News On Japan

The number of foreign visitors to Japan this year topped 12 million. This was due to the weaker yen and national attractions. (NHK)

Sony Pictures has canceled the Dec. 25 release of "The Interview" after hackers threatened terrorists attacks and the largest multiplex chains in North America pulled the film from its screens. (Japan Times)

A heavy snowstorm hit Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, and the Sea of Japan coast on Wednesday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency calling for continued vigilance until Thursday. (Jiji Press)

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday that up to 6 tons of water have leaked after being processed with water-cleaning equipment at the Fukushima No. 1 power station at the center of the 2011 nuclear disaster. (Jiji Press)

Mouth agape, eyes rolled back, head bobbing - when home is an hour or more away and work continues late into the night, the only place for many Japanese office workers to lay their weary head is against a train car window. (rocketnews24.com)

The Chiba Public Safety Commission has banned a 29-year-old man from Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, from riding a bicycle for 90 days, after he was found guilty of cycling under the influence of "kiken" quasi-legal drugs. (Japan Times)

Embattled scientist Haruko Obokata has failed to produce so-called STAP cells in experiments at the Riken research institute, Riken officials and other sources said Thursday, indicating there is little likelihood of their existence. (Japan Times)

The Osaka District Court has ruled that Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's order to check whether municipal office workers had tattoos was illegal and constituted an invasion of privacy. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will keep electricity rates unchanged for the next year as it found it can cut costs further. (NHK)

The Nikkei index rallied sharply to retake the 17,000 level Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it was in no rush to raise its key interest rate. (Nikkei)

Dozens of geisha and their apprentice "maiko" took a class in the art of self-defense for protection against unwelcome attention while walking alone on dark, deserted streets at night. (Asahi)

Police in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, have arrested a 49-year-old man after he entered an elementary school, brandishing four folding knives. (Japan Today)

Christmas is a great time of year here in Tokyo with all the lights, decorations and hand-holding couples. (rocketnews24.com)

The 20-meter-long, 30-meter-wide artwork uses kochias (summer cypress) for the parent sheep’s wool and pine cones for the animals’ eyes and ears. (The Japan News)

The British scientific journal Nature has picked Japanese eye doctor Masayo Takahashi as one of 10 people "who mattered in science" this year. (Jiji Press)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police plan to limit pedestrian access to Shibuya's famous scramble crossing to avoid trouble from rowdy revelers on New Year's Eve. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has welcomed the agreement between the United States and Cuba to hold negotiations toward normalizing bilateral ties. (NHK)

The US Defense Department has chosen Japan and Australia to provide maintenance for F-35 joint strike fighter jets in the Asia-Pacific region. (NHK)

The Japanese Bankers Association said Thursday the banking industry will launch a settlement system to allow instant fund transfers between banks 24 hours a day all year round in Japan from 2018. (Jiji Press)

Financial assets held by Japanese households rose to a record high at the end of September. (NHK)

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