News On Japan

The skeletal remains of what are believed to be Japanese soldiers have been exposed on a remote Pacific island where rising sea levels have eroded the seashore, Japanese and local officials said Monday. (The West)

A government survey shows radiation levels in some areas near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have been more than halved due to experimental decontamination, but they remain high. (NHK)

You're unlikely to ever see one in the U.S., but for decades Japan's domestic market minicars have provided drivers with efficiency, practicality, ease of parking, style, and even fun behind the wheel. Today, the kei car has never been more popular. So why do Japanese automakers want to wean buyers off of them? (jalopnik.com)

China said Tuesday it has applied to list materials related to atrocities committed by the Japanese military before and during World War II on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. (Kyodo)

A female high school student was beaten and had her bag stolen by three men while she was walking home in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

The World Bank cut Tuesday its growth forecast for the global economy this year, citing a slowdown in emerging economies as a result of the U.S. downturn following unusually cold weather and the Ukrainian crisis, while also lowering its forecast for Japan. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government plans to set up a new organization to strengthen coordination with Chinese municipalities over an airborne pollutant known as PM2.5. (NHK)

Japanese film director Isao Takahata has won an honorary award at one of the largest international animated film festivals. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has apologized to rival Japan Airlines (JAL) after one of its pilots posted insulting remarks on the JAL Facebook page. (Japan Today)

Japanese stock market traded in a narrow range after midday and the Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 15,069.48, up 74.68 or 0.5%. (aastocks.com)

Tokyo prosecutors arrested a former employee of Novartis Pharma KK, the Japanese sales arm of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, on suspicion of fabricating data to overstate the effects of the hypertension drug Diovan. (Asahi)

The Japanese government faces a deadline on Wednesday of opening the floodgates in a controversial dam project at a bay in Nagasaki Prefecture. (NHK)

Japanese aquariums are a pretty popular destination for families during the summer break in July and August. As a part of Enoshima Aquarium's 10th anniversary celebration, it is putting on a show called "Night Aquarium" where 3D projection mapping will make it seem like visitors have traveled to the deepest parts of the ocean. (rocketnews24.com)

"Toranomon," the look-alike of popular Japanese manga character "Doraemon," was on hand for the grand opening of his namesake, the towering Toranomon Hills commercial complex, in Tokyo's Minato Ward on June 11. (Asahi)

There is no better time to visit Tokyo's Ueno district than during its eponymous summer festival, which has been confirmed to start from July 16th and run until August 7th this year. (insidejapantours.com)

The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted a bill on Wednesday to ease permanent residency requirements for highly skilled foreign workers. (Jiji Press)

Japan's Diet, or parliament, enacted a bill Wednesday to fully liberalize the electricity retail market by 2016 by abolishing the regional monopolies of major power suppliers. (Jiji Press)

Japanese airbag maker Takata Corp's safety crisis deepened on Wednesday after the world's biggest carmaker Toyota Motor Corp recalled 650,000 more vehicles in Japan, and the supplier cautioned further fixes may be needed. (Reuters)

Two Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close to two Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes on Wednesday above the East China Sea where the two countries' air defense identification zones overlap, Japan's Defense Ministry said. (Kyodo)

UNIQLO on Wednesday announced that it will open its latest global flagship store, UNIQLO OSAKA, in the commercial center of Umeda in the fall. This will be the second global flagship store in Osaka, along with the Shinsaibashi store. (Japan Today)

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