National Nov 16, 2019
The government’s decision to finance the Daijosai ceremony with state funds draws criticism from experts, who claim the move was taken with undue speed in order to avoid reigniting controversy over the Constitution.
National Nov 16, 2019
Farm panel urges limiting areas where Japan-developed crops can be grown
An advisory panel to the agriculture ministry Friday proposed limiting areas where domestically developed varieties of agricultural crops can be grown, in a bid to prevent them from being taken out of the country. The move comes after a series of cases in which national ...
Business Oct 22, 2019
Uniqlo ad sparks protest and parody as South Korea-Japan dispute flares
A commercial by clothing brand Uniqlo has stirred a consumer backlash in South Korea amid accusations that it mocks victims of wartime labor and "comfort women," reopening deep wounds from Japan's colonial past. A YouTube video created by a South Korean student parodying the ad ...
National Oct 19, 2019
Extinction Rebellion climate protest arrives in Tokyo with 'die-in' at Yoyogi Park
by Oscar Boyd
Amid the threat of rain Saturday, 16 Extinction Rebellion protesters gathered in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park to call for action on climate change. The protest follows a climate march in Tokyo in September that attracted 2,800 students and environmental activists. "We hope the protest raises awareness of ...
Business Sep 24, 2019
Eight areas in Japan considering bids to host casino resorts
Eight areas in Japan are considering hosting casinos as part of integrated resorts, tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Tuesday. The eight areas are Hokkaido, the city of Chiba, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, a combined effort by Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka, Wakayama Prefecture and ...
National Sep 16, 2019
Annual government employment exam for disabled held for second time since hiring scandal
The government held a uniform employment examination for people with disabilities on Sunday, for the second time since a hiring scandal came to light last year. A total of 3,104 people took the first-stage test paper in hope of securing one of the 248 jobs ...
Business / Corporate Aug 21, 2019
JSR Corp., one of the Japanese materials makers hit by government restrictions on exports to South Korea, has received a permit to resume shipments, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Tokyo-based maker of photo-resist, a light-sensitive liquid used by semiconductor manufacturers to ...
Business Aug 8, 2019
Japan's current account surplus sank 4.2% in first half amid weak exports
Japan's current account surplus shrank in the first half as exports to Asia turned sluggish amid ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, government data showed Thursday. The surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, stood at ...
National Aug 7, 2019
Okinawa files another lawsuit over landfill work for U.S. base
The Okinawa government on Wednesday filed another lawsuit against the central government to halt ongoing landfill work for the relocation of a U.S. air base within the prefecture. In the lawsuit filed with the Naha District Court, Okinawa challenged the legality of land minister Keiichi ...
Business Jul 23, 2019
South Korea to report Japan's tightening of export controls to WTO
by Satoshi Sugiyama
The escalation comes almost three weeks after Japan slapped export controls on three chemical ingredients used by South Korea’s globally dominant chip and screen industries.
Business Jul 20, 2019
Core inflation hits two-year low in Japan, fueling stimulus calls
Falling energy prices and the bruising U.S.-China trade war are putting pressure on the BOJ — and the Fed — to act.
Business Jul 17, 2019
Japan to stress legitimacy of controls on exports to South Korea at World Trade Organization
Japan will send a senior government official to a World Trade Organization general council meeting next week to stress what it says is the legitimate tightening of controls on exports to South Korea of materials used in high-tech device production, diplomatic sources said Tuesday. The ...