NEWSWORTHY
Number of abandoned homes in Japan edges up to record high of nearly 8.5 million
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.
Japan's cultured pearl farms still glisten, despite fears industry will fall victim to aging society
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 ...
Shrinking Wakayama village cuts assembly to five, tying Okinawa council for fewest members in Japan
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 ...
Entrepreneur's message to Japan's forgotten non-college-educated youth: You can choose your life
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 ...
Japan to pull a U-turn on ride-sharing ban in bid to fill transport gaps in rural areas, Abe says
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 ...
No Japan-wide minimum wage planned to tackle urban-rural gap ahead of foreign influx, says Suga
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.
Japan government to boost support for rural experience programs for children
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 ...
Getting away from it all: More overseas tourists to Japan opt for a taste of the 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 ...
Girl power! India's 'solar gal pals' light up Rajasthan's rural homes
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 ...
The death of a Japanese countryside festival
Ancient rites bend to an aging, shrinking population, but how much longer can local traditions hold out?
One man's labor-of-love museum captures Seto Inland Sea island's storied stone history
Build a stone museum and they will come? That's the idea behind the K's Labo museum on Kitagi Island in Okayama Prefecture.
Itoshima: How a beach community is drawing newcomers amid rural depopulation
Swapping his dress shoes and business suit for flip-flops and swimming trunks, Shingo Takei starts the day by walking to the beach to go stand-up paddleboarding. Instead of commuting to the office, the co-founder of a human resources startup returns home for breakfast and spends ...
