Japan's Empress Emerita Michiko has breast cancer completely removed
Empress Emerita Michiko's breast cancer has been completely removed and no metastasis has been observed, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday. The agency announced the result of the final pathology examination ...
Concentrated liquid oxygen was cause of fire ahead of Japan rocket launch, source says
A high concentration of liquid oxygen, used as rocket engine coolant, has been determined as being the cause of a fire that broke out earlier this month at a launch ...
Abe vows to improve Japan's social welfare as population grays
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Friday to step up efforts to reform social security as Japan faces a multitude of challenges stemming from its rapidly graying population and low birthrate. "Reform ...
Rugby World Cup kicks off in Tokyo
The 2019 Rugby World Cup kicked off in spectacular style on Friday night with an opening ceremony that paid homage to traditional Japanese culture and featured All Blacks legend Richie McCaw emerging from a giant model of Mount Fuji with the trophy. The ceremony at ...
Japanese activists join global climate strike ahead of U.N. summit on global warming
Young people in 117 countries on Friday called on policymakers to take overdue steps against climate change as part of a global strike just days ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit set to begin in New York on Monday. Affiliated events organized across ...
In bid to contain swine fever outbreak, Japan's farm ministry announces plan to vaccinate pigs
The ministry saw the move as inevitable after the first outbreak in the country in 26 years was confirmed in September last year.
Immigration agency panel to discuss measures to swiftly deport detained foreign nationals
The Immigration Services Agency will consider measures to swiftly deport foreign nationals detained in Japan for illegal stays, sources have said. The agency aims to address the issue of prolonged detention of non-Japanese subject to deportation orders for overstaying and other violations, the sources said. The ...
Artist shines a spotlight on all-female theater group in postwar Hiroshima Prefecture
During the post-World War II recovery period the city of Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, was home to an all-women's theater group. Established in 1946, the theater group, based in the city's Yoshiwa district, was named Hoshigekidan. It performed plays on stage at theaters and became recognized ...
Pop-up venue Pride House opens in Tokyo for LGBT fans ahead of 2019 Rugby World Cup
As the Rugby World Cup got underway Friday, a pop-up venue for LGBT and other sexual minority fans opened in Tokyo, in an initiative organizers hope to build on for next year's Olympics and beyond. The Pride House Tokyo 2019 in the capital's Harajuku district ...
Mie city's outreach to struggling residents in public housing pays off
Officials in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, are working to reduce rent delinquency among low-income residents of municipal housing, by visiting defaulters individually and compiling custom payment plans. They aim to support the public housing residents — half of whom are aged 60 or ...
Sapporo group to equip emergency shelter for people with special needs
A Sapporo-based association providing support to people with rare and intractable diseases is planning to establish its own shelter early next year allowing people with special needs to find a safe place in the event of an emergency. The group came up with the idea ...
Exhibition traces history of Okinawa tattoo tradition that became a mark of shame
Back when Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879), tattooing the back of women's hands was a common practice, with the tattoos admired by men and women alike for their elaborate designs. But few people, especially overseas, know the dark side of this history. The tattoos, known ...
