News On Japan

The Japan Coast Guard is grappling with the challenge of how to respond to more than 200 fishing boats, thought to be Chinese, that have been poaching ornamental corals in wide ocean areas stretching from the Ogasawara Islands to the southern Izu Islands. (The Japan News)

Prosecutors in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, have extended the detention period for a 16-year-old girl accused of murdering and dismembering a classmate, until Dec 24 so she can undergo further psychiatric tests. (Japan Today)

Venomous redback spiders are among 424 nonnative species targeted for extermination in Japan under a planned new designation for alien threats against indigenous species and human health. (Asahi)

A modern incarnation of a kagura folk dance themed on depression, which is a brainchild of famed Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, was performed at historic Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine here on Nov. 8. (Asahi)

Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Sunday arrested a 66-year-old man on suspicion of fatally stabbing his 55-year-old ex-wife. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday that he has no plans to dissolve the Lower House, brushing aside speculation that he may gamble on a snap election soon if he decides against a consumption tax hike next year. (Japan Times)

Injury-hit yokozuna Harumafuji gave overnight sensation Ichinojo a rude awakening, thrashing his opponent in a sumo clinic on the opening day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. (Japan Times)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday arrived in Beijing, the first leg of his three-nation tour, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit from Monday. (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Sunday night to make preparations for a visit to Japan by Putin at an appropriate time next year. (Jiji Press)

The trial of the final fugitive from the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult that launched deadly nerve gas attacks on Tokyo's subway in 1995 will begin on Jan 16. (Japan Today)

Renowned Japanese animated film director Hayao Miyazaki received an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at a Hollywood ceremony on Saturday for years of contributions to the motion picture industry. (Jiji Press)

Police on Sunday arrested a 51-year-old man for attempted murder after he attacked a 29-year-old woman with a knife as she walked along a street in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Japan Today)

A 14-year-old boy drowned after he jumped into a river in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, police said Monday. (Japan Today)

Japanese stocks retreated to a one-week low on Monday morning as the yen rebounded against the dollar after U.S. jobs data fell short of expectations, while Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp sold off heavily on a profit warning. (Reuters)

In preparation for clearing debris and eventually removing nuclear fuel from inside, Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Nov. 10 temporarily removed another panel from the canopy covering a damaged reactor building at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. (Asahi)

A UNESCO-sponsored international conference on Education for Sustainable Development opened in Nagoya on Monday. (NHK)

Now-internationally reviled misogynist "pick-up artist" Julien Blanc is supposed to be coming to Japan this month. On Monday, a petition signed by over 36,000 people opposing his entry into Japan was submitted to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, claiming that he is a criminal and shouldn't be allowed into the country. Blanc was recently kicked out of Australia after the immigration minister canceled his visa. (Japan Times)

Japan's Kei Nishikori has defeated Britain's Andy Murray 2-0 in his first match of the ATP World Tour Finals in London. (NHK)

Japan will aim to lower the effective corporate tax rate by at least 2.5 percentage points in fiscal 2015, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa said Monday. (Jiji Press)

Among the items associated with Emperor Shomu (701-756) on display at the 66th Annual Exhibition of Shoso-in Treasures, held at the Nara National Museum to commemorate the 80th birthdays of the Emperor and Empress, "Gosho," a set of two beds, has drawn attention over how it was used. (The Japan News)

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