National | ANALYSIS Sep 5, 2020

Japan strike capability could stoke simmering tensions in Asia

Experts say the move could drag Japan into a dangerous arms race with China that might force it to consider the acquisition of offensive weapons.

National / Science & Health Jul 14, 2020

Skin trouble on rise as face masks become essential

More companies are innovating to offer novel solutions to dry skin and sore ears.

National / Science & Health | ANALYSIS Mar 22, 2020

Experts sound alarm over Japan's coronavirus testing

Some are casting doubt on whether the country can provide adequate testing and promote effective policies to contain the outbreak.

National / Social Issues Mar 5, 2020

Magazine faces 'Big Issue dilemma' as Japan's homeless ranks shrink

Teruo Irishima, a homeless man from Nara Prefecture, earns a living by selling The Big Issue Japan, a magazine published around the world to give people in situations like his a leg up in life. Irishima, 56, started selling the magazine around 10 years ago. ...

Business Feb 26, 2020

Foreign diplomats introduced to sake-making in bid to promote Japan's national beverage

Foreign diplomats in Japan have toured a sake brewery near Tokyo to study how the beverage is made in a project the government and the sake industry hope will promote the traditional rice wine overseas. The National Tax Agency, which co-hosted the project with the ...

Lifestyle Feb 17, 2020

Dressing up T-shirts with traditional flair

More than a century ago, the skills of paper stencil textile-dyeing artisans made it possible to mass-produce kimono with vivid and intricate designs that previously could only be achieved by hand painting. Today, with fewer people wearing kimono on a daily basis, it has become ...

National Jan 27, 2020

Tokyo's taxi drivers brush up their English to cash in on Olympics

"There are many ways to ask your passengers to fasten their seat belts. The easiest is to say, 'Seat belt please,' but you should never add the word 'take' as it then means you want that to be stolen," an English teacher said in ...

Business / Corporate Jan 14, 2020

Tokyo manga hotel makes virtue of sleepless nights

Few hotels in the world actively encourage guests to have sleepless nights, but a manga-themed establishment does just that — and it is proving very popular with Japanese and non-Japanese alike. The Manga Art Hotel in central Tokyo has developed a unique offering, with capsule-like ...

National Dec 29, 2019

Okinawa's Shuri Castle to rise from ashes in virtual resurrection

Rei Kawakami was on a train to the airport after a conference in Seoul in October when she heard about the fire engulfing Shuri Castle in Okinawa. "I've been to Shuri Castle and I knew that for the people of Okinawa, it was part of ...

General Dec 26, 2019

Cultural discovery starts at the table

In an eastern area of downtown Tokyo, classes are being held in a six-story building promoting Thai language and culture. Kinshicho, in Sumida Ward, has all the trappings of a "Little Bangkok," with Thai import stores, massage shops and restaurants that blend into the city ...