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February 22, 2025
 

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Jessica Speed
Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture. As the flames move dangerously close to residential neighborhoods, officials from the city issued evacuation orders late Thursday.
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2025
Wildfire rages in Iwate as firefighters struggle to contain blaze
No injuries or property damage from the wildfire have been reported so far.
Local authorities on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of three hotel staff members who went missing in the city of Fukushima on Monday.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2025
Three hotel staffers found dead after going missing in Fukushima mountains
The three men were found collapsed in the snow near the hot spring source at around noon on Tuesday.
A "biohybrid" robot hand developed by a research team from the University of Tokyo and Waseda University
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 13, 2025
Japanese research team develops world’s largest 'biohybrid' robot hand
Lack of nutrients, necrosis and muscle fiber alignment issues have limited the scale of previous "biohybrid" systems.
A car is buried under snow in a residential parking lot in the city of Toyama on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2025
Heavy snow blankets Japan with one dead and four severely injured
More snowfall is expected through Saturday as another wave of frigid air moves in.
Snow-covered streets in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Tuesday
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2025
Record-breaking snowfall hits Hokkaido as cold front sweeps Japan
The cold air mass is expected to fluctuate in intensity and persist until the weekend, with heavy snow forecast for Hokkaido, Tohoku and Hokuriku later this week.
Construction workers near a sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Monday
JAPAN / Society / EXPLAINER
Feb 3, 2025
Why it's taking so long to reach the driver trapped in a Saitama sinkhole
The biggest challenge for the operation, now in its seventh day, is that the sinkhole continues to expand, complicating the rescue efforts.
A sinkhole at an intersection on a road in the city of Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday morning
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 31, 2025
Heavy machinery to be deployed in bid to save man trapped in Saitama sinkhole
To stabilize the site and facilitate rescue efforts, crews are excavating a 4-meter-wide, 30-meter-long ramp to deploy heavy equipment and clear debris.
Efforts continued Thursday to rescue a 74-year-old truck driver trapped in a massive sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2025
74-year-old truck driver trapped in Saitama sinkhole for third day
Witnesses reported that the ground collapsed moments before the truck drove over the area, sending the vehicle plummeting into the chasm.
Tokyo is expected to lead the season with its first cherry blossoms on March 21, followed by Fukuoka, Kochi and Hiroshima prefectures as well as the city of Yokohama on March 22.
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2025
Cherry blossom season predicted to begin in Tokyo on March 21
This year’s cherry blossom season is expected to align with or slightly precede historical averages in western and eastern Japan.
Firefighters and others work to rescue a truck driver who fell into a sinkhole at a Saitama prefectural road intersection in Yashio on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2025
Massive sinkhole engulfs truck in Saitama, trapping driver inside
The sinkhole is believed to have been caused by an underground sewage pipe rupturing.
Hokkaido Railway temporarily suspended train services after a 61-year-old Chinese tourist was fatally struck by a train in the city of Otaru, Hokkaido, on Thursday morning.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2025
Chinese tourist fatally struck by train in Hokkaido
The woman entered the Hakodate Line tracks near Asari Station in Otaru to photograph the ocean with her phone.
The crime scene where three people were attacked near JR Nagano Station on Wednesday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 23, 2025
Search for suspect underway after fatal stabbing at Nagano Station
One person died in the attack, which happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday, while two others sustained injuries.
The Gifu Prefectural Police Headquarters. A man living in the city of Seki's Oze district called the police on Tuesday after noticing animal remains loosely buried in his garden, according to the Gifu Shimbun.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 22, 2025
Animal remains again found buried in Gifu Prefecture flower bed
Investigators suspect a connection between the two incidents, believing that the remains have been buried deliberately.
A reproduction experiment was conducted by placing two gas stoves side by side and heating large iron plates (top photo). The canister on the left stove overheated and ruptured (bottom photo).
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2025
Warnings issued for portable stoves as winter usage increases
The most common issue was improper canister placement leading to overheating and rupture, resulting in fatalities, burns and property damage.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Ispace's Resilience lunar lander lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 15, 2025
Japanese space startup launches second bid for historic moon landing
A successful landing would make Ispace the first private Asian company to touch down on the moon.
Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada with the countdown clock for the launch of the startup's lunar lander, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Thursday
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 10, 2025
Japanese space startup readies for second lunar lander launch
Ispace's Resilience lander will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A ceiling collapse at a demolition site in the city of Chiba trapped three workers in the rubble.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2025
Two dead after ceiling collapse at demolition site traps three workers
According to the fire department, the collapse caused debris to fall from the second floor to the ground, trapping the workers.
A portable charger containing a lithium-ion battery that overheated in an accident during a reenactment experiment in December at the Consumer Affairs Agency
JAPAN / Society
Jan 7, 2025
Consumer Affairs Agency warns of risks from battery-powered heated devices
Injury reports linked to lithium-ion battery-powered heating gear have surged over the last 10 years.
A falconer during the Suwa Falconry Preservation Society's event in Tokyo on Friday. Falconry predates recorded history, originating, scholars believe, when nomadic herders observed birds of prey hunting and recognized their potential as partners.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 5, 2025
Tokyo falconers keep ancient traditions soaring
While a recent showcase was all about fun and education, like other sports involving animals, falconry is also serious business for competitors at the upper echelons of the sport.
From Dec. 9 to Dec. 15, there were 94,259 flu cases reported across some 5,000 hospitals and clinics nationwide, according to the health ministry.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 24, 2024
Health ministry urges caution as flu cases rise nationwide
There were 94,259 cases of the flu reported across some 5,000 hospitals and clinics nationwide in the second week of December.
Yen advances past ¥150 per dollar as BOJ rate-hike bets ramp up
The Japanese currency climbed as much as 1% to ¥149.95 against the dollar on Thursday, a level it hasn’t touched since Dec. 9.
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
Record percentage of Japanese firms plan wage hikes, survey shows
Some 61.9% of over 11,000 surveyed companies intend to pledge pay increases as part of annual wage negotiations culminating in March, according to a survey by Teikoku Databank.
Japan’s inflation speeds up, keeping BOJ on rate hike path
A customer visits a store along the Togoshi Ginza shopping street in Tokyo on Jan. 23. Rising fresh food prices contributed to the acceleration in overall inflation in January, as vegetable prices, including cabbage, soared.
Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of regular season with blood clot
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (right) is expected to miss the rest of the NBA season, the team announced on Thursday.
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown ready to sprint past Paris disappointment
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (center) runs during a 100-meter heat at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3, 2024.
What is the ceiling for sumo’s newest yokozuna?
Newly promoted grand champion Hoshoryu (center) performs a dedication ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 31.
‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight
“Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” centers on a real-life love triangle between poet Chuya Nakahara (Taisei Kido, left), actor Yasuko Hasegawa (Suzu Hirose, center) and literary critic Hideo Kobayashi (Masaki Okada).
Japan’s English-language education doesn’t pass the test
One-third of elementary school students in Japan do not like learning English, according to a 2021 poll, an 8% rise since 2013. The pressure of taking proficiency tests is eroding children's engagement with studying English and its benefits.

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