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Yukana Inoue
The University of Tokyo ranked 29th in the latest World Universities Rankings, up from 39th in last year’s report.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 28, 2023
Japanese universities move up in global rankings
The overall improvement is due to a change in methodology by Times Higher Education.
Tsushima Mayor Naoki Hitakatsu addresses the city's municipal assembly on Wednesday, announcing his decision not to take part in the government's preliminary survey to assess the suitability of a location as a nuclear waste disposal site.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 27, 2023
Tsushima mayor turns down request for nuclear waste site survey
The mayor expressed his decision at a municipal council meeting, saying that “there is not enough consensus building among citizens.”
Yahoo News is currently the most popular news portal site in Japan, with the highest number of partnerships with news providers.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 26, 2023
Yahoo News considers reviewing contracts with news providers
The announcement follows a report by the JFTC last week that warned that the platform's operator, Yahoo Japan, may be in a superior bargaining position.
Mitsubishi Chemical’s plan for a new semiconductor materials plant comes as the government makes investments in the domestic sector.
BUSINESS
Sep 25, 2023
Mitsubishi Chemical to open new semiconductor materials plant
Details on when or where it will be built or how much it will cost have not been decided, but Fukuoka Prefecture is reportedly a candidate location.
Leaves of marijuana plants from which hemp fibers are extracted at Japan's largest legal marijuana farm in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on July 5, 2016
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 21, 2023
Does a university cannabis scandal point to a larger trend?
A drugs scandal at Japan’s biggest university draws attention to a troubling statistic: Cannabis use among young people is on the rise.
Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki (left) and Nippon TV Chairman Yoshikuni Sugiyama shake hands during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023
Studio Ghibli set to become subsidiary of Nippon TV
Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki will assume the position of chairman while Hayao Miyazaki will be its honorary chairman.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, known as GaaSyy, at Narita Airport in June
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 19, 2023
In first court hearing, ex-lawmaker GaaSyy apologizes for defamation
Yoshikazu Higashitani admitted in court Tuesday to making defamatory remarks toward celebrities in videos he posted on social media.
Masanobu Ogura (center left), then-minister in charge of policies related to children, receives a petition from Hiroki Komazaki (center right), founder of nonprofit organization Florence, in Tokyo on Sept. 1.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Sep 18, 2023
Debate grows in Japan over proposed background checks for teachers
The Children and Families Agency is proposing to make screening for criminal convictions mandatory for people looking to work in schools or nurseries.
Fuji TV quoted tech journalist Yo Mikami as saying there is a chance that the suspect opened one of the victim's eyelids so he could unlock the smartphone.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 15, 2023
Two men arrested in Tokyo over alleged theft using Face ID
A 27-year-old Tunisian man allegedly used the victim’s smartphone to send ¥500,000 to the bank account of his 25-year-old friend.
Passengers wait to board a shinkansen at Kyoto Station.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023
Nozomi shinkansen to halt nonreserved seats during peak periods
The restriction will apply between Dec. 28 this year and Jan. 4 as well as the Golden Week and Bon holiday periods.
An increasing number of companies are saying they won't use Johnny & Associates performers in new commercials.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2023
More companies move away from Johnny’s over sex abuse scandal
Many firms say they won't work with the agency again until it hears how Johnny's will help the victims and prevent further incidents.
Commuters walk through the rain near Tokyo Station on Friday morning.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2023
Tropical Storm Yun-yeung brings heavy rain to Kanto region
The storm prompted evacuation orders in some areas amid record-breaking rain.
A woman shops for medicine at a drugstore in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 5, 2023
More young women overdosing on over-the-counter drugs
In a country where illicit drugs are hard to obtain, many have begun to abuse cough and cold medications, which are legal and easily accessible.
Nihon Coffin showcases its products at Endex Japan 2023, an annual funeral and cemetery exhibition that was held at Tokyo Big Sight from Aug. 29 to 31.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2023
End-of-life companies look to innovate as Japan's deaths keep rising
A record 1.57 million people died in 2022, up from 1.25 million in 2012, and facilities to store dead bodies are becoming increasingly scarce.
Visitors at the Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo on Aug. 25
JAPAN / Society
Sep 1, 2023
China banned seafood from Japan. Some tourists are eating it in Tokyo.
Travelers from China seem largely unfazed despite the ban, with many local seafood restaurants seeing little impact so far.
Nihon University's American football team restarts training on Aug. 11 in Tokyo after it was suspended.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 23, 2023
Nihon University scandal puts focus on 'collective responsibility'
Critics of the approach of punishing an entire team for wrongdoing by some say it can unfairly affect athletes that weren't involved.
Rakuyo Otsuki (center), CEO of event firm TryHard Japan, during a news conference in Osaka on Monday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 21, 2023
Festival organizer files criminal complaint over DJ Soda groping
TryHard Japan filed the report to the police against two men and a woman over their alleged groping of the DJ’s breast and hugging of her without consent.
A women-only passenger train in Tokyo
JAPAN / Explainer
Aug 18, 2023
DJ Soda incident spotlights prevalence of groping in Japan
The groping of the South Korean DJ at a festival spurred online conversations about the issue, with a term translating as "groping country" trending on X.
Mariko Hayashi, chairwoman of the board of trustees at Nihon University, bows to the media after giving a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 8, 2023
Nihon University chairwoman apologizes for student drug scandal
Mariko Hayashi denied reports that she was kept in the dark about facts surrounding the case, which involves the university's American football team.
Yuzuru Hanyu attends a photo session in Tokyo in September 2022.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Aug 5, 2023
Figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu announces marriage
Hanyu, who did not reveal the identity of his partner, said he will continue to skate to show the best version of himself.

Longform

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo is a popular place to foster curiosity in the natural sciences.
Can Japan's scientific community rebound from a Nobel nosedive?