UNESCO lists Kobushi mountains spanning Tokyo and three other prefectures as biosphere reserve
UNESCO on Wednesday added the Kobushi mountain region, which straddles part of Tokyo and three other prefectures, to its list of biosphere reserves, Japanese officials said. As of July last year, 686 areas in 122 countries have been designated as biosphere reserves — areas for ...
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-U.K. ties get boost with gift of thousands of cherry trees for British schools and parks
Thousands of cherry trees will be planted across Britain to celebrate its relationship with Japan, with a high school becoming the first site to get one. The initiative is being organized by Japanese individuals and companies in both countries as a symbol of friendship, and ...
Even Mount Fuji climbers who don't plan to push for the summit will be asked to pay up
Even hikers who have no intention of reaching the summit of Mount Fuji will be asked to make a donation of ¥1,000 for stepping foot on the country's highest mountain from this summer, local prefectures said Thursday. Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, which the 3,776-meter-high volcanic ...
Ruling bloc-backed candidate Kotaro Nagasaki wins Yamanashi gubernatorial election
Former House of Representatives member Kotaro Nagasaki won the Yamanashi Prefecture gubernatorial election Sunday with support from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc. Nagasaki, 50, who ran as an independent but with recommendations from the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, defeated three ...
Old-fashioned wine techniques for a forward-looking region
In the countryside of Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture, just north of Mount Fuji, a family-run operation has been making wine the old-fashioned way for almost 100 years: squeezing grapes by hand inside wooden presses. Every year in mid-October, Hitoshi Mitsumori, 54, along with his wife Kaori, ...
Gatekeeper at Japan's 'suicide forest' hopes music can save lives
From his hut on the edge of Japan's "suicide forest," Kyochi Watanabe blasts John Lennon's "Imagine" into the night — hoping that music can lift people from their despair before it's too late. The 60-year-old musician has been waging an eight-year battle to banish the ...
Japanese winemakers look to boost global brand as EU trade deal brings opportunities and challenges
In Japan, Yamanashi is synonymous with wine. As well as being famous for its spectacular views of Mount Fuji, the prefecture is the birthplace of domestic winemaking and it has become inextricably linked with the region's reputation for high-quality produce. His sights set on overseas markets, ...
In Yamanashi wine country, ancient shrine offers good luck charms with a tipple twist
Shrines typically sell good luck charms to visitors, but those from a shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture come with a twist and are gaining popularity. Kaikuni Ichinomiya Asama Shrine in Fuefuki is offering charms filled with local wine and an amulet to bring good health and ...
21-year prison term upheld for ex-NHK reporter found guilty of raping three women
A high court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a former reporter for public broadcaster NHK to 21 years in prison for raping three women. The defense for Yasutaka Tsurumoto, 30, claimed someone with a grudge against the former journalist may have ...
Yoshimasa Higashihara, a 35-year-old worker at Japan Airlines Co., worked for half a day at a cafe while he was on vacation in Singapore this year, drafting documents for a corporate event that was scheduled to take place right after he returned from his ...
Nine deaths and 28 injuries as summer leisure activities pick up pace
At least nine people died and 28 were injured across the nation Sunday during leisure activities on land and at sea, a tally shows. The hot, sunny weather across much of the country prompted many people to go outdoors for recreation, while crowds swamped amusement ...
