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The outcome of the U.S. election may mark the beginning of the end of the era of “American exceptionalism” and should concern its allies such as Japan.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 7, 2024

What does Trump's victory mean for Japan?

The outcome of the U.S. presidential race is a reflection of the democratic will of the American people and the countries allies must adapt to this new reality.
Fukushiro Nukaga of the Liberal Democratic Party is reappointed as speaker of the House of Representatives on Friday, following an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 8, 2024

LDP's Nukaga to be reappointed Japan Lower House speaker

The parties also agreed to name Koichiro Genba of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) as vice speaker.
Solar panels installed along the coastline of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. Due to the relative ease of starting solar power generation, mega solar power plants have been installed rapidly across the country.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2024

Japan to mandate solar panel recycling when lifespan ends

The number of panels reaching the end of their lifespans is projected to start rising sharply in the mid-2030s.
Last year, cashews were responsible for 279 of 6,033 allergy cases, or 4.6%, making them the seventh most common allergenic food.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 11, 2024

Japan weighs mandatory allergen labeling for cashew nuts

Cashews nuts caused 37 cases of severe anaphylactic shock last year, making them the fifth most common trigger.
The Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture. Tohoku Electric expects to resume power generation using the reactor within this week and says no changes will be made to its plan to restart commercial operation next month.
JAPAN
Nov 13, 2024

Onagawa nuclear reactor in northeastern Japan restarted after issue

Tohoku Electric Power expects to resume power generation using the reactor within this week.
An expert committee convened by the health ministry has proposed introducing a limit on consecutive workdays.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 13, 2024

Japan to ban employees from working for 14 consecutive days

Employers are currently required to provide one day off a week, but loopholes mean some employees can work up to 48 days in a row.
For patients using donanemab, it will cost them about ¥3.08 million per year. But national insurance coverage will have the government shoulder most of the cost.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 13, 2024

Japan OKs insurance coverage of Alzheimer's drug donanemab

Donanemab became the second Alzheimer's drug that targets causative deposited plaque in the brain to win the coverage after lecanemab.
The Japanese government and the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party are discussing a plan to set the date for convening an extraordinary session of parliament on Nov. 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Japan eyes extraordinary session of parliament from Nov. 28

The session will be convened to discuss a fiscal 2024 supplementary budget that will finance a planned economic package.
Administrative Reform Minister Masaaki Taira at an autumn review session for national programs on Thursday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Reform minister says Japan will monitor Musk's approach to government efficiency

"We will closely follow the approach and incorporate it into our administrative reform efforts," Administrative Reform Minister Masaaki Taira noted.
Ground Self-Defense Force vehicles during training in Yokohama on Oct. 17
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2024

Human error behind Osprey accident on remote Japan island: GSDF

During Japan-U.S. joint exercises on Oct. 27, the Osprey keeled over when taking off from a GSDF camp in Yonaguni, and the left wing touched the ground and was damaged.
A SeaGuardian unmanned drone is seen at the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hachinohe Air Base in Aomori Prefecture in June last year.
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2024

MSDF to deploy U.S.-made SeaGuardian surveillance drones

The Defense Ministry said Friday it plans to procure a total of 23 SeaGuardian drones over the next 10 years or so.
The group executive is denying violating the employment security law, while the other four have admitted to it, according to sources.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 19, 2024

Japan police arrest executive of group referring women to sex trade

According to the sources, the group, called "Akusesu," had about 160 members who used aliases among themselves.
The National Consumer Affairs Center reported 1,997 consultations about water dispensers nationwide last fiscal year — an increase 1.4 times that of the previous year.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2024

Misleading water dispenser contracts in Japan lead to surge in inquiries

The National Consumer Affairs Center reported 1,997 consultations nationwide last fiscal year — an increase 1.4 times that of the previous year.
The plaintiff-side lawyers hold up papers displaying the judgment details in the lawsuit against the Atsugi Air Base, in Yokohama on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2024

Japanese court rejects injunction against flights at Atsugi Air Base

The lawsuit focused on changes in levels of base-related noise since U.S. carrier-based aircraft were relocated to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
There have been confirmed cases across the country of fraudsters using credit card information stolen through phishing to obtain digital currencies managed by local governments.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2024

Japan's local digital currencies increasingly exploited by fraudsters

The fraudsters are believed to be targeting such currencies for the rewards that come with purchasing or making payments in the currencies.
Iwao Hakamata at his home in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, in October. The former boxer was acquitted of a 1966 quadruple murder in September after a retrial.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2024

Chief prosecutor in central Japan to apologize in person to Iwao Hakamata

The head of the Shizuoka District Public Prosecutor's Office is expected to meet the former boxer recently acquitted of a quadruple murder over his lengthy legal battle.
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 21, 2024

Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps

Ease of meeting a wide range of people is likely the biggest appeal of app use, underscoring a major shift in how young people meet their partners.
In Japan, 35% of students graduate with a degree in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — compared with 38% in the U.S., 42% in South Korea and Germany and 45% in Britain.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 21, 2023

Japan to give ¥300 billion to universities expanding science education

As the country's R&D status continues to drop, the ministry’s new program aims to fund schools pivoting toward STEM subjects.
A safety course for electric scooters offered in Tokyo in June
JAPAN / Explainer
Jul 21, 2023

Bike, scooter, taxi? Here are your options for nonrail transit in Japan

Here's a rundown on your options and how best to utilize them — whether your a tourist or long-time resident.
Nadeshiko Japan celebrates after defeating the United States in the 2011 Women's World Cup final in Frankfurt, Germany.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Nadeshiko Japan's Women's World Cup glory now distant memory

Japan begins its latest World Cup campaign against Zambia on Saturday, but is ranked 11th now and no longer among the favorites.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade disembark from a V-22 Osprey at Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in July 2022.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2023

GSDF amphibious unit now seen as 'partner' of U.S. Marines

The GSDF unit and the U.S. Marine Corps have conducted many joint exercises, and the two sides can now work together in higher-level operations, according to GSDF Col. Taisuke Fujimura.
Akie Abe holds a news conference in Taipei on Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2023

Akie Abe wraps up Taiwan trip, continuing late husband's legacy

Akie Abe traveled to the self-ruled island to continue her husbands legacy of reorienting Japan’s policy toward Taiwan.
People walk with umbrellas to shade against the sun in Tokyo's Ginza area on Saturday. The Meteorological Agency announced the same day that the rainy season was believed to have ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tohoku regions.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2023

Eastern Japan exits rainy season as high temperatures continue

Compared with an average year, the rainy season ended three days later in the Kanto-Koshin region, the agency said.
An intensive care unit of the city children's hospital, damaged by a Russian military strike, in Kherson, Ukraine, on Jan. 1
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2023

Ukrainians take home medical skills acquired in Japan

In response to Russia's prolonged invasion of Ukraine, Juntendo University in Tokyo set up a system to continue providing support in line with the requests of Ukrainians in Japan.
Yuna Kato says relatives have tried to steer her away from careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 30, 2023

Japan on a mission to attract more women into STEM fields

In the IT field alone, the country is looking at a shortfall of 790,000 workers by 2030, largely due to a severe underrepresentation of women.
The Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Tourists are flocking to Kyoto and other popular spots in Japan, highlighting the country's severe shortage of hotel staff.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023

As tourism booms, Japan struggles with labor shortages and weary locals

The return of tourists has given the country a boost, but it has also highlighted several issues, including a severe lack of hotel staff.
A fire ant found at a container terminal in the Port of Tokyo
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2023

Japan to test fire ant sniffer dog for first time

The government has designated fire ants as an invasive species requiring emergency measures due to the insect's potential for damage.
Japan attacker Mina Tanaka participates in a pre-match news conference ahead of the team's 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup group-stage game against Costa Rica in Dunedin, New Zealand, on Tuesday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 25, 2023

Confident Nadeshiko Japan looks to raise its level against Costa Rica

Coach Futoshi Ikeda said Costa Rica had enough quality to punish Japan on the break if there were any lapses in concentration.
Japan might change because of you or your actions, but it will not change for you.
COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye
Jun 19, 2023

A note to people of color interested in living in Japan

When asked about what life is like here for people of color, columnist Baye McNeil summed it up with a story about sitting on a crowded train.
Passengers escape through the windows of a Keio Line train at Kokuryo Station in Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2021, following a stabbing and arson attack onboard.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 26, 2023

Can Japan prevent crimes from happening on trains?

Trains are often targeted for attacks because they offer the most familiar, everyday setting. Railway companies are now exploring ways to bolster security.

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