National Oct 9, 2020
Hold your bets: Japan to delay taking bids to host casino resorts
The decision will also affect the opening of such facilities, originally scheduled for the mid-2020s.
National Sep 14, 2020
World's oldest naturally bred panda marks 28th birthday in Japan
A giant panda in a zoo in western Japan celebrated his 28th birthday, considered akin to over 80 years old in human years, on Monday with a cake made of ice and bamboo decorations adorning his enclosure. Male panda Eimei, born in Beijing, was recognized ...
National Sep 1, 2020
Dolphin 'drive hunting' season begins in Wakayama whaling town
The controversial hunting technique, in which fishermen herd dolphins and small whales into a cove where they can be killed or captured, was depicted in the 2009 documentary film "The Cove."
National Jul 15, 2020
‘Now is not the time’ for Go To Travel as virus spikes, say Japan local leaders
Despite the concerns, some leaders are welcoming the campaign as a needed economic boost.
National Jul 13, 2020
Sacred rope replaced above 133-meter waterfall at Japan World Heritage site
An event to replace a shimenawa sacred rope hanging above a World Heritage waterfall was held Monday to prepare for an upcoming festival at Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture. The event, which takes place twice a year, was initially scheduled for last Thursday ...
National Jul 7, 2020
Wakayama theme park gives panda couple bamboo for Star Festival
Adventure World staff prepared Tanabata-themed treats for two pandas who are the parents of nine and expecting another cub.
National Apr 19, 2020
Lack of aid guarantees divides prefectures over emergency business closures
by Eric Johnston
The possibility of closures has prompted concerns that without financial guarantees from the central government, the impact could devastate local economies.
National / Crime & Legal Mar 25, 2020
Osaka court rejects retrial over Wakayama curry poisoning murders
The Osaka High Court has rejected a retrial petition by an inmate who was sentenced to death for murdering four and sickening over 60 others in 1998, by poisoning curry served at a festival in Wakayama Prefecture. Lawyers for Masumi Hayashi, 58, plan to appeal ...
National Feb 17, 2020
Health hotlines in Japan flooded with coronavirus test requests
As the new coronavirus threatens to spread through Japan, hotlines for virus-related consultations are being flooded with requests from concerned people who want to be tested. While some government authorities have taken steps to handle the situation, including by adding telephone capacity, others are expected ...
National Feb 15, 2020
Eight more COVID-19 infections confirmed in Tokyo as Japan sees spate of domestic transmissions
As Japan struggles with a daily increase in the number of domestic cases of the COVID-19 virus, eight people in Tokyo are found to be infected.
National Feb 14, 2020
From Tokyo to Wakayama to Okinawa, Japan on edge as COVID-19 spreads
by Satoshi Sugiyama
Japan was on high alert Friday due to the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide, including that of two taxi drivers and a doctor, as well as the nation's first death blamed on the virus. The latest cases bring the number of people who ...
Business / Corporate Feb 7, 2020
Nippon Steel to halt Wakayama blast furnace and shut down Hiroshima plant
Japan's largest steel-maker, Nippon Steel Corp., said Friday it will halt two blast furnaces, one in the city of Wakayama and another in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, to accelerate a cutback in output amid deteriorating market conditions. The steel-maker's Kure Works in Hiroshima has two blast ...