National Aug 24, 2019
The transport ministry will provide subsidies to help municipalities take safety measures to reduce the amount of vehicular traffic in areas close to nursery schools and other facilities where children are present.
Environment Jul 13, 2019
Hive of activity: Tapping into the buzz of backyard beekeeping in Japan
by John Spiri
The importance of bees to Japan's agricultural sector certainly isn't lost on domestic hobbyists.
National / Social Issues Jul 4, 2019
Okinawa farm kicks off vanilla bean project to employ the poor and disabled
by Kumiko Kanetomo
Taking a cue from soaring world prices for vanilla, an Okinawa farm has started cultivating the valuable spice in an initiative aimed at promoting the employment of low-income workers and people with disabilities. Vanilla, called "green gold" for the prices it fetches, requires a labor-intensive ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN May 25, 2019
Fatal traffic mishaps put drivers in the media spotlight
by Mark Schreiber
"Heartbreaking accidents have continued to occur although measures have been taken," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said ruefully at a meeting of government officials on May 21. Specifically, Abe was referring to two recent traffic incidents that occurred less than three weeks apart. He hopes someone ...
National May 9, 2019
Driver of car in Shiga crash that left two toddlers dead says she wasn't paying enough attention
The driver of a car involved in a crash in Otsu that left two pedestrians dead, a boy and girl, both 2, has told investigators she was not paying enough attention when she made a right turn and hit a minivehicle that was traveling ...
National May 8, 2019
Vehicle in crash hits group of toddlers in Shiga Prefecture, killing 2 and injuring 13 others
Two children died and 13 people were injured Wednesday after one of two vehicles that collided hit a group of nursery school students and teachers in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
National Mar 1, 2019
SDF draws fire for recruitment poster featuring female anime characters in skimpy costumes
by Masumi Koizumi
A Self-Defense Forces recruitment office in Shiga Prefecture has caused a stir by releasing a poster that features female anime characters wearing super-short skirts, which expose what appear to be underwear. Some people have described the image as a form of sexual harassment. The recruitment ...
National | Regional voices: Chubu Feb 18, 2019
World's masterpieces cast in Shigaraki ceramic at museum in Shikoku
The Otsuka Museum of Art in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, drew a lot of attention last year when popular singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu held his first live TV performance there on Dec. 31 for NHK's year-end "Kohaku Uta Gassen" ("Red and White Song Battle") music contest. Many ...
National Feb 8, 2019
City of Otsu to use AI to analyze past school bullying cases with an eye on future prevention
A city in Shiga Prefecture said Friday it plans to use artificial intelligence to predict the potential consequences of suspected cases of bullying at schools, in what would be the first such analysis by a municipality in the country. "Through an AI theoretical analysis of ...
National / Crime & Legal Jan 30, 2019
A 20-year-old former policeman pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally shooting his commanding officer at a police box in Shiga Prefecture in April, but sought leniency, with his lawyers citing his diminished capacity due to mental stress. The defendant, whose name has been withheld because he ...
National Dec 18, 2018
Human error led to GSDF mortar mishap in western Japan, probe finds
Failure to follow correct firing protocol and conduct necessary safety checks resulted in a Ground Self-Defense Force mishap last month in which shrapnel from a live mortar round hit a civilian car in western Japan, the GSDF said Tuesday. In the incident on Nov. 14, ...
National | Regional voices: Chubu Nov 5, 2018
Superrealistic face masks by Japan firm attract attention from facial-recognition system developers
Superrealistic plastic face masks produced by a firm in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, have recently attracted attention at home and abroad, from facial-recognition system developers to a Saudi Arabian royal family member. "Look, it makes your heart pound, doesn't it?" says Osamu Kitagawa, 60, president of ...