News On Japan

Japan and the United States have agreed on "seamless" defense cooperation from peacetime to contingencies, the two countries said Monday, announcing the first revision to their defense cooperation guidelines in 18 years. (Jiji Press)

Japan's Inpex Corp on Monday won a stake in the development of major oil fields in the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, deepening the Asian nation's ties to the United Arab Emirates federation. (Japan Today)

The meager sunshine hours this month has hit consumers' wallets as it delayed the harvest of vegetables and led to a surge in their prices. (The Japan News)

Major convenience store operator Lawson Inc. said Monday it will conclude a franchising contract with a Tokyo Metro Co. subsidiary to convert Metro's stores at subway stations to Lawson outlets, beginning around September. (The Japan News)

Crowded Japan has got a little bit roomier after a 300-meter strip of land emerged from the sea and attached itself to the coast, experts said Monday. (Japan Today)

A former nightclub hostess with a hearing disability was elected to the assembly of Kita Ward, Tokyo. (The Japan News)

A Japanese rescue team failed to enter earthquake-hit Nepal twice on Monday as an aircraft used by the team was unable to obtain permission to land on an airport in its capital Kathmandu because of congestion. (Jiji Press)

On Monday, prosecutors at the Osaka District Court filed drug charges against a 39-year-old male whose who was arrested after he showed support for marijuana use on the Internet, reports the Sankei Shimbun (April 27). (Tokyo Reporter)

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida called for accelerating nuclear disarmament in a speech at a review conference on the nuclear nonproliferation treaty held in the U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday. (Jiji Press)

Japan's transport ministry has issued new guidelines for airlines to ensure pilots are never alone in the cockpit. (NHK)

Japan has been conducting the most audacious monetary experiment in modern economic history, but there are plenty of signs the experiment has not been audacious enough. (Japan Times)

Police in Tokyo's Nerima Ward said Tuesday that a dead cat was found at the entrance to an elementary school in Sakuradai. It was the third time this month that dead cats have been found in the neighborhood. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo District Court on Monday handed down an 18-month prison sentence to adult video (AV) actress Minako Komukai for the possession and use of stimulant drugs, reports TBS News. (Tokyo Reporter)

Japan's already less-than-sterling credit rating took another hit from Fitch's downgrade Monday, but the country's bonds and currency are likely to remain impervious to the blow. (cnbc.com)

Tokyo stocks staged modest gains on Tuesday, as strong buying in earnings-related performers such as Fanuc and Denso helped the Nikkei Stock Average snap a two-day slide. (dailytelegraph.com.au)

Japanese police said they were investigating a possible attack on a U.S. Army base near Tokyo after finding a pair of launchers and a projectile Tuesday following reports of explosions in the vicinity. (usatoday.com)

An NHK investigation panel on Tuesday said a television documentary aired last year by the public broadcaster included "excessive staging," although it found no fabrication. (Japan Times)

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sprung a surprise on tourists in Washington Monday with an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial. (Japan Times)

Japanese tax authorities on Tuesday told Sapporo Breweries Ltd. that they will not return 11.5 billion yen of liquor tax paid by the firm over its Goku Zero popular beer-like product. (Jiji Press)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and two opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a bill to lift Japan's ban on casinos to the House of Representatives. (Jiji Press)

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