and two other South Koreans seeking information on relatives who were slave laborers in Japan during the war take part in a ceremony Friday in Tokyo as others hold photos of three North Koreans who were denied visas. SATOKO KAWASAKI PHOTO

The only information he has found so far is that his father was forced to be a coxswain on a wooden ship that moved supplies for the Imperial Japanese Army in the South Pacific.

Our Planet

Rice fields in the town of Ozu, Kumamoto Prefecture. The water-filled paddies glistening under the sun is a symbol of a long-running effort to preserve the prefecture’s groundwater.
Japan's chipmaking rush pressures Kumamoto's special water supply

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?