News On Japan

An English textbook used at public middle schools from the 2012 school year was switched to one published by Sanseido Co. in six school districts in which educational officials involved in the textbook selection process received rewards from the publisher, according to the education ministry and other sources. (the-japan-news.com)

People in a western Japanese city have saved a whale stranded in shallow water. (NHK)

Japan Airlines will resume flights between Narita and Paris in March, after a temporary suspension following the Paris terror attacks in November. (NHK)

The government will work to keep the total number of abandoned houses and apartments in Japan at some 4 million or fewer in fiscal 2025, as the total is otherwise projected to exceed 5 million in the year, it was learned on Thursday. (Jiji Press)

A Singaporean man has been fined 1,500 Singapore dollars ($1,042) for spiking his Japanese colleague's drinking water with a "love potion" that contained poisonous substances in an attempt to make her fall in love with him, according to local media reports and court documents. (Japan Times)

Suntory Holdings Ltd. will sell a 65 percent equity stake in Subway Japan Inc. to Subway International B.V., which controls the sandwich eatery chain outside the U.S., sources said Thursday. (Japan Times)

A South Korean man being held in connection with an explosion at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine was served a second arrest warrant on Thursday. (NHK　)

A smart train pass only available for foreign tourists will allow short-stay visitors in the Kansai region to use services by various operators, and entitle them to special deals at tourist attractions and shopping facilities. (Asahi)

As a part of an ongoing crackdown on bait-and-switch prostitution scams in the Kabukicho red-light district, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a group for defrauding a customer, reports TBS News (Jan. 21). (Tokyo Reporter)

A Japanese princess made a low-key royal appearance as she returned to Leicester to pick up her degree. (leicestermercury.co.uk)

A criminal investigation group has arrested the leader of a notorious gang suspected in the murder of a Japanese national last year, reports Nippon News Network (Jan. 22). (Tokyo Reporter)

Passenger and flight numbers at Narita International Airport scaled new heights in 2015, the airport's operator announced on Jan. 21, providing further evidence of Japan's continuing foreign tourism boom. (Asahi)

Police investigating a fatal ski tour bus accident in central Japan have discovered that the gear of the crashed vehicle was in neutral. (NHK)

Japan's feel-good story of the year takes a depressing turn as the lone passenger who made headlines is harassed by camera-toting otaku. (rocketnews24.com)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Friday to take the leadership in addressing regional and global challenges such as North Korea's nuclear ambitions as Japan hosts a summit of the world's seven major democracies and a trilateral summit with China and South Korea this year. (Japan Today)

The Consumer Affairs Agency has issued a warning to elderly people to be careful when they soak in hot baths at home or at onsens, as well as spending too much time in saunas. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a male Nepalese national reapplying for refugee status for allegedly molesting a school girl in Shibuya Ward, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 22). (Tokyo Reporter)

Obesity rates among children in Fukushima Prefecture decreased in fiscal 2015, although they remained at high levels in the wake of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, preliminary data from the education ministry showed Friday. (Jiji Press)

The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested two Vietnamese people on suspicion of violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law by fraudulently applying for refugee status and working illegally, it has been learned. (the-japan-news.com)

Seibu Holdings Inc. said Thursday it will open a new luxury hotel, The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, on July 27 on the site of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka, a closed central Tokyo hotel formerly known as the Akasaka Prince Hotel. (the-japan-news.com)

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