NEWSWORTHY
Over five years, 372 boats thought to be from North Korea have reached Japan, with 77 bodies
The number of cases in which wooden boats believed to be from North Korea were found either adrift off the Sea of Japan coast or washed up on Japanese shores totaled 372 over the five years from fiscal 2013, the government has said. A total ...
Four men claiming to be from North Korea rescued in western Japan
Four men claiming to be from North Korea arrived on an island in western Japan on Tuesday, after their boat apparently lost power and came under the protection of Japanese authorities, police said. A wooden boat about 9.3 meters long and 2.4 meters wide was ...
Overnight stays at Shimane 'dinosaur hotel' museum gaining popularity
The Okuizumo Tane Museum of Natural History in Okuizumo, Shimane Prefecture, is a rare complex that is both a museum and hotel, and a recent dinosaur exhibition has seen it become a real hit with children. Following the end of normal business hours at around ...
Stoke the flames of tradition on Shimane’s ‘Iron Road’
Shimane Prefecture is an under-discovered wealth of history, natural beauty and high-quality artisan crafts — such as katana-quality steel. On this drive-yourself adventure step straight into Irontown and immerse yourself in the history and culture of tatara steel production.
Lafcadio Hearn's great-grandson working to boost number of foreign visitors to Matsue museum
An improved English service offered by the great-grandson of Lafcadio Hearn, who wrote numerous books about Japan in the late 19th century, has helped to boost the number of foreign visitors to a museum in western Japan dedicated to the author. Since the 2016 renovation ...
Five people injured after strong earthquake rattles Shimane Prefecture
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 hit Shimane Prefecture early Monday, injuring five people. Authorities warned of the possibility of another powerful temblor within the next week or so. According to the Meteorological Agency, the quake, which also caused a blackout and disrupted ...
Tokyo highlights claim to Takeshima sovereignty after dispute with Seoul reaches Olympics
Cabinet Office official Yuhei Yamashita attended the annual Takeshima Day ceremony together with Shimane Deputy Gov. Takayuki Fujihara, as South Koreans protested in front of Japan’s embassy in Seoul.
Japan sees 13th high court rule 2017 election vote disparities were constitutional
The Matsue branch of the Hiroshima High Court on Wednesday found vote disparity in the October 2017 House of Representatives election to be constitutional, delivering the 13th such ruling among 16 lawsuits on the matter. The court rejected a petition by a lawyer group seeking ...
Airport hits sweet spot as honey proves to be runway success
Can sticky stuff stop the young leaving a small city in Shimane and bring in visitors too?
Seaplane line may launch sightseeing flights over Sea of Japan, Seto Inland Sea
The nation's only seaplane company is thinking of launching a new service for tourists next spring to show off parts of western Japan facing the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea. Setouchi Seaplanes plans to fly its amphibious Kodiak 100s between the Sanin ...
U.S. help may be necessary to help evacuate Japanese from South Korea: Kono
U.S. cooperation may be needed to evacuate Japanese nationals from South Korea in the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, Foreign Minister Taro Kono has said. In principle, Japanese nationals should leave by commercial aircraft or by other means, but U.S. help will ...
Matsue mayor to visit sister city in South Korea for first time in 10 years
The mayor of Matsue will visit the city's sister city in South Korea for the first time in nearly a decade to resume exchanges that were interrupted due to a territorial dispute over a pair of islets, the Japanese city said Tuesday. Matsue Mayor Masataka ...
