Services to coordinate class reunions are finding more takers because of the scarcity of people willing to take charge of contacting former classmates and securing venues. Dousoukai Net Co. arranged a reunion in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, in late February for a local junior high school's ...

There is growing demand for rugged smartphones and tablet computers that can withstand the dirt and knocks of field work, and manufacturers are responding with products that include high-definition displays, cameras and audio. The Torque G01, released by Kyocera Corp. for KDDI Corp.'s au mobile ...

With a record number of tourists visiting Japan from abroad, items they take back home are diversifying from home appliances, watches and other "conventional" Japanese souvenirs. Leben Co., an ear pick-maker in Yokohama, has seen a steep increase in sales over the past five years ...

People are increasingly turning to smartphone applications to sell used clothes and goods free of tax. Shohei Fujii, 28, from Tokyo's Suginami Ward, took a picture of a T-shirt that no longer fitted him and within three minutes uploaded it to Mercari. It took only ...

A new genre of tourism is emerging: amateur archaeologists who enjoy viewing ancient burial mounds. A mini music and dance festival at one such tumulus recently drew around 19,000 people. "Come Come Hanicotto" was held in a 9-hectare park built around the Imashirozuka Kofun earthen mound ...

Smartphones and the Internet may have become an integral part of life, but the power of books — paper ones — is not all lost. A nationwide book club network and a bookstore that prescribes literary drugs to salve the human condition are a few ...

Rice has become an increasingly popular ingredient in cosmetics and beverages as people eat less of what used to be Japan's main staple. In June 2012, Kose Provision Co. launched lotions and creams containing extracts made by fermenting and maturing rice. The affiliate of major cosmetics ...

Some English conversation schools are increasingly tailoring classes for students who want specific training, such as dealing with customers or full immersion in American culture. One such school, Goover English School, places students with families at U.S. military bases in Japan so that they can ...

For people living far from the graves of their ancestors, paying respects no longer has to involve a long journey, with subscribers to an online service able to conduct virtual cemetery visits from their computer screens. The service, offered by I-Can Corp., a Tokyo-based funeral ...

Many companies are turning to shared housing as a place to promote products or offer services like job-hunting support. Come on UP Co., a company operating share houses, and Disco Inc., a human resource consultant, both in Tokyo, jointly launched a service for Japanese students ...