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Protesters take part in a demonstration in support of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson in Paris on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 25, 2024

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson requests French nationality

France is pushing for Watson's release from a Greenland jail where he is being held pending possible extradition to Japan.
Along with official videos from parties and candidates, individually produced videos are on the rise on YouTube and other platforms.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 25, 2024

Short social media videos gain traction in Japan's election campaign

Both official campaign and user-generated videos are on the rise, with experts warning that the latter may present misleading or out-of-context information.
Nanako Fujita competes during a race in 2019. The recent news of Fujita quitting after her suspension for breaking horse racing's strict phone rules shows that bad habits related to smartphone use don't discriminate.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Oct 25, 2024

Horse racing in Japan has a smartphone problem

Nanako Fujita's recent retirement over breaches of smartphone rules put a spotlight on a big issue for horse racing in Japan.
BayStars slugger Tyler Austin hit two homers against the Giants during the final stage of the Central League Climax Series.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 26, 2024

BayStars aim to complete Cinderella run against Hawks in the Japan Series

To say the Yokohama DeNA BayStars are underdogs against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Japan Series would be putting it mildly, but titles are not decided on paper.
Tanks containing water from the disabled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant at the facility in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, in March of last year.
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2024

Japan to resume trial removal of Fukushima nuclear debris, reports say

Extracting the estimated 880 tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris inside the former power station remains the most challenging part of decommissioning the facility.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who serves concurrently as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, makes a speech at a campaign event for the Lower House election, in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 26, 2024

In tight Japan election, candidates make last-ditch appeals

Opinion polls have suggested the ruling bloc might fall short of a majority, delivering a potentially devastating blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the training base of the Korean People's Army's special operations forces at an undisclosed location in the country last month.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 26, 2024

U.S., Japan and South Korea express 'grave concern' over North Korean troops in Russia

The trio said the North Korean troop presence as the latest sign of growing Moscow-Pyongyang military ties.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the training base of special operations forces to guide a drill at an undisclosed location in the country on Sept. 11.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 26, 2024

NATO invites Japan and three others to ambassador-level meeting on North Korea

The meeting is aimed at sharing information with NATO's Asia-Pacific partners, which also includes South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
A man votes in the Lower House election at a polling station set up at a school  in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

Voters head to the polls across Japan in crucial test for ruling coalition

Recent polls have indicated the coalition might lose its majority in the powerful Lower House of parliament for the first time in 15 years.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, speaks with voters in Tokyo on Saturday ahead of Sunday's general election.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

Japan party heads travel 84,000 km to campaign for general election

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, clocked 14,387 kilometers, longer than any other party leaders over the 12 days.
A polling station at a local school in Tokyo on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

As it happened: Japan's Lower House election 2024

Recent polls have indicated Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito bloc might lose its majority in the lower chamber for the first time in 15 years.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during an interview with reporters at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday night
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

Japan faces political upheaval after LDP-led coalition loses majority

The electoral rout opens up a potential path for the opposition to steer the lower chamber’s agenda if they can act cohesively.
A Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey transport aircraft
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2024

GSDF suspends Osprey flights over accident during training

All GSDF Ospreys will remain grounded until the cause of the incident is identified and countermeasures are taken thoroughly.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Chisato Morishita bows to reporters on Sunday in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, after she was projected to win a seat in the Lower House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

Record number of women elected to Japan's Lower House

A total of 73 female candidates won seats in Sunday’s general election, making up about 16% of the membership of the chamber of parliament.
Hawks infielder Hotaka Yamakawa celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the BayStars in Game 2 of the Japan Series in Yokohama on Sunday.
BASEBALL
Oct 28, 2024

Hawks halfway to third straight Japan Series sweep as series heads to Fukuoka

The Hawks have won 14 straight Japan Series games.
Shoshi Maekawa speaks to reporters in Fukui on Monday following a decision by prosecutors to not object to the retrial of his case.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 29, 2024

Ex-convict to get retrial over 1986 murder in central Japan

Prosecutors decided against objecting to the retrial following a detailed examination of the court decision and a comprehensive consideration of evidence.
Election administration staff count ballots for the general election at a ballot station in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2024

Japan marks third lowest general-election turnout in postwar history

Low turnout typically benefit political parties with organizational power, but the LDP and partner Komeito struggled Sunday despite having powerful support bases.
The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant's No. 2 reactor was set to restart Tuesday after more than 13 years of suspension.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2024

Japan restarts nuclear power plant closest to 2011 earthquake

Nuclear power used to account for around a quarter of Japan’s electricity mix prior to the disaster, but it was at just 6% as of March 2023.
Mitsumu Ejiri, selected as the first female leader of the wintering team of a Japanese Antarctic research expedition, speaks to the media at the education ministry on Monday.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2024

Japan selects first woman to lead Antarctic research wintering team

Mitsumu Ejiri is slated to leave for Antarctica in autumn next year and return to Japan in spring 2027.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2024

Election result casts shadow on Japan's economic measures

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is hoping to secure cooperation from opposition parties to sustain his administration.
The health ministry’s report shows that the number of elementary, junior high and high school students who took their own lives in 2023 stood at 513, one fewer than last year's record of 514.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 29, 2024

Japan’s struggle with youth suicide sparks government initiatives

The health ministry’s report shows that the number of elementary, junior high and high school students who took their own lives remained alarmingly high.
A man waits for a train at Ebisu Station in Tokyo on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 29, 2024

Japan's rail fans disapprove of new Seishun 18 tickets

Train enthusiasts are up in arms over changes to the iconic and inexpensive all-you-can-ride pass that will limit how and when it can be used.
Passersby take a break under a cooling mist as the Japanese government issued a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures on July 9.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2024

Japan posts record number of heatstroke patients in five-month period

The number of people who were sent to a hospital for heatstroke from May to September came in at 97,578.
The Liberal Democratic Party's panel meets at the party headquarters in Tokyo in April to discuss measures to ensure stable imperial successions.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 30, 2024

U.N. panel urges Japan to revise imperial succession rules

The panel also urged Japan to implement a law revision toward introducing a selective dual surname system for married couples.
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police headquarters in the city of Fukuoka
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 30, 2024

U.S. serviceman detained after wife found dead in Fukuoka hotel

Security camera footage and hotel records showed that the couple entered the hotel Friday, and that the husband left alone Sunday morning.
Tohoku Electric Power workers restart the Unit 2 reactor of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2024

A lack of workers threatens Japan's nuclear power revival

The slow revival of nuclear power has dramatically worsened a skills crunch visible across the nation’s nuclear industry.
The number of public elementary and junior high school buildings without quake-resistance in Japan totaled 135 as of April 1, down by 60 from a year before.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2024

Only 135 of Japan's public schools not quake-resistant

By prefecture, Ehime saw the lowest proportion of quake-resistant school buildings, at 98.0%.
A building in Tokyo housing the Tokyo District Court
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 30, 2024

Ex-ASDF colonel pleads not guilty to confidentiality breach

According to his indictment, So Kanno is alleged to have leaked information about the systems of E-2D early warning planes.
One shortcoming of the Freelance Act — a new law designed to improve the working conditions of freelancers — is that freelancers and clients don't know much about it.
JAPAN / Explainer
Oct 31, 2024

What is the Freelance Act, Japan’s first-ever law to help freelancers?

The law introduces new measures to help self-employed workers. However, some shortcomings remain, experts say.
Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada won the outstanding lead actress and actor awards in a drama series, respectively, for "Shogun" at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 15.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 30, 2024

'Peak Japan' is now, so seize the moment, Japan

Japan has never been hotter! Japan is the number one country in the world right now, as voted on by everyone else except for the Japanese.

Longform

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