National Jul 18, 2021
Kyoto Animation Co. held a memorial service on Sunday for the 36 victims of an arson attack two years ago on one of its studios, one of Japan's worst mass murders.
National / Social Issues Jul 13, 2021
Kyoto drug recovery facility divides local community
by Atsushi Takeda
The opening of a home for ex-addicts drives a wedge between residents, but gains support of student groups.
Business | View from Osaka Jul 2, 2021
Amid overspending, Kyoto stares down threat of bankruptcy
by Eric Johnston
Some might attribute the city’s financial woes to COVID-19’s impact on tourism, but the mayor puts the lion's share of the blame elsewhere.
National / Crime & Legal Jun 11, 2021
Lawsuit seeks return of Ryukyu remains nearly a century after they were brought to Kyoto
by Eric Johnston
The suit has also prompted discussion over the status of Ryukyuans, whom the government has not recognized as indigenous.
National Jun 8, 2021
Threats sent to Japanese town over COVID-19 youth vaccination program
The town of Ine in Kyoto Prefecture was accused of "committing murder" with its plan to inoculate those between the ages of 12 and 15.
National | View from Osaka Jun 4, 2021
Tokyo Games pose risk for Kansai's already strained medical system
by Eric Johnston
In the Kansai region, people are anxious that those involved with the Tokyo Games may catch the virus and bring it back west.
National / Science & Health May 27, 2021
Japan to extend COVID-19 state of emergency to June 20, official says
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters the government will consult with an expert panel on Friday on the extension.
National May 21, 2021
While new COVID-19 cases are decreasing, Kansai is not yet out of the woods
by Eric Johnston
“Although we’re finally starting to see a decrease in the number of Kansai-area infections, we have to see whether this trend will continue," a prominent medical adviser said.
Music May 21, 2021
by Patrick St. Michel
Japanese rappers are beginning to share more about their own experiences in their tracks, an approach Daichi Yamamoto says is upping the standards for domestic hip-hop.
Business / Corporate May 14, 2021
Forklift driving becomes a desk job with Phantom-Mitsubishi deal
by River Davis
Via the tie-up, the firms will offer forklifts that can rove around a warehouse in California, controlled by workers sitting at a desk a continent away.
National May 10, 2021
Suga support rate hits new low after virus emergency extension
by Isabel Reynolds
Asked whether they approved of his government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, 63% of respondents to a JNN survey said they did not, a 13 percentage point increase.
National May 8, 2021
The country recorded 148 deaths, while COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms hit an all-time high of 1,131 as the daily number of new infections topped 6,000, the highest since mid-January.