May 25, 2013
A young man in Kanagawa Prefecture always gets nervous when he sees a headline about an execution in Japan. He fears that Sumitoshi Tsuda has been sent to the gallows.
May 24, 2013
HONG KONG--The H7N9 bird flu virus may be capable of spreading from human to human and can be transmitted not only through direct contact but also through airborne exposure, researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found.
May 24, 2013
BEIJING--A top North Korean envoy delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 24 as part of efforts to mend fences after Pyongyang angered Beijing with recent snubs and moves to develop its nuclear program.
May 24, 2013
Citing the failure of similar attempts decades earlier, Okinawan residents have criticized Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's recent suggestion that U.S. military members use legal sex services to curb sexual assaults.
May 24, 2013
Yokozuna Hakuho and ozeki Kisenosato won their 13th straight bouts at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on May 24 to remain unbeaten and set up a much-anticipated showdown on the penultimate day.
May 24, 2013
OSAKA--Two former “comfort women” from South Korea canceled a meeting with embattled politician Toru Hashimoto at the last minute, saying the Osaka mayor has not retracted a series of controversial remarks that included wartime military brothels were “necessary,” or apologized for them.
May 24, 2013
Japan’s ambitious economic recovery plan under the name of “Abenomics” has reached a crossroads much earlier than the government expected.
May 24, 2013
Lawmakers have formed a task force to prepare Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto for foreign journalists next week when he explains his “comfort women” remarks that sparked international outrage.
May 24, 2013
The Japanese Embassy in Seoul has twice filed protests with a South Korean newspaper on the following days after it carried a column on May 20 that described the August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as “God’s vengeance.”
May 24, 2013
Prominent scholars formed a group on May 23 to oppose the government’s move to make it easier to revise the Constitution.
May 24, 2013
Razes Mezintoro pushes the wheelchair of a woman in her 90s, holds her in his arms and gingerly moves her to a bed at Katorean Home, a long-term care health facility in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture.
May 24, 2013
Anti-nuclear activists blasted the government at the Tokyo District Court on May 23 in the first hearing over the legality of protest tents set up on the grounds of the industry ministry.
May 24, 2013
Sushi has become so prevalent in the United States that you can find it anywhere from a strip club in Las Vegas to the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. But another rice-based Japanese food has made its way into the Southern California vernacular: "onigiri" or "musubi."
May 24, 2013
Editor's note: This is the 15th part of a new series that has run in the past under the title of The Prometheus Trap. This series deals with how pets and livestock fared in the evacuation zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The series will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
May 24, 2013
Square Enix Holdings Co. said on May 24 that it will release the "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" online role-playing game on Aug. 27 worldwide.
May 24, 2013
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said May 24 it will reduce its capital and capital reserves by 924.85 billion yen ($9.08 billion) to write off its accumulated loss and create an environment for an early resumption of dividend payments.
May 24, 2013
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 24 starts his three-day visit to Myanmar, which includes a meeting with Myanmar President Thein Sein on May 26 in the capital city of Naypyidaw. The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration calling for the strengthening of bilateral relations.
May 24, 2013
Investors in Japan might keep a close eye on sales of the homely horse mackerel as an early warning of any trouble ahead.
May 24, 2013
Orix Corp. announced May 23 that it will enter the Mongolian market through a capital alliance with TenGer Financial Group.
May 24, 2013
The Billiken is an American-born charm doll that is said to bring good luck and happiness to people. With its pointed head and slanted eyes, the Billiken has an interesting face. It was introduced to Japan and gained popularity toward the end of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Today, a statue of the Billiken sits on the observation deck of Tsutenkaku tower, a popular tourist site in downtown Osaka.