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Jessica Speed
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2024
Warm weather causes record-breaking delay for autumn foliage in Japan
In many regions, the vibrant color change has been pushed back by more than 10 days, according to a forecast released Wednesday.
The Miyagi Prefectural Government Building in Sendai. The prefecture plans to expand the option for a four-day workweek to all prefectural employees from fiscal 2026.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2024
Miyagi Prefecture to introduce four-day workweek for all employees
The program aims to reduce rising turnover and attract more applicants to government roles in Miyagi, the prefecture said.
Japanese fans are signing up for expensive travel packages to watch the World Series, which will see the Los Angeles Dodgers — including Japanese players Yoshinobu Yamamoto (center) and Shohei Ohtani (right) — take on the New York Yankees.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 25, 2024
World Series sparks travel frenzy among fans in Japan
Travel agencies are having a hard time keeping up with demand from baseball fans fired up by “Ohtanimania.”
Born in Sapporo in 1935, author Rieko Nakagawa ventured into writing while working as a nursery teacher. Her first book, “Iya Iya En” (No-No Nursery School), was published in 1962.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 17, 2024
Rieko Nakagawa, author of 'Guri and Gura,' dies at 89
The celebrated author behind some of Japan’s most beloved picture books died Monday of natural causes.
The Consumer Affairs Agency is warning against fake websites that lure consumers into purchasing unrelated or counterfeit products.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 10, 2024
Consumer watchdog warns against fake electronics sites
The sites, often promoted via social media ads, are luring consumers into purchasing unrelated or counterfeit products.
A bus is seen submerged in floodwaters in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on Aug. 29 as Typhoon Shanshan dumps torrential rain across southern regions of Japan.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 3, 2024
How climate change affects Japan's typhoons
The number of typhoons appears to be dropping, but the ones that do arrive are also becoming more violent.
A satellite image taken early on Monday morning shows Typhoon Krathon over the northern waters of the Philippines and Tropical Storm Jebi over the waters around the Ogasawara Islands.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2024
Pair of powerful storms to approach Japan this week
Tropical Storm Jebi and Typhoon Krathon are approaching Japan, threatening to unleash strong winds and heavy rainfall on Okinawa as well as Kanto.
A 13-year-old junior high school student receives a vaccine for the human papillomavirus at a hospital in Tokyo in 2022.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 27, 2024
Deadline approaches for free HPV vaccine 'catch-up' campaign
The government's free vaccination program requires the first dose to be administered by the end of September to complete the three-dose series before the campaign ends.
Prices for Umaibo sticks will be raised to ¥15 from current ¥12 starting October.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2024
Umaibo to puff up prices for the second time in two years
The company said rising costs for raw materials like corn and vegetable oil left it with no choice but to adjust the price.
Official Kinoko no Yama earphones by Meiji (right) next to a counterfeit product
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2024
Meiji blocks import of counterfeit Kinoko no Yama earphones
The original mushroom-shaped wireless earphones, a quirky iteration of the famous sweet treat, debuted in March on a limited run and quickly sold out.
An H2A rocket carrying an information gathering satellite is launched from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture in January. The latest launch of the rocket has been delayed for a second time.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2024
Mitsubishi Heavy cancels H2A rocket launch for the second time
Unsafe upper-level winds were behind the latest delay.
Asahidake in Daisetsuzan is located in the town of Higashikawa, Hokkaido, which ranked as the most comfortable municipality in 2024.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 9, 2024
Small Hokkaido town ranked most comfortable place to live in Japan
Higashikawa, a small town with a population of just 8,000, was rated highly due to its friendliness and safe environment.
One in three workers say they want to return to companies they have worked for before, a survey has found.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024
Many job changers in Japan consider returning to former employer, survey says
Reasons varied from shifts in personal circumstances after they quit their jobs, to a newfound appreciation for their former workplace after leaving.
A washed-up boat on the shore of the city of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday
JAPAN / Society
Sep 3, 2024
Typhoon-chaser's firsthand account of his pursuit of Shanshan
James Reynolds, who has built a career of venturing into the eye of nature's most ferocious storms, braved the elements as the cyclone bore down on Japan.
Elevated water levels on the Tama River in Kawasaki on Friday after Shanshan dumped torrential rain on wide areas of Japan.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2024
Slow-moving storm Shanshan downgraded to tropical depression
The storm lingered south of Mie Prefecture on Sunday afternoon, unleashing widespread torrential rain across the country.
A submerged area of Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on Thursday after Typhoon Shanshan dumped torrential rain throughout the Kyushu region.
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2024
Alerts issued for Tokyo area cities as Shanshan crawls across Japan
Multiple rivers in and around Tokyo threatened to spill their banks as the storm brought torrential rain.
A satellite image from Wednesday shows Typhoon Shanshan south of Kyushu as the storm was rapidly intensifying.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 30, 2024
From tropical storm to 'violent': Japan’s typhoon classifications
Japan's system differs from that used for hurricanes, and there also differences in how the storms are discussed in English versus Japanese.
Vehicles are stranded on flooded road on Thursday following heavy rains from Typhoon Shanshan in the city of Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2024
Heavy rain batters Japan after Typhoon Shanshan makes landfall in Kyushu
Later Thursday, Shanshan was downgraded to a severe tropical storm, but it was still bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the region and beyond.
A satellite image shows Typhoon Shanshan south of Kyushu on Wednesday afternoon
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2024
Typhoon Shanshan batters Kyushu ahead of likely landfall
Shanshan could make landfall later Thursday while still a very strong storm, and its slow movement means it will deliver dangerous impacts over a prolonged period.
Typhoon Shanshan as it moves closer to the Kyushu region in this satellite photo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 28, 2024
Why Typhoon Shanshan's movements are so difficult to predict
Meteorologists are finding the path of Typhoon Shanshan, a very strong and slow-moving storm, highly unpredictable.

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