NEWSWORTHY
Hyogo mayor who called senior official 'stupid' over stalled evictions to make way for road quits
A Hyogo Prefecture mayor submitted a letter of resignation Friday after facing criticism for calling a senior city official "stupid" and suggesting he "burn down" a local building that stood in the way a road project, officials said. "I apologize again for what happened. I ...
Fired-up Hyogo city mayor sorry for calling official 'stupid' and asking him to 'burn down' building
A mayor in Hyogo Prefecture is in hot water for calling a senior city official "stupid" and suggesting he "burn down" a local building that stood in the way of the construction of a new road. "All that has been reported by the media is ...
The city of Kobe and neighboring areas on Thursday marked the 24th anniversary of the deadly Great Hanshin Earthquake, with residents and family members of the deceased remembering those that were lost and pledging to ensure that their stories and lessons learned from the ...
Hiroshima firefighter wins annual Lucky Man race at Hyogo shrine
A 22-year-old firefighter raced past the competition early Thursday to earn the title of "Lucky Man" in the annual run held at a major Shinto shrine in Hyogo Prefecture. As soon as the gates of Nishinomiya Shrine swung open at 6 a.m., Yuki Yamamoto from ...
In country's first name-change referendum, Sasayama voters back renaming city as Tamba-Sasayama
The city of Sasayama in Hyogo Prefecture will be changing its name to Tamba-Sasayama as early as next May following what city officials described as the country's first referendum on changing a municipality's name. Sunday's referendum passed with a margin of 3,128, with 13,646 voting ...
Hyogo elder care service hires nonprofessional soccer players to work at its facilities
An elder care provider in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, has hired 10 members of a local soccer team to become nursing care staff, a move that is attracting attention as a way to provide semiprofessional athletes with a stable income and ease the labor shortage ...
In a new approach to helping children with developmental disabilities, a doctor who is also a go enthusiast has been using the strategy game to augment his efforts. Toru Masaoka, 85, is head of Kansai Kiin, an association of professional go players in Osaka, and ...
The Meteorological Agency warned that heavy rain may continue through Sunday in the region, which is still reeling from a deadly earthquake in June.
A man already jailed twice for violent crimes against children was rearrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing a 9-year-old girl in 2004 in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture.
Female mayor takes battle to Japan Sumo Association over its barring of women from entering ring
“I won’t give up this time around. … I’m determined to make a petition every six months,” said Takarazuka City Mayor Tomoko Nakagawa.
Hyogo Prefecture dad arrested for confining mentally ill son in cage for over 20 years
Police in Hyogo Prefecture arrest a 73-year-old father for confining his mentally ill son to a cage in a prefabricated building for more than 20 years.
More body parts believed from missing Hyogo woman found in Osaka and Kyoto
Severed arms, legs and a torso were found in mountainous areas of Kyoto and Osaka two days after police discovered a human head during a search for a missing Hyogo Prefecture woman last seen with an American tourist.
