News On Japan

As the Abe administration plans to ease regulations on renting out apartments and homes to accommodate a growing number of foreign tourists, problems are already occurring in the use of these private units as rentals. (Asahi)

With just six months remaining until the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit, the host region in central Japan has already begun to feel the impact on the local economy - an impact expected to far exceed the economic boost provided by the Toyako summit in Hokkaido in 2008. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government plans to raise the minimum wage and introduce other steps to revitalise the economy, but the draft of stimulus measures seen by Reuters on Monday appeared to break no new ground on reforms that analysts say are needed to end decades of stagnation. (Japan Today)

The decaying remains of an elderly man and the body of his younger sister have been found in their apartment in Tokyo's Koto Ward, police said Monday. (Japan Today)

"Shusse Daimyo Ieyasu-kun," a loose mascot character, or "yuru-kyara," for the city of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture was named the No. 1 yuru-kyara for 2015 on Monday. (Jiji Press)

A Japanese rocket is set to carry a foreign company's satellite into space on Tuesday. It will be the first launch of its kind in Japan. (NHK)

Last summer, women across Japan had their hearts stolen by the newest handsome face to be discovered by the Japanese media. That sort of thing happens a couple of time a year, as a celebrity's visual image is critical to his success in Japan, but the new heartthrob, and it's not just that he goes by the single name Shabani. (rocketnews24.com)

Three bodies have been retrieved from a boat found floating in the Sea of Japan off the coast of Fukui Prefecture on Sunday, two days after a similar discovery in waters off a neighboring prefecture, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 23). (Tokyo Reporter)

Toyota Motor plans to make its new C-HR compact sport utility vehicle a key global model, aiming to shore up a weak link in its lineup as small SUVs grow more popular. (Nikkei)

Businesses will be obliged starting next month to offer their employees an annual test to check their mental stress level amid an increase in workers suffering mental disorders. (Japan Times)

Footage of a man leaving a restroom was caught on a security camera at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine before an explosion and a fire on Monday. (NHK)

Following the stabbing death of the 61-year-old manager of a convenience store, Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested one of his co-workers, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 24). (Tokyo Reporter)

The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has begun accepting submissions for the events' new emblems. (NHK)

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani says the country's Ground Self-Defense Force will introduce Osprey transport aircraft as planned. (NHK)

More than 60 pct of universities in Japan received complaints from students this year about a practice known as "owahara," in which companies pressure students to end their job-hunting activities in exchange for giving them informal employment offers, a private survey has found. (Jiji Press)

The number of syphilis patients is rising rapidly, especially among young women, according to new statistics issued by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. (Japan Times)

A Japanese rocket carrying a communications satellite for a Canadian company is heading into space. (NHK)

IBF minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama said Tuesday that he will make his third title defense on New Year's Eve against Mexican Jose Argumedo. (Japan Times)

Asahi Kasei Corp. said Tuesday it has confirmed piling data manipulation by subsidiary Asahi Kasei Construction Materials Corp. in a total of 360 building projects over the last decade, up from the previously reported 266 cases. (Jiji Press)

A team of scientists say they found a protein in humans can inhibit HIV infection. (NHK)

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