January 17, 2021
The government is preparing rules to encourage companies to actively disclose their decarbonization strategies and measures to combat climate change, with the aim of encouraging them to change their behavior to achieve the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. An expert panel set up b...
In the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many communities chose to start over by picking up and moving as a group to higher ground. It was part of a project to have residents evacuate to safer locations while maintaining the bonds of community. This concept was similar to the ...
Natural ice sculptures have formed along the shore of Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture as low temperatures freeze the spray on tree branches. Strong westerly winds cause the spray from the lake to hit the trees, creating these shibuki-gori that draws tourists. According to the Inawashiro ...
To promote the “free and open Indo-Pacific” initiative Japan is backing, it is essential to cooperate with countries that share with Japan such values as freedom, democracy and the rule of law. ...
Sunday marked 26 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which killed 6,434 people. Communities’ redevelopment projects have finally shown signs of completion, but increasing costs from the long d...
The target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in 2050 is “one of the most important management issues,” Nippon Steel Corp. President Eiji Hashimoto, 65, said in an interview with The...
Kabuki is going digital! Shochiku Co., a company that puts on kabuki performances, aims to gain more fans through the launch of a smartphone app that utilizes augmented reality (AR) technology. The...
The fugu pufferfish is known as a winter delicacy in Japan, but parts of it are poisonous, so mistakes can be fatal. Each prefecture has its own code regarding the qualification needed for cooking the...
SHIRAOI, Hokkaido — The Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park has attracted a total of 198,485 visitors in the six months since its opening in mid-July, the operator said Wednesday. Although the in...
Are penalties on restaurants essential for controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus? Whether they should be introduced must be debated calmly. The government plans to submit a bill to revise ...
With widespread mask-wearing drawing more attention to people’s eyes, imports of makeup such as eye shadow and mascara, mainly from South Korea, are on the rise. According to Osaka Customs, natio...
What was given in exchange for the provision of cash that continued for a long period? Prosecutors need to uncover the structure of the collusion through investigation and trial. The special investi...
A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry advisory committee on Friday largely approved a draft plan to revise the infectious diseases law to penalize coronavirus patients who refuse to be hospitalized. ...
The first Common Test for University Admissions was held nationwide on Saturday with 11 prefectures under a coronavirus-related state of emergency. Examinees wearing masks took part in the new test at...
Major izakaya chain operator Monteroza Co. plans to permanently close nearly 20% of its 337 outlets in Tokyo, including Uotami and Shirokiya locations, amid the coronavirus pandemic. In response to ...
Power stability has been walking a tightrope particularly in western Japan following severe cold weather since late last year as well as heavy snow on the Sea of Japan coast. Demand for electricit...
This is the eighth installment of a series in which intellectuals share their thoughts on political issues the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will tackle this year. For this installme...
A shortage of semiconductors is forcing the world’s major automakers to cut production across the board. This is because demand for the devices mainly used in PCs and smartphones, has increased rapi...
This is the second installment of a series featuring untold stories that came to light a decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 2011. On March 11, 2011, the largest theme par...
Looking at the life of painter Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), we see a person who was labeled an outlier in the Kyoto circle of artists. Artists in Kyoto interacted with each other, even if they belonged ...
The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way people and companies think and react. When there is an influx of people from big cities to regional areas, how does it affect regional revitalization? Mor...
The government plans to revise the infectious diseases law to encourage medical institutions to accept patients infected with the novel coronavirus in order to secure hospital beds. The government w...
Since the pandemic began, false rumors and inaccurate reports about the novel coronavirus have spread on the internet, disrupting society. A recent nationwide survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that ...
A series of verbal gaffes on important issues has prompted growing concern within the government that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is suffering from chronic stress and fatigue. The beleaguered prim...
An advisory board of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry reported Wednesday that 80% of confirmed new cases of novel coronavirus infection were found in Tokyo and the 10 other prefectures currentl...
Kabuki is going digital! Shochiku Co., a company that puts on kabuki performances, aims to gain more fans through the launch of a smartphone app that utilizes augmented reality (AR) technology. The...
NHK has just taken the first step in drastic management reforms to determine its proper state as a public broadcaster. NHK announced its management plan for fiscal 2021-23 on Wednesday, including i...
There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip — and for Sapporo Breweries Ltd., one recent slip was a misspelling of the word “lager” on the label of a new product. Now beer lovers will have t...
Since the pandemic began, false rumors and inaccurate reports about the novel coronavirus have spread on the internet, disrupting society. A recent nationwide survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that ...
A shortage of semiconductors is forcing the world’s major automakers to cut production across the board. This is because demand for the devices mainly used in PCs and smartphones, has increased rapi...
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Tokyo will return to the 1,000-per-day level in about 45 days if measures to contain the virus are relaxed when the number of new infections per ...
The government will next fiscal year strengthen the operation of a consumer affairs body that deals with problems involving online shopping with overseas companies amid an increase in such consultatio...
A disgraceful scene has played out in which Donald Trump has become the first U.S. president to be impeached by Congress twice. It is obvious that he lacks the qualifications for public office. He sho...
The Japan News has partnered with media startup inkl, a news service that curates articles from the world’s leading publishers for users to read on mobile devices. A selection of articles from The Japan News and The Yomiuri Shimbun is now available to read on inkl, which hosts titles from about 20 countries. 
NAGASAKI — A wooden anchor from one of the Mongol Empire’s ships — which attacked Japan in the 13th century and then sank in a storm off Nagasaki Prefecture — will be salvaged in the fall of 2...
NARUTO, Tokushima — A group of buildings by leading modernist architect Tomoya Masuda (1914-81) still exists in an area of Japan known for large whirlpools at sea. Nineteen of his buildings can be...
After 21 years as a key source of entertainment and music nationwide, the popular idol group Arashi has called it quits as of Dec. 31. The five-member group was a major draw across a wide demographi...
