News On Japan

An American male on trial at the Yokohama District Court in the death of a woman in Miura City last July will not be prosecuted on charges of murder, reports Nippon News Network (April 19). (Tokyo Reporter)

Kumamoto Airport in quake-stricken Kyushu reopened to commercial flights on Tuesday, but it is unable to offer security checks and baggage handling, so planes are leaving empty. (Japan Times)

The first death from economy class syndrome has been reported among the survivors of the powerful quakes that hit Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu. (NHK)

Aftereffects from powerful earthquakes in southwestern Japan are taking a toll on survivors. Tens of thousands have evacuated their homes and many are sleeping in emergency shelters or their cars. (NHK)

They may have happened within days of one another, but the devastating earthquakes in Japan had nothing to do with the strong temblor that struck Ecuador over the weekend, experts say. (cbsnews.com)

More than 2-million foreign travelers visited Japan in March, the highest number ever for a single month. The amount of money they spend in the country is also increasing. (NHK)

Rushed in for emergency surgery to stop bleeding on the brain, doctors at Matsudo City Hospital said the child was lucky to be alive. Others have come in with spinal fractures, broken ribs and shattered limbs. (Japan Times)

The latest scientific assessment paints a bleak future for the Pacific bluefin tuna, a sushi lovers' favorite whose population has dropped by more than 97 percent from its past levels. (Japan Times)

Kumamoto Castle has been opened to the media for the first time since it was damaged by powerful earthquakes that struck Kyushu Island in southern Japan. (NHK)

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors has revealed it improperly manipulated the fuel economy data of 2 of its mini-vehicle models as well as 2 others it manufactures for Nissan Motor. In all, 625,000 units are affected. (NHK)

Eleven people have died of causes indirectly related to a string of strong earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture and nearby areas since last week, the Kumamoto prefectural government said Wednesday. (Jiji Press)

Police have arrested a 25-year-old woman on suspicion of killing her boyfriend by setting him on fire at the couple's apartment in Nagoya. (Japan Today)

Following a confession by gang boss currently on death row, Tokyo and Kanagawa police have discovered a corpse in a mountainous area of Isehara City that is believed to be a man murdered by the mobster in a separate case, reports TBS News (April 19). (Tokyo Reporter)

People in southwestern Japan have been experiencing frequent tremors for almost a week. The first strong earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture on April 14th. (NHK)

The Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the least Catholic countries: Japan, where former students at a prestigious all-boys parochial school allege they were molested or raped by religious brothers who taught there decades ago. (Japan Today)

Japan has likely been eliminated from the competition for an Australian government contract to jointly develop the nation's next-generation submarine, Australia's ABC News has reported. (the-japan-news.com)

The U.S. government is coordinating with the Japanese government on the final details for a planned visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park next month, according to sources. (the-japan-news.com)

Tokyo authorities on Thursday ordered a cat cafe to close its doors for 30 days due to improper management of the animals, describing the punishment as the first of its kind for such an establishment in Japan. (Japan Today)

Dutch-themed amusement park Huis Ten Bosch has unveiled plans to open a "robot kingdom" featuring over 200 automatons on the premises in July, part of a long-term strategy to revolutionize Japan's anemic service sector. (Nikkei)

Regional lenders in the Kyushu southwestern region are expected to suffer an increase in costs as disaster relief donations pour in from the rest of Japan, because of the Bank of Japan's negative interest rate policy. (Jiji Press)

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