rural life

More than 8 million homes lie abandoned across Japan, a symptom of the declining population and people's migration to major cities. For one company, this isn't just an ominous demographic signal, it is also a business opportunity. Katitas Co. is a house-flipper, deploying a business model ...

Empty homes now account for 13.6 percent of Japan’s housing stock, with the bulk of them concentrated in Yamanashi and Wakayama prefectures, government data show.

In picturesque Ago Bay, a couple sit in a little hut picking out oysters from a net, cleaning them carefully one-by-one before placing them gently back in the water. Their hope: in several months, these oysters will produce a glistening white pearl from a cultured ...

A mountainous village in Wakayama Prefecture will have the joint-smallest assembly in the country, represented by only five members, it said Tuesday, in the latest sign of the nation's declining population. The assembly of the village of Kitayama passed an ordinance to cut the number ...

It wasn't until he turned 18 that Daisuke Kuse saw businessmen dressed in dapper suits up close and personal. Until then, Kuse — having spent all of his childhood surrounded by working-class families and friends in a small town in Kyoto Prefecture — had ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the government plans to promote ride-sharing services that are currently banned in most areas to help improve the availability of transportation in rural areas. "It is necessary to review the current system from the standpoint of (transportation service) users," Abe ...

Earlier in the day, labor ministry officials had explained the idea to ruling lawmakers, but Suga said the ministry isn’t considering the move currently.

The central government will strengthen its financial support for programs in which elementary, junior high and high school students stay in the countryside in communities centered on farming, forestry and fishing. It hopes that such experiences will help urban children get interested in country life ...

An increasing number of foreign visitors are traveling off the beaten path and taking part in farm-stay programs to get a taste of the typical Japanese country life. It's hoped that the popularity of stays in traditional farming villages, which have helped attract overseas travelers ...

Buffalo trampled over it? Rain drenched it? Child dropped it? No problem! This solar flashlight can endure it all, said Bassi in a pitch to her neighbors in rural India to convince them to power their homes with clean energy instead of polluting fuels. Bassi ...

Ancient rites bend to an aging, shrinking population, but how much longer can local traditions hold out?