Swapping his dress shoes and business suit for flip-flops and swimming trunks, Shingo Takei starts the day by walking to the beach to go stand-up paddleboarding. Instead of commuting to the office, the co-founder of a human resources startup returns home for breakfast and spends ...

Koharu Matsunaga used to be a fixture on Tokyo's busking circuit, belting out tunes on her button accordion with her gypsy brass band at popular tourist stops like Ueno Park. The main songwriter and the older half of the sister duo Charan-Po-Rantan rarely performs on ...

Admiring the decaying beauty of abandoned railroads is just one of myriad hobbies Japan's railway enthusiasts indulge in. But fueled by a broadening appreciation for the subculture and growth in train travelers, these rusty remnants of industrialization are gathering new steam as tourist attractions while ...

The thriving Hokkaido ski resort of Niseko is considered an anomaly among the many rural communities in Japan facing a slow demise from the shrinking and graying population. But that was not always the case, says Australian Ross Findlay, a pioneer of the area's outdoor ...

"When life gives us lemons, we make -196˚ C Strong Zero Double Lemon!" Perhaps beverage giant Suntory Holdings Ltd.'s commercial variation of the well known proverbial phrase best captures the appeal of its top-selling canned cocktail. Once regarded as a simple, working-class drink, chūhai has made ...

Teary-eyed and his voice shaking, pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi apologized Thursday for kissing and engaging in indecent behavior with a high school-aged girl in a career-crushing scandal leading to his indefinite suspension from show business. "I will spend my days taking a hard look at ...

A former U.S. military training site in Okinawa Prefecture provided a precious refuge for a critically endangered bat unseen on the prefecture's main island for 22 years. The Yanbaru whiskered bat (Myotis yanbarensis) was captured by a research team two months ago, Kyoto University ...

Beleaguered retail chain Toys R Us Inc. is negotiating to sell its 85 percent stake in its Asian business, including the Japan operations. A spokeswoman at Toys R Us Japan headquarters in Kawasaki confirmed Thursday that Toys R Us Asia Ltd., its parent, is in ...

U.S. ride-hailing firm Lyft Inc. is considering providing its services in Japan, a market where rival Uber Technologies Inc. has so far seen limited success due to regulatory hurdles. "We would love to be in Japan, and we also will be looking at that possibility," ...

The government aims to use the funds to boost tourism infrastructure and promote travel destinations in rural Japan.