News On Japan

The organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have decided to withdraw the controversial emblems designed by Japanese art director Kenjiro Sano. (NHK)

Kenjiro Sano, whose logo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was scrapped Tuesday, stood by his design but said he decided to retract the logo because he felt his design did not have the support of the public and was marring the image of the Tokyo Olympics. (Japan Times)

Chiba police have arrested a 24-year-old man from Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, on suspicion of selling clothing with fake autographs from members of a pop group on an online auction site. (Japan Times)

Chiba Prefectural Police on Wednesday busted a hostess club in Chiba City for licensing violations, with the business being a source of revenue for organized crime, reports TBS News (Sep. 2). (Tokyo Reporter)

Clearly eager to penetrate a new market, U.S. video streaming giant Netflix Inc. kicked off its online service in Japan on Sept. 1, hours ahead of schedule. (Asahi)

After a week of speculation, law enforcement said on Tuesday that Japan's largest crime syndicate has chosen to expel 13 affiliate groups, a move that essentially results in the dissolution of the gang, reports the Kobe Shimbun (Sep. 1). (Tokyo Reporter)

Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science has added the world's first robot dog with artificial intelligence to a list of Japanese technologies that have greatly changed people's lives. (NHK)

Struggling electronics firm Sharp is in negotiations to sell its head office building to Japan's leading furniture retailer Nitori Holdings. (NHK)

Japan's monetary base in August rose to a record high for the 13th straight month. (NHK)

Japan's minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics said Wednesday the games' organizing committee, the Olympic logo selection committee and its designer are all responsible for the withdrawal of the games logo amid a commotion over plagiarism allegations. (Kyodo)

Tokyo police on Wednesday arrested sumo stablemaster Kumagatani, 45, on suspicion of assaulting a male assistant. (Jiji Press)

Police in Saga City have arrested a 66-year-old man on suspicion of abandoning the bodies of a man and woman at a construction surplus soil disposal yard in July. (Japan Today)

The government and ruling bloc have started arrangements to get national security bills passed as early as Sept. 14, sources said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

A Liberal Democratic Party panel on Wednesday delayed formally adopting proposed changes to the age at which youngsters can smoke and drink a day after unveiling the radical plan. (Japan Times)

China will hold Thursday a massive military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II. (Kyodo)

South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Wednesday to hold a three-way summit also including Japan some two months later. (Jiji Press)

Shake Shack will open the first Tokyo Shack in Meiji-Jingu Gaien park. This Shack, inspired by the first-ever Shake Shack in New York City's Madison Square Park, is slated to open this winter where it will sit among the ginkgo trees on Icho Namiki Avenue in Aoyama. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefectural Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of a 20-year-old university student for the theft of two sports cars, one of which was used at a racing circuit, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Sep. 3). (Tokyo Reporter)

Japanese stocks have been wildly gyrating due to uncertainty over China's economy and as hedge funds have engaged in short-term trading. While the Bank of Japan is expected to buttress sagging stock prices by upping its purchases of exchange-traded funds, it may be running out of money for this purpose. (Nikkei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday implicitly scolded Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's view of Japan's wartime history at a reception following a massive military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Kyodo)

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