Plum blossoms, azaleas and chrysanthemums are also celebrated nationwide during their seasonal appearance.

Fukushima residents have been paid for their role in decontamination work in the prefecture since the 2011 accident.

Parents are poised to be excluded from official entrance ceremonies as COVID-19 risk still lingers.

Mizuho Bank will acknowledge flaws in its system management in a report over a series of glitches that the Japanese lender will soon submit to regulators, informed sources said Friday. The report will say that Mizuho failed to fully recognize the impact of glitches that ...

Fans of "Attack on Titan," a manga series popular worldwide that is set to be made into a Hollywood film, can now visit a themed museum in the hometown of its creator. Local residents are hoping the manga series can be a boon for tourism ...

China's top ride-hailing app dropped Swedish fashion retailer H&M from its listings as Chinese celebrities stopped endorsing foreign labels in a growing uproar over Western accusations of forced labor in Xinjiang. H&M faced a public backlash in China when social media users in the country ...

As well as sparking a flood of patriotic buying, the move has left many questioning Taipei's overwhelming economic reliance on its giant neighbor.

The plan, passed with an 8-1 vote, will distribute $400,000 of a $10 million fund generated by marijuana tax revenue, to up to 16 families to use toward housing needs.

The world’s largest paid-streaming service will launch 40 new anime titles this year, it said in a statement Saturday during a virtual animation expo from Japan.

Job losses, especially in the dining and travel industries, have devastated many, while stock and other asset markets are booming on the back of global monetary easing.

The tally in the capital comes a day after Japan posted 2,000 new coronavirus infections for the first time since early February.

The so-called Kent or U.K. variant has now been reported in more than 100 countries and recent research has shown that it is not only more contagious but also more deadly.

The government has decided that further drastic steps are needed in order to gain public understanding of Japan's staging these events during a health crisis.

North Korea threatened a further military build-up in response to Biden's condemnation of missile launches, Pyongyang's first substantive provocation since the U.S. president took office.

The U.S. is increasingly concerned that China is flirting with the idea of seizing control of Taiwan, the Financial times reported, citing a senior Biden administration official.

Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors all use the canal for exports and the major automakers are still gathering information on the impact of the incident.

The leader of Myanmar's ruling junta said on Saturday the military will protect the people and strive for democracy, as protesters called for a huge show of defiance against last month's coup despite chilling warnings they risked being shot. After presiding over a military parade ...

In order to be eligible, the couple must both be nationals of countries where same-sex marriage is recognized.

Since March 18, the two parks have been greeting guests via their in-park announcements with "hello, everyone" to be more inclusive.

All recovered after receiving treatment, according to the ministry, with its panel of experts concluding that there are no serious concerns about the safety of the vaccine at this time.

The sanctions include a total ban on bilateral trade and forbid the entry into Japan of North Korean-registered ships and vessels that have stopped at a North Korean port.

COVID-19 has disrupted almost every aspect of comforting the terminally ill at the end.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure program launched in 2013 and involving development and investment initiatives stretching from East Asia to Europe.

A group of nine lawmakers asked the Biden administration to establish a facility to expedite travel to the U.S. from Taiwan’s main international airport, a show of support for the island amid fear it could be targeted by an increasingly aggressive China. The group of ...

U.S. President Joe Biden has invited his counterparts Xi Jinping of China and Russia's Vladimir Putin to a virtual climate summit he is hosting in April, the White House announced on Friday. In all, 40 world leaders have been asked to attend the two-day meeting ...

Dredging and tugging aimed at freeing a mega-vessel stuck in the Suez Canal failed on Friday to end a blockage that has lifted shipping rates for fuel tankers and scrambled global supply chains for everything from grains to baby clothes. U.S. President Joe Biden said ...

An author of the report warned that moves by Chinese government vessels against Japanese fishing boats near the disputed islands will likely become even more blatant.

Health officials have rolled out more than 510 million coronavirus vaccine doses around the world, but with big gaps between countries the WHO on Friday appealed to richer nations to donate vaccines to help poorer ones start inoculations. Despite the huge effort to get jabs ...

Robert Redfield said that he was "not implying any intentionality,” or accusing China of purposefully releasing the virus.

It was the first time the daily tally had exceeded 2,000 since Feb. 6, the day before a COVID-19 state of emergency was extended for another month over 10 prefectures.

Former Tokyo Games chief Yoshiro Mori, who resigned last month amid backlash over sexist remarks toward women, called a female political staffer "too old to call a woman."

The new map shows probabilities of at least 26% in the eastern part of Hokkaido, as well as the Pacific side of the Kanto region, Tokai region and Kinki and Shikoku regions.

Many anticipate a dissolution will come after the Tokyo Olympics in the summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic will likely affect the prime minister's decision.

While several countries and regions are preparing to unveil systems of inoculation proof, vaccine passports have met resistance from some quarters.

Urban greening not only boosts biodiversity and lowers air temperatures, it also provides a much-needed link to the natural world.

New rules were supposed to make it easier for shops to set up outdoor dining. But the regulations are so convoluted, few can take advantage of them.

These five vegan sweet sensations are sure to satisfy your sugar cravings (and perhaps win over a skeptic or two).

As an associate professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design, Keisuke Sugiyama is using a wide array of tools to convey his love of art.

‘The Life and Zen Haiku Poetry of Santoka Taneda,’ a biography of one of Japan’s most beloved poets, is a loving tribute compiled by Taneda’s close friend, Sumita Oyama.

Explaining the difference between speculative fiction and science fiction can feel like sorting out overlapping nebulae. The main distinction of speculative fiction may be that a story is just barely possible, at a slight remove from reality that veers into the playfully weird. A ...

Terunofuji, who has all but secured his return to the second-highest rank of ozeki for the first time since 2017, was at his composed best as he forced out ozeki Asanoyama (9-5).

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said he's learned to turn a deaf ear to the criticism of his coaching methods and is still "one of the most important managers" in the game. Mourinho started his managerial career with Benfica in 2000 and has since managed ...

Mick Schumacher's famous name may have helped him speed through motor racing's lower levels, but it will also create added pressure when he makes his Formula One debut on Sunday.

Yoshiyuki Kamei doesn’t actually hit a walk-off, or otherwise huge, home run every time he steps up to the plate — it just feels that way sometimes.

The second-place finish in the second of the three "Blue Bird" events in Russia moved her to the top of the overall World Cup rankings with just one event remaining.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Shcherbakova, who led Kihira after the short program, secured the win in her worlds debut after scoring 152.17 points in the free skate to tally 233.17 points overall.

A slew of established test players are already playing in Japan, including Wallabies captain Michael Hooper on a sabbatical.