NEWSWORTHY
Japanese ex-policeman gets 22 years for fatally shooting boss in Shiga
A 20-year-old former policeman was sentenced Friday to 22 years in prison for shooting his boss to death at a police box in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, last April. In handing down the ruling, presiding Judge Hiroki Ito of the Otsu District Court said the man ...
Is farming in Japan on its last legs?
With a declining agricultural workforce, there are concerns about how Japan will tackle food self-sufficiency and maintain its landscapes, cultural heritage and vitality of its countryside villages.
Midori Farm: Finding earthy solutions in rural Shiga
Nonprofit turns neglected land into productive farmland and brings together foreign volunteers and local people.
'Signs of Life: The Works Originated in Shiga'
Oct. 3-Nov. 23 Shiga Prefecture is known for supporting a number of talented art brut artists — those who have not received formal artistic education. The term "art brut" was originally coined by the French painter Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) as a term to describe art ...
Lawmaker Takaya Muto denies involvement in stock fraud, says he won't resign
Embattled Lower House lawmaker Takaya Muto on Wednesday dismissed an allegation that he was involved in investment fraud and said he had no plans to resign from the Diet. A recent issue of weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that Muto had asked an acquaintance to ...
Shiga Prefecture mulls name change to draw more visitors
What's in a name? For Shiga Prefecture, it's a question of identity, and one that residents will have a formal opportunity to consider changing next month. Shiga Gov. Taizo Mikazuki said Monday the prefecture will conduct a survey in June of 3,000 residents, asking them ...
Writer inducted into intricacies of country life shares her story
Home for Rebecca Otowa is a 350-year-old farmhouse nestled on the edge of a tiny village in Shiga Prefecture, where generations of her husband's family have lived. It is a lifestyle she has grown to cherish since arriving in rural Kansai as a bride ...
