News On Japan

An American father living in Switzerland was ordered by a Swiss court in late September to return his child to the Japanese mother residing in Japan under the Hague Convention, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. (The Japan News)

The University of Tokyo maintained its position in global university rankings at 23rd, but four other Japanese universities in the top 200 saw their rankings drop from 2013, according to the British magazine Times Higher Education. (The Japan News)

There seems to be no end in sight for the dollar's worldwide strength, against a backdrop of improvement in the U.S. economy, according to specialists. (The Japan News)

Japan's softball team understands the importance of being the hammer not the anvil, the molder of change not the ones molded by it. (Japan Times)

With their global popularity showing no sign of waning, One Direction have had a busy year, and are set for more of the same in 2015 after already announcing their On The Road Again Tour 2015. (rocketnews24.com)

Near a seedy street lined with maid cafes in Tokyo's Akihabara district, Yumeno Nito explained to her tour group that many teenage girls in short skirts solicit customers in the area. (Asahi)

Race organizers are bracing themselves for a rain-disrupted Japanese Grand Prix this weekend as a powerful typhoon closes in. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government will throw funding and tax relief behind a new approach to thinning out overcrowded residential areas. (Nikkei)

Japan's rail industry is hopeful its long-term dream of exporting bullet train technology will finally come true in India. The one hurdle now is convincing East Japan Railway, or JR East, to join the venture and ensure its success. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo High Court on Thursday turned down an appeal against a death sentence by a man convicted of three murders in Yamagata and Tokyo. (Japan Today)

An Osaka court ruled Thursday in favor of a horse-racing punter seeking to wipe Y810 million from his tax bill in a civil case, finding that his losses from buying failed betting slips should count as deductable expenses. (Japan Times)

Local authorities have started preparations to protect communities from possible mudslides from Mount Ontake in central Japan, officials said Thursday. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Friday announced the bust of an SM club in Shinjuku Ward for allegedly offering illicit services while licensed as a restaurant, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 3). (Tokyo Reporter)

Japanese stocks edged up on Friday in choppy trade after index-heavy Fast Retailing Co contributed hefty positive points after it reported strong monthly sales, but gains were limited as the civil unrest in Hong Kong curbed risk appetite. (Reuters)

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus agreed to slash the penalty it imposed on Skymark Airlines Inc. for breaching a purchase contract for A380 passenger planes, enabling the carrier to stay in business. (Asahi)

Recent moves toward aluminum coffee cans have sparked concern among steel companies, which have long supplied the most common material for the cans. (The Japan News)

SoftBank Corp. and Hollywood film maker Legendary Entertainment have agreed to form a strategic partnership, they said Thursday. (The Japan News)

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adopted Friday a bill for the construction of temporary storage facilities for radioactive waste near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. (The Japan News)

A group of researchers in Japan says it has unearthed the country's largest haul of fossilized dinosaur teeth. (NHK)

Japan's government says it will help smaller businesses struggling with higher costs for fuel and other imported materials amid the yen's depreciation. (NHK)

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