Search - japan

 
 
Katsumi Arase (left), head of the Central Council for Education, receives from State Minister of Education Arata Takebe a consultation document asking the panel to consider ways to give schools more discretion in setting their curriculum, at the education ministry on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 25, 2024

Japan eyes more discretion for schools in upcoming curriculum revision

A government panel has been tasked with considering ways to give schools more flexibility in determining class hours and content as part of the next curriculum revamp.
The entrance to Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo on Dec. 1
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2024

Chinese man sentenced for vandalizing Yasukuni Shrine

According to the ruling, Jiang Zhuojun, 29, conspired with two other Chinese men to write "toilet" in red spray paint on a pillar at the shrine.
International students and others participate in a disaster preparedness drill in Osaka City, where disaster information was conveyed in foreign languages.
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2024

Noto quake inspires more focus on getting disaster info to non-Japanese

The earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1 highlighted the need to help foreign nationals who do not speak Japanese be more informed.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at the meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2024

Japan wage growth projected to outpace inflation in fiscal 2025

In fiscal 2025, nominal wages are projected to increase 2.8% from the previous year, while the overall consumer price index is forecast to rise 2.0%.
The Japanese economy is expected to grow 1.2% in fiscal 2025 in price-adjusted real terms, according to a government forecast.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2024

Japan's government expects 1.2% economic growth for fiscal 2025

The government maintained its view that personal consumption will be solid thanks to stable inflation and the effects of its economic package.
Nuclear fuel debris recovered from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant No. 2 reactor
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2024

Uranium detected in extracted Fukushima nuclear fuel debris

The debris was extracted from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor.
Children play mahjong during a class held at Satsukigaoka community center in the city of Hiroshima.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chugoku
Jan 14, 2025

Mahjong enjoys new wave of players that spans generations

Once associated with gambling, mahjong is becoming a popular pursuit for all ages, boosted by pro leagues, apps and "healthy mahjong" for cognitive and social benefits.
Stefan Kaufmann, former president and CEO of Olympus, in 2022
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2024

Ex-Olympus CEO Kaufmann gets suspended sentence over drugs

The judge decided to suspend the sentence, given that the former Olympus CEO has been staying away from drugs.
A transport ministry panel experiments with a dummy to determine how quickly a person lying on the road during the night would be spotted when drivers use low and high beam lights.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2024

Japan drivers warned to steer clear of drunk pedestrians sleeping on road

Collisions involving pedestrians asleep on the road typically spike in December, when more people get imbibed at New Year's gatherings.
A bear trap in Hokkaido Prefecture. Bears have recently been found inside homes and shops.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 27, 2024

Increasing number of Japanese bears find human dwellings ‘just right’

Cases of bears making their way into homes and shops are on the rise across the country as the animal's natural food sources become scarce.
Members of the Self-Defense Forces stand in formation at Camp Asaka on Nov. 9.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2024

Japan uncovers 100 new cases of mishandled security secrets at SDF

The ministry has been conducting investigations after many rule violations related to the handling of secrets were found earlier this year.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 28, 2024

Ishiba hints at possibility of double election next summer

An Upper House poll is scheduled for next July, and Ishiba hinted at the possibility that a Lower House election might coincide with that poll.
Discussions on greater rights for same-sex couples have not deepened at the national level despite recent court rulings saying that said Japan's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 28, 2024

Tokyo ward mayors call for greater rights for same-sex couples

Among the wards, Setagaya and Nakano launched initiatives in November to register the relationships of same-sex couples in the same way as for common-law couples.
A Toyota RAV4 at a car dealership in California on Dec. 18. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to impose additional tariffs on imports has sparked concern among Japanese automakers with significant operations in Mexico.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Dec 29, 2024

Trump tariffs spark concern among Japanese automakers

The pressing question now is how Japan will navigate and respond to the emerging order shaped by deepening global divisions.
People in temporary housing units in quake-hit Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, use a bus to go out on Dec. 16.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 29, 2024

Nursing care needs surge in Noto quake-hit areas

The increase is believed to be due to a drop in daily exercise amid prolonged living in temporary housing because of disaster-related evacuations.
Members of the Wajima City Morning Market Association pose for a group photograph on the site where the market once stood.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 30, 2024

In the wake of disaster, the revival of Wajima's market brings hope

Wajima's morning market on the Noto Peninsula was devastated a year ago. Now, led by women vendors and bold ideas, it is rising as a symbol of resilience.
Three children died after being found with head injuries at their house in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 30, 2024

Three children die of injuries sustained at home in Kanagawa

Police believe the children's mother was involved in the incident and plan to interview her.
Kozo Naka (right) cries as his wife Sueko looks down during an interview at their temporary housing unit in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Dec. 10.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2024

A fearful New Year's on Noto Peninsula nearly one year after earthquake

More than 200 people still live in shared emergency shelters, while thousands of others are in accommodation units meant as a stop-gap solution.
Hisamido set up a return box at its bookstore in Machida, Tokyo, to allow its customers to borrow and return books owned by municipal libraries.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2024

Japanese bookstores collaborate with libraries for survival

A survey found that 493 municipalities had no bookstores as of November 2024.
Some local governments are launching initiatives outside schools to support children who are bullied at school.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 30, 2024

Japan working to address school bullying through local support

"It's necessary to solve the problem in local communities rather than leaving it to schools," a senior official said.
A monitor in Tokyo shows the Nikkei stock average closing at its best year-end level ever, topping the previous high marked in 1989.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 30, 2024

Japan's Nikkei ends 2024 with nearly 20% rise

At 39,894.54, the benchmark index finished at its best year-end level ever, topping the previous high from the end of 1989 at the height of the country's bubble economy.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba must get cooperation from at least one opposition party to ensure passage of the 2025 fiscal year budget. He must also show he is capable of a smooth working relationship with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 1, 2025

Three tests Ishiba must pass to survive in 2025

Overcoming the challenges that lay ahead will require the prime minister to make the best use of his political and diplomatic negotiating skills.
A stack of ¥10,000 bills equivalent to the year-end balance of banknotes in circulation would be 1,240 kilometers high, or about 328 times higher than the 3,776-meter Mount Fuji.
BUSINESS
Dec 31, 2024

Japan's year-end banknote balance down for second straight year

The drop resulted from people increasingly opting for cashless payments.
A woman was arrested for allegedly killing her son, who was found dead along with two other children of the suspect in their house in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 31, 2024

Mother arrested after three children die in Kanagawa Prefecture

The mother, who has been arrested by the Kanagawa police on suspicion of murdering the son, admitted to the allegations.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks at a news conference after a policy meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 19.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 1, 2025

After historic year, the Bank of Japan ambles into 2025

Two or three rate hikes expected this year could take the central bank's benchmark to 1% for the first time in three decades.
Photos taken from the same place but at different times in the Noto Peninsula towns of Wajima (left) and Suzu illustrate the progress made following the devastating earthquake that hit these areas of Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 1, 2024.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 1, 2025

A year after a deadly earthquake, Noto Peninsula still faces long road to recovery

Reconstruction remains a prolonged and complex ordeal for cities in the worst-hit areas, with recovery further hampered by torrential rains in September.
Chugo Saito at Isenoumi stable on Friday. Saito has joined his older brother, Seigo, at the stable.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Dec 31, 2024

Sumo’s brotherhood gets latest inductee

Wakaikari’s younger sibling Chugo Saito is the first-ever high schooler to get a special dispensation.
Students perform a play they produced during a Liberal Arts Japanese class at Aichi Prefectural Kariyahigashi High School, as teacher Tomohiko Hyodo (left) watches.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 13, 2025

Aichi school uses theater to foster communication skills

Liberal Arts Japanese, designed to supplement conventional Japanese language studies, emphasizes practical skills in listening and speaking, the school says.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako pose for a photo at the Imperial Palace Small Hall in Tokyo on November.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2025

Emperor prays for world peace in New Year's message

Emperor Naruhito stressed the "importance of people recognizing their differences and working hand in hand to realize a peaceful world."
People offer silent prayers in the Asaichi-dori morning market area in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, the time a huge earthquake hit the prefecture on Jan. 1, 2024.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2025

Remembering the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake

The death toll from the New Year's Day quake came to 504, including those who died during evacuation or from other indirect causes.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years