NEWSWORTHY
National / Crime & Legal May 20, 2019
The Osaka High Court has upheld a lower court ruling sentencing a man to 30 years in prison for murdering a man and injuring his three children at their home in Osaka Prefecture in 2016. The high court on Monday rejected appeals by prosecutors who ...
National May 20, 2019
West Japan Railway Co. conducted anti-terrorist drills on a bullet train and at a station ahead of next month's Group of 20 summit in Osaka next month. JR West carried out the drills Monday in cooperation with the Hyogo Prefectural Police and the fire department ...
Food & Drink May 18, 2019
Imagination Pika Space: Building a new world of art, music and soul food
by Matt Kaufman
A desire to promote self-expression and creative endeavors inspired Haruki Kumagai to open the Imagination Pika Space performance venue and bar in Osaka's Shinsekai neighborhood.
National May 17, 2019
Tight security expected for G20 summit in Osaka, with no lockers or trash cans at stations
Osaka will be put under tight security during the Group of 20 summit in late June as local authorities plan to suspend the use of trash cans and coin lockers at stations and limit road traffic as a preventive measure against terrorism. From June 24 ...
Commentary / Japan May 16, 2019
Japan's global moment is upon us
by Joshua W. Walker
Japan's role as a global bridge-builder facilitating dialogue between international order and revisionist forces has never been more necessary.
National May 16, 2019
Osaka's Tobita Shinchi red light district to be closed for G20 summit to 'avoid causing disruption'
A major red light district in Osaka will be closed during the Group of 20 summit in late June, the first such occurrence in 30 years, a local restaurant association said Thursday. All 159 members of the Tobita Shinchi association will not operate during the ...
Business May 15, 2019
Japan IR Expo opens in Osaka as candidates step up efforts to win integrated casino resort licenses
by Eric Johnston
With the cities of Osaka and Wakayama stepping up their efforts to win a legalized integrated casino resort, the Japan IR Expo opened Wednesday in Osaka. The two-day event was attended by six international casino operators, including MGM Resorts Japan LLC, Melco Resorts & Entertainment ...
National May 14, 2019
Osaka welcomes UNESCO support for burial mounds as World Heritage Site
Osakans on Tuesday welcomed a UNESCO advisory panel's recommendation to add two clusters of ancient burial mounds in the prefecture to the World Cultural Heritage List. "We are happy that the ancient tumulus clusters were deemed appropriate as World Heritage sites," Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said. ...
National / Politics May 14, 2019
Xi visit to Japan as state guest to be put off until next year: sources
Japan and China are making arrangements for President Xi Jinping to visit Tokyo as a state guest next year, rather than this year as initially planned, due to a tight schedule, according to sources familiar with the situation. During his visit to China last October, ...
Business May 14, 2019
Trump says he will meet Xi at Osaka G20 summit after defiant China hits U.S. with new tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next month as the trade war between the world's two largest economies intensified, sending shivers through global markets. China announced earlier it would impose higher tariffs on a range of U.S. ...
National / Politics May 13, 2019
China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, to visit Japan starting Thursday
China's top diplomat will start a three-day visit to Japan on Thursday that will include a meeting with national security adviser Shotaro Yachi, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday. Yang Jiechi is likely to work out details of President Xi Jinping's planned visit to Japan ...