News On Japan

Health Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki has apologized to plaintiffs in asbestos-related lawsuits for failing to take steps to prevent them from suffering health problems due to exposure to the carcinogen. (NHK)

Mongolian sumo wrestler Ichinojo has reached the sport's third-highest rank of Sekiwake in the shortest period of time in about 90 years. (NHK)

Traditional Japanese hand-made paper has been shortlisted by a UNESCO preliminary review panel for possible inclusion on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Monday marks exactly one month since Japan experienced its deadliest volcanic eruption in decades. The eruption of Mount Ontake in the central part of the country killed 57 people. 6 others are still listed as missing. (NHK)

Toyota kept its lead over rivals Volkswagen and General Motors as the world's top-selling automaker in the first nine months of the year, Monday reporting record sales of 7.615 million vehicles, up nearly 3 percent from the previous year. (The Japan News)

Residents of Kesennuma now hold the distinction of creating the country's longest tuna roll. (abc7news.com)

Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki said Tuesday his support group incorrectly recorded expenditures totaling around 6.6 million yen in its funding report as spending for New Year's events in 2008 and 2009 that were not sponsored by the group. (Kyodo)

The emerging crisis over air bags traces back to a little-known Japanese company that for over 20 years has supplied the safety devices to automakers including Toyota, Honda and General Motors. (stltoday.com)

Japanese stocks slipped on Tuesday as investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, but retailers bucked the trend on stronger-than-expected sales growth. (Reuters)

Parts of Hokkaido experienced the first snowfall of the season on Tuesday morning. (Japan Today)

Major restaurant chain Colowide Co. said Monday it will acquire slumping conveyer-belt sushi restaurant operator Kappa Create Holdings Co. (The Japan News)

The Wakayama prefectural government said Tuesday that up to 90,400 people in the western Japan prefecture would die in the event it is hit by a massive earthquake that would occur at the Nankai Trough off the nation's Pacific coast and resultant huge tsunami. (Jiji Press)

SoftBank announced Tuesday that it will invest $627 million in leading Indian e-retailer Snapdeal, just the tip of the iceberg on a plan to pour about $10 billion into the country's burgeoning Internet sector over the next decade. (Nikkei)

Japan is planning to create a new cabinet post to oversee the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the education minister said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed Cabinet ministers on Tuesday to take thorough measures against the Ebola virus. (The Japan News)

The Japanese and North Korean governments ended the first-day session Tuesday of their two-day talks in Pyongyang on North Korea's investigation into Japanese nationals abducted by the reclusive communist state. (Jiji Press)

Japan's Crown Princess Masako on Wednesday is attending a banquet at the Imperial Palace for the first time in 11 years. (NHK)

A small electrical fire broke out in an auxiliary building at the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture, western Japan. Workers used extinguishers to immediately put it out. (NHK)

Japan came in 104th in the World Economic Forum's gender equality rankings for 2014, up from 105th the previous year but still far behind other major industrialized nations, the Geneva-based group said Tuesday. (The Japan News)

Stocks in Tokyo gained on Wednesday, leading Asian markets higher as investors awaited a decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve on quantitative easing. (investing.com)

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