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Goods related to Eiichi Shibusawa are sold at the Michi no Eki Okabe roadside rest station in Fukaya, Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2024

Sites linked to faces on new banknotes excited before release

The new ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes will enter into circulation July 3 in what will be the country's first banknote redesigning in 20 years.
A bus stop in Suzhou in China's Jiangsu Province where a Japanese woman and her child was believed to have been attacked
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2024

Suzhou knife attack shocks Japanese firms in China

The site of the attack is in an area where many Japanese live, and is close to a Japanese school.
Akimasa Nihongi, who spoke about his experience as a victim of sexual assault by Johnny Kitagawa, the late founder of the eponymous talent agency, said in a video message that victims who report their abuses are often subject to slander and harassment.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2024

Ex-member of Johnny's calls for victim protection at U.N. panel

Akimasa Nihongi said measures ought to be put in place to protect victims from slander and harassment after they go public with abuses.
People protest in Tokyo on Tuesday against sexual abuse cases by U.S. servicemen stationed in Okinawa Prefecture and the fact that the central government failed to quickly inform local officials of the cases.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 3, 2024

More sexual offense cases disclosed involving U.S. servicemen in Okinawa

The three other cases occurred in February and August last year and in January this year, with all of them being dismissed.
Children sit near a flooding seawall during high tide in Serua, Fiji, in 2022.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2024

Japan to share weather data with Pacific island nations

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce the plan at the July 16-18 summit in Tokyo with Pacific island leaders.
The government aims to increase the number of foreign students in Japan to 400,000 by 2033, despite a recent Justice Ministry ordinance that puts in place tougher rules on accepting overseas applicants.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024

Can Japan boost its foreign student count to 400,000?

The government recently tightened rules for accepting overseas applicants, though it hasn't lost sight of its lofty goal of increasing foreign student numbers.
A stone pillar at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, on which the word "toilet" was found spray-painted in May
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 10, 2024

Chinese man arrested over vandalism at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine

Police have also obtained arrest warrants for two other Chinese nationals, after an incident involving graffiti and urination was recorded as a video and posted online.
Hilo, Hawaii
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 10, 2024

Hawaii airport evacuated over Japanese man's grenades: police

The suspicious items, which were picked up on an X-ray machine, caused the airport to be held up for over an hour as a bomb squad came to investigate.
Summer Basho winner Onosato is trying to join Terunofuji as the only wrestlers to win consecutive titles since 2018.
SUMO
Jul 12, 2024

Onosato poised to continue rapid rise at Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament

The 24-year-old former amateur yokozuna has been on fire since turning pro 14 months ago and already stands on the verge of promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank.
Everyone should relax as Japan’s capital, Tokyo, isn’t ripping out thousands of trees to redevelop the famed Jingu Gaien park. Quite the opposite is planned.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 12, 2024

Tokyo's Jingu Gaien is at the center of an urban debate amid a redevelopment rift

Concerns about plans for Tokyo's Jingu Gaien may be exaggerated, as key trees will be preserved and more green space will be created post-development.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the Cook Islands' Prime Minister Mark Brown shake hands during 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting on Thursday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 18, 2024

With eye on China, Japan deepens ties with Pacific islands at Tokyo summit

Collaborations have been agreed in seven fields, including technology and connectivity, climate change, people-centered development and security.
The inside of the No. 2 reactor building of the Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture in June
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2024

Tohoku Electric puts off Onagawa nuclear reactor restart to November

Tohoku Electric expects its ordinary profit for fiscal 2024 to decrease ¥8 billion ($50.9 million) from the projected level due to the postponement.
A pedestrian walks past air conditioning units in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 21, 2024

Japan bakes as temperatures across the country rise above 35 C

In Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, the mercury hit 38.2 C, while Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, saw the temperature rise to 37.3 C.
Paris is preparing to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which start on Friday. These Summer Games will likely be very different from the previous ones, held in Tokyo in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 22, 2024

In defense of Tokyo 2020, the loneliest Olympics

As Paris gets ready to host the Olympics, a reflection on the previous Games, held in Tokyo three years ago, prompts doubts about predictions of a COVID-induced disaster.
Toray Industries introduces its protective clothing that lets air through at a heatstroke goods exhibition in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2024

Heatstroke prevention goods exhibited in Tokyo

At the 10th annual event of its kind, 84 companies showcased products designed to prevent heatstroke for workers.
Camera footage shows the Mogami River bursting its banks in Tozawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Friday morning.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 26, 2024

One dead, three missing as heavy rain batters Tohoku

Record-breaking rainfall in Yamagata and Akita prefectures has led to floods, landslides and power disruptions.
The students at Mitaka Municipal No. 7 Junior High School have access to various cooling devices for when they play sports.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / Longform
Jul 26, 2024

Japan's extreme heat is causing a rethink of school sports

At risk of sunburns and heatstroke, principals across Japan are trying to protect students' health as well as their athletic opportunities.
A man cools himself in a water mist spray in Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Multiple regions topped 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on Monday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 29, 2024

Multiple places in Japan see mercury top 40 C for first time this year

Notable readings include a peak of 41 degrees Celsius in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, as well as 40.2 C in the city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Members of the Nuclear Regulation Authority discusses regulatory screening of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor, in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2024

Japanese nuclear regulators to hear from operator over reactor

The standards do not allow important nuclear facilities such as reactor buildings to be built on active faults.
An event that was part of a regional sumo tour in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in April 2019.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 1, 2024

Summer sumo tour may be tough for wrestlers, but it's a boon for fans

Grueling tours can be quite taxing for top pros, but they offer fans in small cities a rare chance of seeing their heroes up close.
A man takes a picture of an electronic quotation board displaying the closing numbers of share prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 3, 2024

Tokyo stocks likely to remain volatile in coming days

The benchmark Nikkei 225 average has been forecast to move between 34,000 and 38,000.
The turmoil affecting global markets came on the heels of Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s decision to raise rates, but you can't fault him given the volatile worldwide economic conditions.
COMMENTARY
Aug 6, 2024

Tokyo market rout — oops, the BOJ did it again

Japan’s central bank isn’t responsible for the bloodbath. But it’s reliving a terrible habit of hiking rates at the worst possible time.
Shigekix, whose real name is Shigeyuki Nakarai, in action during the world championships in Leuven, Belgium, in September
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 7, 2024

From the Bronx to Paris: Breaking set for its Olympic close-up

B-boys and B-girls from across the globe will soon compete in Olympic dance battles that feature intricate steps, acrobatic moves and plenty of flair.
An unemployed man (Eita Okuno) whose community was decimated by the Great East Japan Earthquake grapples with rebuilding his life in “Shinpei.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 8, 2024

‘Shinpei’ takes on 3/11 disaster with a fresh angle

Tatsuro Yamashiro infuses his drama centered on a complex protagonist struggling with the Great East Japan Earthquake’s aftermath with humor and visual beauty.
B-girl Ami performs during the semifinal round of the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 10, 2024

Japanese B-girl Ami wins first breaking gold medal as sport makes Olympic debut

Breaking made its debut at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
A man makes his way along an earthquake-damaged street in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in January. With last week's tremors in Kyushu and the nature of the Nankai Trough, some experts believe that the omens of a disaster can be seen.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 11, 2024

Japan is living in the shadow of the megaquake

People tend to view the quake threat in the abstract. It’s kind of like thinking about death — I know I’ll die someday, but I hope it won’t be today.
A tourist picks up an aloha shirt at the Samurai Aloha store at Narita Airport in June.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Aug 12, 2024

Aloha shirts made from recycled kimono in Tohoku prove to be huge hit

The shirts, called Samurai Aloha, were launched in the hopes of helping the area recover from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a summit in Bangkok in November 2022. Despite Japan-China relations stagnating in recent years, Xi's administration presents some interesting opportunities for an overture between the two countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 12, 2024

Will Japan and China’s relations continue to stagnate?

Japan and China have historically been at odds and relations have stagnated. This pattern can be broken by seizing the moment, one that offers some key opportunities.
A satellite image shows Typhoon Ampil south of Japan on Thursday afternoon.
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2024

‘Very strong’ Typhoon Ampil set to approach eastern Japan on Friday

While the storm is not likely to make landfall, the Izu Islands and the Kanto and Tohoku regions will see its impacts from Thursday to Saturday.
Japan is divided into many different regions, sometimes distinguishing areas of the country by old borders or climate.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 16, 2024

When it comes to Japan, do you know your 'Kanto' from your 'Kanto-koshin'?

Japanese people tend to travel to their hometowns around this time of year, and asking where they went is an easy conversation starter.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?