membership of yakuza crime syndicates in Japan decreased for the 15th straight year to hit a record low in 2019, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The total, including associates, came to 28,200 as of the end of 2019, down 2,300 from a ...

Scientists have detected a midsize black hole — considered the "missing link" in the understanding of these celestial brutes — eviscerating an unfortunate star that strayed too close. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and two X-ray observatories, the researchers determined that this black ...

Schoolkids in lockdown put home-made signs in their bedroom windows thanking brave doctors and nurses. Families stepped outside their front doors for a national round of applause. Public buildings lit up blue. Stores have offered discounts to hospital staff, and designated hours. They are hailed ...

The health ministry on Thursday updated for the first time in about two weeks its map showing clusters of new COVID-19 cases in the country. At the end of March, there were a total of 26 clusters in 14 of the nation's 47 prefectures — ...

Despite being battered by the March 11, 2011, massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, a total of 110 sake brewing companies continue to operate in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima in the Tohoku region. Young workers are bringing new life to the regional ...

The top court of Chile granted on Thursday a request by French prosecutors to extradite a man suspected of killing a Japanese student in France, where she went missing in 2016. French authorities suspect that Nicolas Zepeda Contreras, a 29-year-old Chilean man, murdered Narumi Kurosaki, ...

It was late on Sunday night when officials in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh received the alert. Federal authorities said they needed to track down more than 1,000 people linked to a large Muslim missionary gathering nearly 2,000 km away in the ...

During the coronavirus pandemic, it seems as if everyone is connecting with Zoom’s videoconferencing app — including, on occasion, unwanted visitors. Online trolls have been sneaking into web meetings and disrupting them with profanities and pornography for at least the better part of the last ...

With just one tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump conjured up the prospect of a global oil alliance to rescue the industry from the worst shock in history. The question is whether it evaporates just as quickly. After the president’s social-media intervention on Thursday, oil traders ...

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits soared to a record 6.65 million last week, a level unimaginable just a month ago. As states shut down commerce to prevent the deadly coronavirus from spreading, the weekly claims data have been among the first detailed ...

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths as the pandemic further exploded in the United States and the death toll climbed in Spain and Italy, according to a Reuters tally of official data. Italy had the most deaths, more ...

While Tokyo never wanted to see Brexit happen, it now has to make the most of it.

The resilience that helped the world rebound from the Great Recession will be needed again with COVID-19.

Governments must consider the psychological impact of COVID-19 containment measures.

Lockdown or no lockdown? Voluntary restraint or #juststayhome? Tokyo is teetering on the edge of uncertainty. We’re urged to avoid bars and nightclubs, live houses and pachinko parlors. But where does that leave restaurants? Two words: In crisis.

Craving a cold one while staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19? The Japan Times has you covered with 13 recommendations for where you can order craft beer delivered straight to your home.

We at The Japan Times have described “Terrace House” on multiple occasions as the ultimate show to help you unwind after a long day. That's mostly because there's none of the intense, emotionally triggering drama that other reality TV shows tend to rely on. Once ...

Japanese actress Aoi Mizuhara explores Asian family values in her debut Hollywood film, 'The Farewell,' which is set for release in Japan in April.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has all but shut down Japan's live music scene, innovative acts and labels are still reaching fans in the country.

The Japan Rugby Football Union announced Thursday the cancellation of this year's All-Japan Championship in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The season-ending championship, usually involving the top four sides from the Top League competition, was scheduled to take place over two weekends beginning on ...

The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which was scheduled to open May 10, will be postponed for two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japan Sumo Association decided Friday. The JSA's board of directors decided to delay the opening of the 15-day meet at Tokyo's ...

Soccer will be totally different when it eventually resumes after the coronavirus outbreak, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Thursday. "Football will come back, and when it does, we'll celebrate coming out of a nightmare together," he told the Italian news agency ANSA in an interview. "There ...

A Russian national boxing team coach has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home from Olympic qualifiers cut short in London last month. Anton Kadushin, who works with Gleb Bakshi, the 2019 world champion in the middleweight class, wrote on his Instagram page Thursday that ...

Kit McConnell, the International Olympic Committee's sports director, said Thursday he anticipates the marathon and race walking events will remain in Sapporo next year for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which have been postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on a conference call, ...

Club Brugge have been declared Belgian champions after the remainder of the country’s professional league season was canceled on Thursday due to the coronavirus pandemic. Brugge had a runaway 15-point lead at the top of the standings with one round of matches left to play ...