News On Japan

Travelers who will spend the New Year's holidays abroad crowd into Narita Airport on Saturday, the peak of the vacation exodus. (Yomiuri)

A subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc. said Tuesday that pesticide residue found in some of its frozen food products could sicken a child who consumed just one-eighth of a croquette, dramatically revising its previous estimate of 60 croquettes comprising a toxic dose. (Kyodo)

On the final day of trading 2013, Japanese shares closed with an annual gain of 57 percent the highest ever since 1972. That this occurred this year is no coincidence - Shinzo Abe's three-pronged strategy for Japan's economy dubbed "Abenomics" is working. For now. (The Diplomat)

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Japan Tuesday, rocking buildings in Tokyo but there were no reports of any damage, seismologists said. (Japan Today)

An Australian woman who won a Japanese civil judgment against a former U.S. sailor she accused of rape in 2002 has settled the case in Milwaukee Circuit Court for $1, after spending more than a decade trying to get the Japanese ruling enforced. (stripes.com)

Worshippers are packing into a major shrine in Tokyo on New Year's Day to pray for good luck for the coming year. (NHK)

Japan's population shrank last year at its fastest pace since the end of World War Two. This marks the 7th straight year of decline. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Akihito released his New Year's message on Wednesday. He reveals deep concern for people affected by the 2011 disaster. (NHK)

Japan Exchange Group Inc. (JPX), which was formed through integration of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Osaka Securities Exchange on Jan. 1, 2013, marks the first anniversary of its establishment Wednesday. (The Japan News)

Fewer Japanese than ever in recorded history will be 20-years old as of January 1st. (NHK)

Japan plans to launch a small, low-cost satellite into space in 2014. The country hopes to export the satellite to emerging nations. (NHK)

The Environment Ministry will launch the first nationwide survey of the population and habitat of Japanese deer in spring 2014, following growing damage the animal has caused to farm products and the environment, informed sources said. (Jiji Press)

A Japanese cabinet member visited a shrine seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime aggression on Wednesday, pouring salt on a fresh wound after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pilgrimage there last week drew sharp criticism from China and South Korea. (Reuters)

Japan's royal family - the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world - has taken the unusual step of issuing a family photograph to celebrate the New Year. (telegraph.co.uk)

A Chinese cook who tried to fly a hot-air balloon to islands claimed by both China and Japan has been rescued by Japan's coastguard after crashing into the sea. (The Guardian)

Japan is in the process of becoming a major oil-producing country--this may just sound like a dream for the New Year but is a reality due to a project the government is involved in. (Jiji Press)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has hurt neighboring countries through his visit to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, South Korean President Park Geun Hye said Thursday during her telephone talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. (Jiji Press)

A giant Beatle "did some damage" during his romp through Japan, and that's not a reference to the nation's classic monster films. Paul McCartney was the highest earner on Billboard's final Hot Tours list of 2013, and much of that was thanks to the six-date stretch he spent in Japan during November. (musictimes.com)

The National Police Agency said Thursday that the death toll from traffic accidents in Tokyo in 2013 was 168, which was 15 fewer than 2012. (Japan Today)

The Emperor of Japan has called for peace and happiness to people in the country and around the world in his New Year's greetings. (NHK)

Latest Images