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JAPAN
Aug 27, 2018

Momoko Sakura, creator of 'Chibi Maruko-chan,' dies of breast cancer

Momoko Sakura, creator of the much-loved "Chibi Maruko-chan" manga and anime series about a little girl called Maruko, died of breast cancer on Aug. 15, her company said Monday. She was 53.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Aug 25, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: When Japanese sports went global

Baseball star Hideo Nomo may have blazed a trail for Japanese players in the MLB when he signed with the Dodgers in 1995, but the achievements of domestic athletes abroad in the Heisei Era certainly didn't stop there.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2018

Saitama starts recruiting homestay hosts for Tokyo 2020 athletes' families

The prefecture's project is intended to help the families and others involved in the games secure lodging and offer opportunities for them to experience Japanese culture and cuisine.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2018

As summer vacations end, grass-roots movements in Japan work on counseling suicidal students and truants

The first day of September is the deadliest day for troubled young people in Japan, according to a 2015 Cabinet Office white paper.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Aug 16, 2018

Bucking superstition, Japanese woman tunnels way to top of civil-engineering world

For civil engineer Reiko Abe, 55, being competent at her job was never enough. Her sex and the superstitions surrounding it caused her to be turned away from job interviews and construction sites in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2018

Japanese remember the fallen and pray for a peaceful future on WWII anniversary

On the 73rd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II on Wednesday, people across the nation remembered the country's past and expressed hopes that memories of the war will not be forgotten.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2018

Hostage Jumpei Yasuda's wife speaks of hope for his release in first public appearance since his detention

Journalist's spouse said she is grateful for the help provided by the government and apologized to the public for the trouble caused by her husband's captivity.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 4, 2018

'The Emissary': Power, poison, pain and joy inside its DNA

In her latest work, 'The Emissary,' Yoko Tawada joins the ranks of other Japanese writers who use their writing to comment on the catastrophic and irrevocable effects of environmental disasters on society.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2018

Katsura Imperial Villa to allow more visitors, charge ¥1,000 from November

The Katsura Imperial Villa, or Katsura-Rikyu, located in Kyoto and originally built as a holiday home for the Imperial family, will welcome more visitors from Nov. 1 at a charge of ¥1,000 for those aged 18 or older, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 27, 2018

Wife of Nepalese man who died during interrogation sues state, Tokyo Metropolitan Government

The wife of a 39-year-old Nepalese man who died in March last year while being interrogated by prosecutors filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court on Friday, demanding about ¥7 million in damages from the central government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 26, 2018

Female leaders encourage women to be confident and believe in themselves at Tokyo conference

With "womenomics" often touted as a key policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the government has been working to increase women's participation in the workforce, politics and other areas in recent years.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 26, 2018

Japan sends last six Aum death row inmates to the gallows

Some speculate the Justice Ministry wanted to draw a curtain on the shocking crimes before the end of the Heisei Era, set for next April.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 20, 2018

Former president of bankrupt travel agency Tellmeclub gets six years for fraud

The Tokyo District Court on Friday found Chikako Yamada, the former president of failed travel agency Tellmeclub, guilty of falsifying her company's financial records to fraudulently receive funding from two banks. She was sentenced to six years in prison.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2018

Non-Japanese speakers turned to employers for help in aftermath of west Japan flooding disaster

With basic necessities interrupted, homes evacuated and infrastructure badly in need of repair, surviving a disaster is challenging enough, but for non-Japanese speakers there is the added worry of getting important information in a language they can understand.
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2018

Tokyo to provide free housing for those displaced by floods in western Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has said it will provide free public housing for victims of the torrential rains and floods that recently inundated western Japan, and will start accepting applications from prospective residents Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jul 9, 2018

Real estate for the people: One man's mission turning vacant houses into homes for everyone

Hideki Kawakita doesn't look like your average real estate agent.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 5, 2018

Tokyo court defies Justice Ministry in ordering asylum for Sri Lankan man

The 58-year-old plaintiff, who is a member of the ethnic Tamil minority, applied for refugee status in October 2006 during civil war in Sri Lanka.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2018

In wake of World Cup loss to Belgium, Japanese fans look back on unexpected run

Fans of the national soccer team were reflective on Tuesday after Japan's loss to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, with many looking back fondly on their better-than-expected performance in Russia.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2018

Japan's interest in World Cup spikes after Samurai Blue's surprise win over Colombia

Japanese fans were reveling in victory Wednesday, a day after their team's surprise win against Colombia in its first match in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2018

Residents voice fear amid chaos of Osaka quake

Sushi chef Soshu Yoshiyama got a rude awakening at 7:58 a.m. Monday when his home in the town of Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, was buffeted by strong, vertical jolts the likes of which he had never experienced before.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 18, 2018

Japan's criminal justice reforms aim to enhance transparency of interrogations — are they working?

The National Police Agency said in early June that interrogations of crime suspects were fully recorded in 81.9 percent of all the 3,197 cases tried by lay judges in fiscal 2017, up from 72.8 percent the year before.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2018

High court rejects decision to reopen 1966 Hakamada quadruple murder case

The Tokyo High Court on Monday overturned the Shizuoka District Court's decision to reopen the 1966 murder case involving former professional boxer Iwao Hakamada, who was convicted of killing four people, despite recent DNA evidence that undermined his prosecution.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2018

Tokyo District Court holds first hearing on expats' right to vote on Supreme Court justices

Five Japanese living abroad claimed at the Tokyo District Court on Monday that their inability to participate in national reviews of Supreme Court justices was unconstitutional.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2018

Web service allows Japan's harassment victims to send anonymous warnings to alleged perpetrators

In the wake of high-profile sexual harassment cases involving a top Finance Ministry bureaucrat and a mayor in west Tokyo, a website was launched last week to allow victims of harassment to send anonymous warnings to the perpetrators.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2018

Tokyo opens free 24-hour multilingual call center to help tourists get around language barrier

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government opened a call center Friday for foreign visitors to improve communication with businesses and other organizations of interest.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 31, 2018

Japanese-style plea bargaining debuts but authorities fear spread of false testimony

Japan on Friday introduced a bargaining system as part of an overhaul of its criminal investigation and trial systems, while battling concerns the new practice could encourage suspects or defendants to make false statements that lead to miscarriages of justice.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
May 26, 2018

Calling on chefs to lead the charge against overfishing

Chefs for the Blue and its partners, NGO Sailors for the Sea Japan and consulting firm Seafood Legacy, are part of a small but growing movement to promote sustainable seafood in Japan.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building