August 16, 2020
The Seven Stars in Kyushu, a luxurious JR Kyushu sleeper train, began running again on Saturday after the coronavirus and torrential rain damage caused it to halt operations for about five months. Many railway fans packed into JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka City to get a glimpse of the train that hasn...
The Japan Tourism Agency announced Friday that 48 major travel agencies processed ¥28.8 billion in transactions in June, down 92.9% from the same month of the previous year. This is the ninth consecutive month of decline compared to last year. The rate of decline was smaller than the 97.6% decrea...
An urban development group for the Otemachi, Marunouchi and Yurakucho areas of Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, is doing beta testing for “TOKYO OASIS,” a website that shows various walking routes that allow people to stay cool during the summer. There is a fear that people will suffer from heatstroke bec...
A 12-year-old girl attended the government-sponsored national memorial service for the war dead at the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo on Saturday, offering consolation for the soul of her great-grandfa...
The real estate industry may be starting to leave hanko personal seals behind. A trial on finalizing short-term rental housing contracts over the internet is set to begin in August. These contracts ...
As the nation marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Saturday, the government-sponsored national memorial ceremony for the war dead saw the smallest-ever number of family members in...
Four Cabinet ministers separately visited Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, making the first visits by incumbent ministers since 2016 on the anniversary of the end of World War II. This is the...
Saturday marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, with a government-sponsored national memorial service for the war dead held at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The service has been scaled do...
SEOUL — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech Saturday that “the door is open for discussions” with Tokyo over litigation against Japanese companies by former wartime requisitioned...
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is planning to introduce a system to dispatch public health nurses from other prefectures to places in need when the area experiences a local outbreak of the no...
Keep track of the coronavirus epidemic as it unfolds in Japan. Relevant stories and graphics appear below covering events up to and including the current state of emergency and the future outlook. ...
The following charts give a visual representation of the spread of the novel coronavirus in Japan and around the world. The first shows the extensiveness of cases in relation to a nation’s populatio...
More than 70% of customers at major convenience stores declined plastic bags during a monthlong period from July 1, when plastic bags became a chargeable item, indicating efforts to reduce plastic wa...
Nine prefectures are asking businesses such as restaurants and nightlife establishments to suspend operations or shorten business hours to contain a new spread of coronavirus infections, according to...
Petunias are in full bloom at Mother Farm, painting the landscape with vivid pink flowers in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture. Many people visited the farm on Friday, some with their families, to enjoy the f...
Associations of bereaved family members, which function to console the souls of the war dead, have been disbanding nationwide one after another. They are finding it difficult to continue their activi...
YAME, Fukuoka — Having had his fill of the outside world by working for the operator of a mall for fashion boutiques, Hiroki Ito saw the light — at least the glow of the lanterns. Ito decided th...
A book of sketches of Palau and other Pacific islands during World War II drawn by one half of the husband-and-wife duo that painted “The Hiroshima Panels” will be published in English and Japanes...
The percentage of customers who made reservations at bars and restaurants was down to 40% between Aug. 3 and 9 compared to the same period last year because of the spread of the coronavirus, according...
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, renowned for saving Jewish people during World War II while stationed in Lithuania. Bread and other baked good...
The explosive spread of the new coronavirus means Okinawa Prefecture now meets all six criteria for “stage 4” in the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry’s latest status report on the pandemic. ...
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Friday resoundingly defeated a U.S. resolution to indefinitely extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran, with the Trump administration getting support...
The Consumer Affairs Agency plans to crack down on the rampant practice of people listing items for sale on online shopping sites and rewarding users who write made-up reviews raving about the items....
AKB48 brings you Team 8, a group of idols where each member represents one of the 47 prefectures in Japan. As the group members travel across the nation for meet and greet fan activities, they learn a...
Keep track of the coronavirus epidemic as it unfolds in Japan. Relevant stories and graphics appear below covering events up to and including the current state of emergency and the future outlook. ...
The following charts give a visual representation of the spread of the novel coronavirus in Japan and around the world. The first shows the extensiveness of cases in relation to a nation’s populatio...
NEW DELHI — Indian defense officials have alleged that the Chinese military has erected several structures within the Indian-controlled side of the Kashmir region which straddles the disputed borde...
This is a clear indication that China is trying to bring the methods of governance it employs on the mainland — containing criticism through arbitrary application of laws and strict control of the m...
The government will boost its stockpile of rare metals in order to secure a stable supply as Japan depends heavily on imports from China and other countries, sources said. It will also help Japanese...
The mysterious swords of Muramasa could bring the Tokugawa family to ruin — so said a rumor that has continued for about 300 years since the reign of Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751), the eighth shogu...
The explosive spread of the new coronavirus means Okinawa Prefecture now meets all six criteria for “stage 4” in the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry’s latest status report on the pandemic. ...
HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow appeared in a video uploaded to YouTube following her release on bail Tuesday night after being arrested by Hong Kong police. In the video, ...
Sales of summer goods have started to pick up amid the later-than-usual heat wave, with this year’s top sellers reflecting new habits adopted in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic and people...
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. 
Paint containing toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been used in 334 of the 719 large outdoor structures such as bridges examined across the nation, according to figures compiled by the Enviro...
Southampton may be known for Japanese football player Maya Yoshida, who plays for Southampton FC, or for its famous port where the RMS Titanic departed before sinking. The reason why I am studying he...
My name is Amy Lin. I was born and raised in Taiwan, and I immigrated to the United States in 2005. I came to Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Programme and was placed in Yokkaichi C...
During the humid, sticky summer season, indoor Japanese cloth sandals are here to offer a reprieve from the heat. When it comes to Japanese cloth sandals, people may have the impression they are pla...
The mysterious swords of Muramasa could bring the Tokugawa family to ruin — so said a rumor that has continued for about 300 years since the reign of Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751), the eighth shogu...
The fashion industry is under pressure to transform in the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic. Long-established apparel maker Renown Inc. filed for civil rehabilitation procedures in May, and July ...
