News On Japan

An iconic pocket watch that survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima is beginning to show the ravages of time, 70 years after the end of World War II. (Asahi)

More than 2.22 million visitors flocked to Himeji Castle here between April 1 and Dec. 9, making it the most popular castle in Japan. (Asahi)

A laser was apparently aimed at the driver of a waiting shinkansen bullet train in late November in western Japan, an official of West Japan Railway Co. said Saturday, following similar incidents targeting flying aircraft in Okinawa and elsewhere. (Kyodo)

MISHIMA, Shizuoka Prefecture--The nation's longest cable-suspended pedestrian bridge is set to open to the public here on Dec. 14, offering breathtaking views of Mount Fuji, Suruga Bay and the peaks of the Izu Peninsula. (Asahi)

Japan and India agreed several high-profile deals Saturday including on high-speed rail, defence technology and civil nuclear cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in New Delhi. (AFP)

More and more foreign tourists are being drawn to Japanese kits for making candy by mixing powdered ingredients with water. (the-japan-news.com)

Miranda Kerr certainly made the most of her perfect pins as she took to the catwalk in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday. (dailymail.co.uk)

Last month, the manager of Airbnb Japan told Bloomberg News that Japan is the accommodation service's fastest-growing market, and that he hoped to work with local governments to make regulations more amenable to Airbnb's concept of property owners renting out residences to visitors. (Japan Times)

It is a charity event whose premise would cause Jerry Lewis to blush: Offer a donation in exchange for fondling the bare chest of an adult video (AV) actress. (Tokyo Reporter)

A 38-year-old transgender man whose body was found with its facial skin removed last month in Fussa City died of poisoning, investigative sources have revealed, reports the TBS News. (Tokyo Reporter)

Japanese Environment Minister Tamayo Marukawa has given high praise to the climate accord adopted at the UN conference in Paris. (NHK)

Japan's All Nippon Airways has resumed direct flights between Japan and Australia for the first time in 16 years. (NHK)

With Saturday marking the two-year anniversary of the shooting death of the president of a dumpling chain, Kyoto Prefectural Police have announced that they suspect an organized crime group was involved, reports NHK (Dec. 13). (Tokyo Reporter)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday raided an aesthetic massage parlor staffed with Chinese attendants in Akabane for licensing violations, reports TV Asahi (Dec. 12). (Tokyo Reporter)

Mamachari, a slang term literally meaning "mom's bike," are Japan's ubiquitous city bicycles. (nippon.com)

Until now, the Soryu submarine and its unique technology have been a closely guarded state secret. (abc.net.au)

Australian, Japanese and U.S. air force planes are dropping food and toys on remote atolls in the Pacific as part of the U.S. military's longest-running humanitarian relief mission. (abcnews.go.com)

In a Japanese music scene flooded with helium-voiced teen bands chirping about candy, fluffy bunnies and all things "kawaii" or cute, indie rockers Radwimps offer a potent vaccine for sugar-poisoning. (ctvnews.ca)

Fire and ice: An eye-popping volcano and one of the best snow records in the world makes Japan's Niseko ski resort the peak of perfection (the luxury lodgings help, too) (stardailystandard.com)

Mark Hammett is being linked to a return to Super Rugby with Japan's new franchise. The Sunwolves are set to join an expanded 18-team competition next year along with the Kings from South Africa and Argentina's first franchise. (stuff.co.nz)

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