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Visitors strike a giant bell to mark the new year as a Buddhist monk looks on, at Zojoji temple in Tokyo on Jan. 1, 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 31, 2023

Ring in the new year on your phone: Apps offer alternate to Japan temple tradition

Smartphone apps are aiming to offer alternative ways to enjoy a noisy New Year's tradition.
Paper pulp processed from used disposable diapers
JAPAN / Society
Jan 2, 2024

Graying Japan pushes to recycle disposable diapers to curb waste

The amount of diaper waste grew to 2.2 million tons in fiscal 2020. While efforts are being made to recycle them, high costs remain a hurdle.
An aerial view shows fire after the earthquake in a residential area of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Monday.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2024

In pictures: The aftermath of the New Year's Day quake in Japan

Scenes of the aftermath of an earthquake, registered at the highest level on Japan’s intensity scale, that struck a coastal area as the nation was marking New Year’s Day.
Police conduct a large-scale search at the Wajima Morning Market, which was destroyed by fire following the New Year's Day earthquake, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2024

Japan quake death toll tops 200 as police comb burned-down market

Police searched a market devastated by fire in Ishikawa Prefecture following the massive Jan. 1 earthquake, as the number of missing fell from 323 to 102.
The streets of disaster-hit Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture on Wednesday
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2024

Quake-hit Noto and Sea of Japan coast face heavy snowfall

Authorities have warned of possible road closures and the suspension of public transportation due to icy roads and snow.
Vietnamese people take Japanese lessons in Hanoi in June 2023 before heading to Japan to work.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2024

Number of foreign workers in Japan surpasses 2 million for first time

Tokyo has the largest population of foreign workers, followed by Aichi and Osaka prefectures.
A Banei Keiba horse race takes place at the Obihiro racecourse in Hokkaido on Dec. 9. The unpredictable stop-and-start drama of the world's slowest horse race has drawn new fans.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2024

'Suspense' of slowest horse race wins new fans in Japan

At the Banei Keiba races in Hokkaido, spectators cheer on workhorses moving at the pace of a brisk human walk.
Domino's Pizza Japan has apologized for a video of its employee pretending to pick his nose and wipe it on pizza dough.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 13, 2024

Domino's apologizes over online video of employee's pizza antics

The pizza delivery giant's move came after a video surfaced online Monday of an employee pretending to pick his nose and wipe it on pizza dough.
The Central Social Insurance Medical Council has adopted a proposal to increase outpatient fees in order to boost the salaries of health care workers.
JAPAN
Feb 15, 2024

Japan to raise outpatient visit fees to increase workers' pay

In order to increase pay for young doctors, nursing staff and pharmacists, basic hospitalization fees and outpatient fees will be raised.
The government plans to establish a system that allows any child to enroll in day care establishments regardless of whether their parents work or not.
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2024

Japan's Cabinet OKs bill on measures to tackle falling birthrate

The bill includes plans to expand child benefits and establish a system allowing any child to enroll in day care establishments.
The health ministry has adopted its first guidelines on alcohol consumption to raise awareness of its health risks.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 19, 2024

Japan draws up guidelines on alcohol consumption

The guidelines set out the amount of alcohol consumed that raises the risk of developing diseases, in a bid to encourage people to drink in moderation.
CocoDesk private work booths set up by Fujifilm Business Innovation and Tokyo Metro at a subway station in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2024

Demand for private work booths grows in Japan

The increase in the use of private work booths reflects how working styles have become more diverse since the pandemic.
Education Minister Masahito Moriyama bows to parliament after a motion of no confidence against him was voted down in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2024

Japan opposition fails with censure motion against education minister

The CDP's move against a Unification Church-linked minister came as the party also called for questioning over a slush funds scandal.
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in 2018
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 20, 2024

Japan considers revoking permanent resident status of tax dodgers

Immigration authorities are considering revoking the residency status of foreign permanent residents who evade or repeatedly delay paying their taxes.
Older people take part in a rhythm game competition at Chiba City Hall on Oct. 17.
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2024

Esports gain traction at welfare facilities in Japan

Esports is being used in part with the aim of preserving cognitive functions in elderly people.
Electron micrograph of Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 26, 2024

Syphilis cases hit record high for third straight year in Japan

While the precise reasons for the surge in reported cases remain unclear, experts have identified several potential contributing factors.
A plan is being considered to transfer residents and tourists from the Sakishima islands via Kagoshima and Fukuoka airports in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2024

Japan mulls Taiwan contingency evacuation routes for remote islands

The envisioned evacuation plans will be drawn up by prefectural governments in fiscal 2024.
The Cabinet approved a bill on Tuesday to provide a better support for victims of sex crimes and the bereaved families of murder victims.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 5, 2024

Japan to boost legal aid for crime victims and bereaved families

A new bill is designed to reduce the mental and financial burdens of victims and bereaved families.
Police stations in Tokyo's Minato Ward hold a cycling safety event in Tokyo in August.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2024

Japan to introduce 'blue ticket' fine system for cyclists

Fines are expected to be between some ¥5,000 ($33) and ¥12,000, the same as those for traffic violations by motorized scooter riders.
An Upper House budget committee session for questions and answers on the fiscal 2024 draft budget held Wednesday
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 6, 2024

Japan's huge draft budget raises questions over fiscal accountability

The government allocates reserves and determines their use at Cabinet meetings, requiring only retroactive approval by parliament.
The National Police Agency conducted its first survey on social media-linked investment frauds and romance scams as the amount of damage from such cases surged last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2024

Damage from investment and romance scams in Japan hits ¥45.5 billion

The figure was higher than ¥44.12 billion stolen in remittance and other special fraud cases, according to police data.
Boeing has faced a series of quality control issues, most recently in a hair-raising incident in January when a door-sized panel blew off the fuselage of a Boeing 737 Max 9.
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2024

Wheel falls off Boeing passenger jet heading to Japan from U.S.

United Airlines said there were 249 people on board the Osaka-bound jet.
Schoolchildren wearing padded hoods to protect themselves from falling debris take part in an earthquake simulation drill at an elementary school in Tokyo in August 2018.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 10, 2024

13 years after 3/11, Japan's readiness for complex disasters remains inadequate

The Noto Peninsula earthquake has highlighted gaps in Japan's preparedness for a complex disaster, experts warn.
A group of Vietnamese care workers attend a send-off event before heading to Japan, in Trung Hoa, Vietnam, 2014.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2024

Japan to adjust structure of care worker exam, easing path to success

The revisions will allow those who fail in the exam but receive passing scores for certain test sections to be exempted from retaking those sections.
Cannabis and related products seized from a house in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, are displayed in the city of Fukuoka in January.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2024

Number of young marijuana offenders hits record high in Japan

The figure for cannabis cases involving those under 20 had decreased for the first time in nine years in 2022, but increased 34% in 2023.
Alzheimer's drug lecanemab. A new trial is the world's first to combine lecanemab with a different drug.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 15, 2024

Japan starts clinical trial of familial Alzheimer's treatment

The clinical trial is under way in 16 countries, with four people in their 30s to 50s participating in Japan.
Children and teachers walk past an electronic screen displaying Japan's Nikkei share average outside a brokerage in Tokyo on March 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 19, 2024

Japan OKs bill on background checks for work involving children

Once the bill becomes a law, employers will be able to screen prospective employees for past history of sex offenses via the Children and Families Agency.
The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 21, 2024

Tokyo clinic director fails to report ¥1 billion COVID-19 subsidy

The director received subsidies to perform PCR tests and outsourced testing services, but an audit showed she had not paid some ¥1 billion to outsourcers.
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in lawsuits seeking damages for Minamata disease hold banners outside the Kumamoto District Court in the city of Kumamoto on Friday, criticizing the ruling as “unjust.”
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 22, 2024

Japan court rejects redress claims by unrecognized Minamata victims

Across Japan, nearly 1,800 individuals have filed similar lawsuits, with 1,400 cases consolidated in the Kumamoto district court.
The combined number of new AIDS patients and other HIV carriers came to 960, according to preliminary data released by the health ministry on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024

New HIV carriers in Japan up for the first time in seven years

The health ministry attributed the rise to a recovery in the number of HIV test takers after a drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Longform

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