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A Japanese research team has developed a method to curb cancer growth by restraining certain T cells and stimulating weakened immune activity.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 22, 2024

Japan team finds new way to curb cancers using immune system

The researchers developed in tests using mice a method to stimulate weakened immune activity by restraining the cells restraining the immune response.
The remains of the original Moji Station in Kitakyushu
JAPAN / Society
Nov 22, 2024

133-year-old Kyushu railway station remains to be partially preserved

Sections of the foundation of what used to be the locomotive shed — which experts believe is the most important element of the remains — will be kept.
The policy chiefs of the Democratic Party for the People, Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito — Makoto Hamaguchi (left), Itsunori Onodera (center) and Mitsunari Okamoto — shake hands after reaching an agreement on an economic stimulus package on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 22, 2024

Japan approves ¥21.9 trillion stimulus plan

Combined with expected spending from the private sector, this year’s package is estimated to add a total of ¥39 trillion to the economy.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is investigating the incident and consulting with the police.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 22, 2024

MUFG fires worker over ¥2 billion theft from clients’ safe deposit boxes

The theft by a front-line employee responsible for managing the safe deposit boxes took place at two branches in Tokyo over 4½ years.
Princess Yuriko waves during the New Year's public greeting at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in January 2019.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2024

Japan will spend ¥325 million in government funds on Princess Yuriko's funeral

The total includes about ¥202 million for the "Renso-no-gi" main funeral ceremony to be held at the Toshimagaoka cemetery on Tuesday.
Former Amagasaki Mayor Kazumi Inamura speaks to her supporters after she lost her bid to become Hyogo governor, on Nov. 17 in Kobe.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2024

Failed Hyogo governor candidate's team questions X account suspension

According to the group supporting former Amagasaki Mayor Kazumi Inamura, it set up an X account on Nov. 5, but it was suspended the following day.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gives a speech on Friday at a meeting of a newly formed group within the Liberal Democratic party to promote investments.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 24, 2024

Former Prime Minister Kishida launches new group in ruling LDP

Kishida is keen to exert his influence, saying that he has a lot of unfinished projects, sources said.
Ichiro Hirosawa (left) celebrates his victory in the Nagoya mayoral election in Nagoya on Sunday along with former Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura (right).
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2024

Ex-deputy mayor wins Nagoya mayoral election

During his campaign, Ichiro Hirosawa emphasized his intention to continue with predecessor Takashi Kawamura's policies.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses a meeting at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on Thursday to discuss political reform.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2024

Corporate donations remain sticky point in political reform talks

The opposition wants such donations banned but the ruling coalition maintains that a ban would curtail the political freedom of the private sector.
Reiwa Shinsengumi leader Taro Yamamoto speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Oct. 27. The party tripled their Lower House seats to nine in last month's general election.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2024

How Reiwa Shinsengumi managed to overtake JCP in the Lower House

The younger party's focus on pocketbook issues attracted younger, independent left-leaning swing voters who might have voted for the older party in the past.
A Toshiba film-based perovskite photovoltaic module on display at the Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions booth at Smart Grid Expo in Tokyo on Feb. 28
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 26, 2024

Japan considers promoting the use of perovskite solar cells for energy

The plan is part of work to expand the use of renewable energy sources by supporting the introduction of next-generation technologies.
The labor ministry will urge companies to take action against the practice of forcing employees to buy their own products to meet sales quotas.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2024

Japan steps up measures against firms forcing workers to buy own products

The labor ministry will define such practices as a form of power harassment and require companies to take action when they occur.
Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, followed by Princess Aiko and Princess Kako, prepare to attend a funeral service for Princess Yuriko at Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 26, 2024

Funeral held for Princess Yuriko at Tokyo cemetery

The princess had been hospitalized since early March due to a stroke and pneumonia. She died of natural causes on Nov. 15 at age 101.
Ten percent of municipalities said they did not know details of the megaquake warning system or how to respond to the alert, and 2.8% said they did not even know its name.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 27, 2024

Many municipalities in Japan lack understanding of megaquake advisory system

A Cabinet Office survey found that 12.8% of municipalities were not aware of what steps they should take when a megaquake advisory is issued.
Scale is becoming important even for distributors like Macnica Holdings, which sells chips made by the likes of Intel’s Altera.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 27, 2024

Japan’s top chip distributor eyes acquisitions in China and India

Macnica Holdings is eyeing an overseas acquisition to better hold its own against bigger competitors.
Kunihiko Katsuta (back) is taken to Hyogo Prefectural Police's Tatsuno police station on Wednesday after he was rearrested for a murder that occurred in 2007.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 27, 2024

17-year-old murder case makes progress as Hyogo police rearrest suspect

The suspect, Kunihiko Katsuta, is serving an indefinite prison sentence for the 2004 murder of another girl in Okayama Prefecture.
Nobuo Hara, the head of a group seeking to halt the No. 2 reactor at Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa nuclear power plant, speaks at a news conference on Wednesday in Sendai after the Sendai High Court ruled against them.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2024

Court rejects request to halt restarted Onagawa nuclear reactor

A judge said there was "no concrete proof" that an incident that could not be handled under an established evacuation plan would occur.
BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda says that growing latent losses "would not hinder (the central bank's) ability to manage policy."
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 28, 2024

Bank of Japan's latent losses on JGBs hits record ¥13.66 trillion

JGB prices fell after the central bank ended its negative interest rate policy in March and raised interest rates in July.
The health ministry's free "catch-up vaccination" program for the human papillomavirus will be extended to March 2025 for the initial dose of the vaccine.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 28, 2024

Deadline for ‘catch-up’ HPV vaccination program extended until March

The revised timeline allows eligible women to receive their first dose by the end of March 2025 and complete the remaining two within the following year.
Former Olympus Chief Executive Stefan Kaufmann was indicted over alleged violations of law concerning controlled substances.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 28, 2024

Former Olympus CEO indicted on suspected violation of drug laws

Stefan Kaufmann was forced to resign last month after the allegation surfaced that he bought illegal drugs.
The Oita District Court sentenced a 23-year-old man to eight years in prison Thursday for causing a fatal crash in the city of Oita in 2021.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 28, 2024

Oita court sentences man to eight years in prison for dangerous driving

Initially filed as a case of negligent driving resulting in death, prosecutors later sought a dangerous driving charge, which carries harsher penalties.
Dennis Kwok, then a pro-democracy lawmaker, answers questions from the media outside the High Court in Hong Kong on Oct. 31, 2019.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2023

Hong Kong police target more family members of wanted democracy activists

The pair, former lawmaker Dennis Kwok and unionist Mung Siu-tat, are among eight exiled activists sought by authorities for alleged violations of the National Security Law.
Japan's consumer prices rose 3.3% year-on-year in June, with the pace of inflation accelerating from the 3.2% recorded in May.
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2023

Japan's price growth accelerates ahead of BOJ inflation update

Prices excluding those for fresh food gained 3.3% from a year ago, accelerating a little from the rise in May as energy prices were less of a drag on inflation.
Kiyoto Imamura is escorted by police after he arrived at Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture in February after being deported from the Philippines.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 21, 2023

Crime ring suspect served fresh warrant over Chiba robbery

The case is part of a spate of robberies across Japan allegedly committed by a group whose ringleaders are believed to have recruited people through social media posts.
The community pool is a great place for exercise and meeting your neighbors.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 31, 2023

Figuring out the rules at a Japanese community pool can be an ongoing education

If you’re headed for the community pool, be prepared: Japanese pool rules are an ongoing education.
Scientists handle a multiple-core sampling device for extracting sediments and sludge, in Beppu Bay, off Oita Prefecture, in June 2021. Beneath the seawater lie layers of seemingly unremarkable sediment and sludge that tell the story of how humans have fundamentally altered the world around them.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2023

Japanese sea sludge tells story of human impact on Earth

Beppu Bay is among areas being considered for designation as a "golden spike," a location that offers evidence of a new geological epoch defined by our species: the Anthropocene.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 21, 2023

Kishida takes ‘global green’ initiative to the Middle East

Middle East countries are keen to diversify their economies, reducing their reliance on oil and gas for revenue. Japan hopes to assist in that transition.
The infrastructure ministry and environment ministry released a survey on levels of PFAS, potentially carcinogenic chemicals, found in drinking water supplied across Japan as of Sept. 30.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2024

No excessive levels of PFAS found in tap water across Japan

No drinking water suppliers nationwide had PFAS levels in excess of the limit of 50 nanograms per liter of tap water in fiscal 2024.
Mid-match water breaks have become common occurrences at J. League games as temperatures have risen in recent years.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 20, 2023

Soccer feeling the heat from Japan's scorching summer

Postponements of matches reflect the growing challenges facing amateur teams as they attempt to cope with Japan’s increasingly hostile summer months.
Unlike other social media platforms, including Threads, Twitter has a way of pushing you out of your comfort zone.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Can Threads dethrone Twitter in Japan?

Netizens in Japan jumped onto the Threads bandwagon soon after its launch, but the honeymoon phase is beginning to end, experts say, with many Japanese users remaining on Twitter.

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Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat