Search - japan

 
 
The introduction of a two-tier pricing system which charges foreign tourists more than local residents is being considered at Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024

More Japan tourist hot spots consider two-tier pricing system

However, experts have warned that the system may lead to discrimination if it is not carefully thought out.
A Rapidus factory construction site in Chitose, Hokkaido, on July 24. The plan to ramp up renewable energy usage in the region to 60% by 2030 is part of a larger concept known as “Hokkaido Valley.”
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Aug 26, 2024

Hokkaido more plugged in to renewable energy than rest of Japan

The local government aims to raise its share of renewable energy to 60% from the current 40%, but Hokkaido's grid needs to be upgraded first.
Astellas Pharma's headquarters in Tokyo
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024

Japanese citizen indicted on suspicion of espionage, China confirms

Chinese prosecutors have indicted a Japanese citizen on suspicion of espionage, China's foreign ministry said.
Robert C. Neff, passed away at after a long illness at 77 years old on July 31, 2024, at his home in Hayama, south of Tokyo.
COMMUNITY
Aug 25, 2024

The American journalist ahead of the game on an ascendant Japan

Neff was part of a golden age of magazine journalism as Tokyo bureau chief for Businessweek magazine and a lover of hot spring retreats.
The 2024 Kentaro Kaneko Award ceremony will be held Oct. 15 at the International House of Japan in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Aug 24, 2024

America-Japan Society announces recipients of 2024 Kentaro Kaneko Award

This year's Kentaro Kaneko Award celebrating achievements in furthering U.S.-Japan relations goes to a volunteer, an educator and a legendary musician.
NHK's headquarters in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2024

NHK chief apologizes for Senkaku Islands report on Chinese news

NHK is considering seeking damages from and filing a criminal complaint against a Chinese newscaster over the incident.
Severe Tropical Storm Shanshan is seen in a satellite image from Friday afternoon
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2024

Japan braces for typhoon landfall early next week

Severe Tropical Storm Shanshan, set to strengthen into a typhoon by Saturday, is forecast to make landfall in Shikoku or Honshu.
A construction worker in Akasaka-Mitsuke, Tokyo, on Wednesday. High temperatures are projected to linger on past the summer.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2024

High temperatures expected to continue in Japan through October

The warm fall will follow what has already been a particularly hot summer, with July’s average temperature coming in at a record high for the month.
Typhoon Shanshan is forecast to approach or make landfall on the islands of Honshu or Shikoku by Tuesday afternoon, with rough weather expected from western to eastern Japan through Wednesday before hitting the country’s northeastern areas late Wednesday into Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2024

Typhoon Shanshan gains steam as storm projected to hit broad swath of Japan

Authorities are urging residents near the typhoon's projected path to brace for strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Tepco employees serve scallops at an event in Tokyo last month.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2024

Japan scallop exports shifting away from China dependence

The efforts led to increases in scallop exports to the United States and other markets, highlighting the scallop supply chain's shift away from China.
High-rise buildings under construction in Tokyo in November last year
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2024

Japan looks to expand preferential measures for Flat 35 home loans

The measures to lower interest rates for those who acquire energy-efficient or earthquake-resistant houses are currently applied only to newly made loan contracts.
The Environment Ministry plans to offer ¥100 million to the U.N. Environment Program to be used for a study into synergistic model cases including reducing greenhouse gas while preserving the ecosystem.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 25, 2024

Japan to give ¥100 million to U.N. environment program

The funds are to be set aside under the Environment Ministry's fiscal 2025 budget request.
Typhoon Shanshan is expected to become more powerful and hit western Japan on Tuesday, after which it is forecast to make its way north throughout the week.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024

Typhoon Shanshan to hit western Japan on Tuesday

By Wednesday, the maximum wind speed is expected to reach up to 162 kilometers per hour around Amami Oshima island and southern Kyushu.
Oceanographic research vessel Mirai is docked at the port of Sekinehama in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, on Monday before it embarked on an Arctic voyage later in the day.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024

Japan's Mirai research vessel embarks on Arctic journey

Mirai is tasked with ocean research and weather observations in the Arctic Ocean, in hopes of finding the cause and impact of rapid global warming in the area.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon on Jan. 20
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 26, 2024

Japan's space agency ends SLIM moon probe operation

JAXA said that there was no response from the SLIM after trying to communicate last week following three frigid lunar nights.
A U.S. Navy CMV-22 Osprey transport aircraft
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2024

Iwakuni allows deployment of U.S. Navy's Osprey

The mayor said the city judged that the aircraft will not have a large impact on the lives of people living near the base.
Participants take part in a mystery-themed matchmaking event organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government at Jindai Botanical Gardens in Tokyo in March.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 28, 2024

Japan to support women moving from Tokyo to countryside for marriage

The plan is aimed at helping those interested in relocating at a time when the population of young women in the countryside is shrinking.
Akira Ishiwatari (right), a Nuclear Regulation Authority commissioner, inspects a trench dug on the grounds of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, in June.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 28, 2024

Tsuruga nuclear reactor found noncompliant with safety standards

The Nuclear Regulation Authority will decide whether to formally adopt the report after collecting public comments on it for about a month.
Toshihiro Nikai (left), former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, meets Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, in Beijing on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 28, 2024

Nikai expresses regret over China's airspace violation during Beijing talks

Nikai is visiting the Chinese capital as head of a delegation of a nonpartisan Japanese lawmaker group for friendship with China.
Two women, suspected of being members of the Pink Panda gang, have been arrested over allegations relating to the theft of pearl pendants from an international jewelry exhibition at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in January.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 28, 2024

Possible 'Pink Panda' gang members arrested in Japan

The two women are alleged to have stolen six pearl pendants valued at a total of ¥1,865,000 at a jewelry exhibition in Tokyo.
Vehicles are stranded on flooded road on Thursday following heavy rains from Typhoon Shanshan in the city of Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2024

Heavy rain batters Japan after Typhoon Shanshan makes landfall in Kyushu

Later Thursday, Shanshan was downgraded to a severe tropical storm, but it was still bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the region and beyond.
Yasuyuki Kurosawa at his paddy fields in Meiwa, Gunma Prefecture. Tending the crops "is something that we cannot avoid, so we must do what we must do even if it's hot," the 77-year-old farmer said.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2024

Heatstroke risk won't stop Japan's aging farmers as temperatures soar

Agriculture accounts for about 1% of Japan's economy and almost 70% of its 1.4 million farmers are age 65 and above.
Naoto Ooka inspects a new heat-resistant rice breed called Emihokoro that has been planted at the government-run Saitama Agricultural Technology Center in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 7.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2024

As sweltering summers ravage crops, Japan bets on heat-resistant rice

Supermarkets have struggled to keep rice shelves stocked in recent months.
If you're still trying to be active during Japan's record-setting heat, you should also know how best to care for yourself when you inevitably get a sunburn.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 31, 2024

Japan’s nasty summer has left you with a nastier sunburn. Now what?

Aloe facial masks, non-alcohol-based lotions and souped-up sunscreen can take the edge off the pain of getting a sunburn.
A submerged area of Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on Thursday after Typhoon Shanshan dumped torrential rain throughout the Kyushu region.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2024

Alerts issued for Tokyo area cities as Shanshan crawls across Japan

Multiple rivers in and around Tokyo threatened to spill their banks as the storm brought torrential rain.
Swimmer Takayuki Suzuki celebrates after winning gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
PARALYMPICS / Swimming
Aug 30, 2024

Swimmer Takayuki Suzuki wins Japan's first gold medal at Paris Paralympics

Suzuki, who has 10 medals from the past five Paralympic Games, added a gold to his already impressive medal cabinet.
A satellite image from Wednesday shows Typhoon Shanshan south of Kyushu as the storm was rapidly intensifying.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 30, 2024

From tropical storm to 'violent': Japan’s typhoon classifications

Japan's system differs from that used for hurricanes, and there also differences in how the storms are discussed in English versus Japanese.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force hold a live-fire exercise at the GSDF's training grounds in the East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in May. Japan's Defense Ministry is seeking another record-breaking budget for fiscal 2025.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 30, 2024

Japan seeks another record-breaking defense budget for fiscal 2025

The request by the Defense Ministry is expected to send a clear message to both its allies and adversaries.
If the number of births falls at a similar pace in the second half of 2024, the annual total could fall below 700,000 for the first time.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 31, 2024

Births in Japan hit record low for January to June period

If the number of births falls at a similar pace in the second half of 2024, the annual total could fall below 700,000 for the first time.
A Chinese Navy Shupang-class survey ship
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2024

Tokyo protests after Chinese Navy ship enters Japanese territorial waters

The move came just days after Japan strongly protested the first entry into its airspace by a Chinese military aircraft.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami