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Kathleen Benoza
A man watches a news broadcast about a North Korean missile test, at the main rail station in Seoul on Thursday.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2024
North Korea fires off missiles hours before U.S. voters head to polls
Pyongyang launched at least seven short-range missiles that flew about 400 kilometers each before splashing down in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency H3 rocket carrying a defense communication satellite is successfully launched Monday from the Tanegashima Space Center launch site in Kagoshima Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2024
Fifth time’s a charm as H3 rocket puts defense satellite in orbit
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully launched the defense communication satellite, after four earlier launch dates were postponed.
Police officers investigate near a house in Tokyo where a resident was assaulted by a group of burglars on Saturday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2024
Spate of burglaries in Kanto highlight importance of home security
Amid a surge in burglaries linked to "dark" part-time jobs across the Tokyo area, experts are advising people to take measures that would delay intruders.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, face off in an election Tuesday that will have wide-ranging implications for Japan.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2024
Status quo or disruption? Breaking down the U.S. election's impact on Japan
Regardless of who wins, Washington is likely to have limited bandwidth to change tack in a significant way with its most important Asian ally.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2024
Ishiba Cabinet's approval rating sinks to around 30%
Public support for the LDP and its ruling coalition partner Komeito dropped significantly after they lost their Lower House majority on Oct. 27.
The health ministry’s report shows that the number of elementary, junior high and high school students who took their own lives in 2023 stood at 513, one fewer than last year's record of 514.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 29, 2024
Japan’s struggle with youth suicide sparks government initiatives
The health ministry’s report shows that the number of elementary, junior high and high school students who took their own lives remained alarmingly high.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during an interview with reporters at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday night
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024
Japan faces political upheaval after LDP-led coalition loses majority
The electoral rout opens up a potential path for the opposition to steer the lower chamber’s agenda if they can act cohesively.
A false claim on social media about a restaurant chain being infested with slugs led to the store's closure. The man behind the claim was sentenced to prison on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 24, 2024
Man gets prison time for false restaurant slug infestation claims
Haruomi Enya, 25, was convicted of obstruction of business by deception. His false claims ultimately led to the establishment's closure.
Then-astronaut candidates Ayu Yoneda (bottom, sixth from left) and Makoto Suwa (bottom center) take part in parabolic flight training.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2024
Japan’s lunar ambitions advance with two new astronauts
The pair are preparing to become the first non-U.S. astronauts to set foot on the moon.
A vehicle crashes into a barricade in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 22, 2024
Police drew guns at man who set minivan on fire at Prime Minister's Office
The 49-year-old suspect also threw Molotov cocktails at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on Saturday before driving to the Prime Minister's Office.
Claudio Worm, a German university student who came to Japan on a sightseeing trip on Sept. 21, has gone missing in Wakayama Prefecture.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2024
German tourist goes missing in Wakayama
Claudio Worm, 21, was last seen in Tokyo before heading to Wakayama on Sept. 30. His family last heard from him on Oct. 10.
About 82% of all toilets in Japan have electric bidet toilet seats, with nearly all homes with flushing toilets having them installed.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 21, 2024
78% of electric bidet toilet accidents involve older models, report finds
Japan's product safety watchdog emphasizes the ubiquitous appliance's limited lifespan and advises users to regularly conduct safety checks to prevent mishaps.
Police officers remove a vehicle that crashed into a barricade outside the Prime Minister's Office in central Tokyo on Saturday after a man threw Molotov cocktail-like objects outside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters and later drove into the barricade.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 20, 2024
More details emerge about suspect in attack at LDP headquarters
The suspect was sent to prosecutors on Sunday, although his motives for the attack remain unclear.
Empress Emerita Michiko and her husband, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, stroll around the Akasaka Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo this month.
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2024
Japan's Empress Emerita Michiko turns 90
The former empress sustained a fractured right femur after a fall at the palace on Oct. 6 and later underwent surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital.
Police discovered the body of a 75-year-old man in his home in Aoba Ward, Yokohama, on Wednesday and are investigating the case for any connections to a string of robberies in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 17, 2024
Robberies in Kanto region may be linked to 'dark' part-time jobs
Because similar methods were used in the break-ins, police are probing whether the cases are connected.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is responsible for most of Japan's overseas aid known as official development assistance.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 16, 2024
JICA staffer suspected of leaking info on Philippines railway project
The employee is thought to have intended to secure a contractor in advance to prevent delays to the ¥38.1 billion project.
Over the past 10 years, the athletic performance of women in their 40s showed a decline in the total score as well as in individual categories, according to the Japan Sports Agency.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 15, 2024
40% of Japanese women in their 30s and early 40s don't exercise at all
The trend reflects the fact that women in this age group tend to be busy with child rearing or work, according to the Japan Sports Agency.
A U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing on a beach in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2024
U.S. helicopter makes emergency landing on Chigasaki beach
Around noon, a report was received through the fire department that a U.S. helicopter made a “precautionary landing” on a beach in the city.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center) ahead of an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 9, 2024
Ishiba dissolves Lower House for snap election
The new prime minister has stressed the importance of winning a mandate from the public following his LDP leadership victory late last month.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has floated an idea of creating an Asian version of the NATO security framework.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 8, 2024
Ishiba's 'Asian NATO' dead on arrival as new PM set for diplomatic debut
Many Asian countries maintain delicate ties with China, making the creation of any defense group aimed at countering Beijing's influence difficult.

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?