News On Japan

US auto safety regulators have announced a new recall of up to 5 million vehicles outfitted with airbags made by Japanese supplier Takata. (NHK)

Japan received applications for refugee status from a record 7,586 people in 2015 but ultimately granted asylum to 27 people, a mere 0.4 percent of applicants, according to preliminary figures released Saturday by the Justice Ministry. (Kyodo)

An incoming cold air mass is set to unleash stormy weather across Japan, with the western, southwestern and central parts of the country being warned to prepare for heavy snowfall and strong winds, the Meteorological Agency said Saturday. (Japan Times)

Convenience store chain FamilyMart plans to install automatic foreign currency exchange machines in some of its stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, starting Feb 1. (Japan Today)

Japan's Honda Motor has begun full-fledged sales of its new aircraft in the United States, the world's largest business jet market. (NHK)

An environmental conference in Tokyo on Saturday discussed the threat posed by microplastics. About 200 researchers and NGO members from around the world attended. (NHK)

Ozeki Kotoshogiku took down fellow ozeki Goeido on Sunday to win the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo for his first career Emperor's Cup, ending a 10-year title drought by Japan-born wrestlers. (the-japan-news.com)

Humanoid robots, which move almost as naturally as humans, are fulfilling an increasingly broad range of roles in society. (the-japan-news.com)

Given Kyoto's prosperous domestic and international tourism industry, the mayoral election on Feb. 7 is widely expected to be an easy win for incumbent Daisaku Kadokawa, 65, who is backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan. (Japan Times)

Heavy snow in Japan has left at least 2 people dead and another 200 injured. (NHK)

Japan is well known for many things, and its obsession with sex is one of them. It has one of the most robust pornographic and adult-toy industries in the world and airs TV commercials for items as banal as candy that feature sexually suggestive themes. (theage.com.au)

A longline fishing boat recently caught a 417-kilogram tuna off the coast here, the heaviest to be landed on Katsuura fishing port, according to local fish market sources. (Asahi)

The incumbent mayor of Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, has won a second term in Sunday's election. (NHK)

Japan's exports are continuing to sag, falling 8% since this time last year. The only reason Japan recorded a trade surplus last month was because its imports are falling even faster. (Quartz)

In Japan, having high English proficiency can be a strong advantage for students wishing to get into prestigious universities and companies and for businesspeople seeking a promotion. (Japan Times)

Japan's highest waterfall has frozen in the chilly weather. Called Nachinotaki, the waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture is 133 meters high. (NHK)

Police in Sapporo, Hokkaido, have arrested a 38-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of strangling his girlfriend to death. (Japan Today)

The creator of Flappy Bird is apparently working with Japanese studio Obakaidem to produce several titles, including a "ninja game." (rocketnews24.com)

Rich buyers taking advantage of record low borrowing costs have pushed prices in Tokyo beyond the reach of many ordinary buyers, taking the wind out of property sales. (the-japan-news.com)

Imagine that you're a Japanese 26-year-old with big dreams. You graduated from Waseda University, an elite private school, with a degree in electrical engineering. (smh.com.au)

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