News On Japan

An H5-series Shinkansen train was put through its paces Jan. 28, two months before the start of the first high-speed rail service in Japan's northernmost main island. (Asahi)

The resignation of Akira Amari as economic revitalization minister over a money scandal is expected to deal a serious blow to the implementation of the Abenomics economic policy of the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Jiji Press)

Visiting Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko consoled Japanese-Filipinos who experienced the Pacific War, part of World War II, at their meeting at a hotel in Manila on Thursday. (Jiji Press)

A prototype of the first Japan-made stealth fighter was unveiled to the media Thursday at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. factory in central Japan. (Japan Times)

Economic revitalization minister Akira Amari, who has been embroiled in a money-for-favors scandal, announced Thursday that he will resign. (the-japan-news.com)

A 20-year-old member of a yakuza syndicate, who was arrested in Tokyo on Wednesday over the death of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son, is believed to have previously abused the boy, police said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The Bank of Japan decided to adopt negative interest rates at its policy meeting on Friday, voting 5-4 to apply an interest rate of -0.1 percent on current accounts held at the central bank. At the same time, the BOJ revised its inflation forecast for fiscal 2016 down to 0.8% from a previous level of 1.4%. (Nikkei)

Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested a 69-year-old woman for dumping the body of her husband inside their home in Muroran City, reports Nikkan Sports (Jan. 31). (Tokyo Reporter)

A 24-year-old police officer apparently shot himself to death in a forest off a mountain road in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, prefectural police said Sunday. (Japan Today)

Japan has officially stated to the UN that it did not force Asian women to become sex slaves during World War II. This comes despite the Japanese government signing a landmark deal with South Korea, settling the issue of "comfort women" a month ago. (rt.com)

In a private e-mail forwarded to then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a high-ranking U.S. official asked Japan to consult with China before the Japanese government put the Senkaku Islands under state ownership in September 2012. (Asahi)

Toyota Motor Corp. said it will suspend production at all assembly plants in Japan next week in the wake of a steel factory explosion, interrupting the supply of crucial models including the new Prius hybrid. (bloomberg.com)

A YouTube video to promote Kumamoto Castle starring popular dance duo Egu-Splosion has become an online hit, garnering more than 400,000 views since its release in late December. (Asahi)

Japan's governing and opposition parties have agreed to start budget deliberations that have been stalled over the resignation of a key Cabinet minister. (NHK)

A festival featuring snow huts called "kamakura" has begun in Nikko City, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

Police say a computer hacking group that calls itself Anonymous has suggested its involvement in 145 cyber-attacks against 73 Japanese websites since September. (NHK)

The Osaka Prefectural Police have improperly stored documents and other evidence linked to about 5,000 criminal cases at their police stations, allowing the statute of limitations for more than 80 percent of the cases to expire, officials said Monday. (Japan Times)

The biggest cause of the financial and capital market turbulence that has swept the world this year is China's economic slowdown. One of its biggest victims could be Abenomics, the vaunted economic policy agenda being promoted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Nikkei)

The Finance Ministry will consider requiring tobacco packaging to display more prominent warnings about the possible health impact caused by smoking. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two organized crime members, including a top boss, for fraudulently opening bank accounts, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Feb. 1). (Tokyo Reporter)

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