News On Japan

A Chinese court has sentenced a Chinese man to seven years in prison for spying related to the Senkaku Islands in the southern Japan prefecture of Okinawa, according to state-run China Central Television. (Jiji Press)

Bullet train service to Kumamoto, a southwestern Japanese city rocked by recent earthquakes, could resume as early as Saturday, Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii said Thursday. (Nikkei)

With Thursday marking one week since the Kumamoto Earthquake, dying from disaster-related ailments has become a serious concern for those who have been evacuated due to the series of earthquakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture and its surroundings. (the-japan-news.com)

The Japan Meteorological Agency has stopped announcing the probability of aftershocks in Kumamoto Prefecture because past occurrences are not providing the guide they did before, according to an agency official. (the-japan-news.com)

Heavy rain forced Self-Defense Forces troops, police officers and others to suspend their search and rescue operations Thursday in the southwestern Japan village of Minamiaso, where two people remain unaccounted for after earthquake-caused massive landslides. (Jiji Press)

Geological officials in Japan say the series of earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture has caused ground to shift over a vast area. (NHK)

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, 87, has been selected as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, released on Thursday. (Jiji Press)

A 31-year-old man was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of fatally stabbing three members of his family and seriously injuring another in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Ichiro Suzuki quietly cleaned his cleats in a noisy postgame clubhouse Thursday before packing the shoes for his next game, which will be No. 2,368. (Japan Times)

Megumi Igarashi, who is currently under prosecution on charges of obscenity, has announced her engagement to Mike Scott, the founding member of the Waterboys, reports Nikkan Sports (April 22). (Tokyo Reporter)

General Motors Co. said Friday that it will shut down production at four North American assembly plants for two weeks starting Monday due to supply-chain problems caused by the recent earthquakes in Japan. (wsj.com)

A non-partisan group of 92 Japanese lawmakers visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday morning for the spring festival. (NHK)

Many Japanese think English is a difficult language. So why not make that linguistic grind enjoyable? That's exactly what this odd little book does. (kotaku.com)

Japan's convenience stores have mobilized to help victims of the Kumamoto earthquakes. (qz.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 21-year-old man who is believed to have posed as an officer to molest young girls in the western part of the capital, reports the Sankei Shimbun (April 21). (Tokyo Reporter)

More than 80,000 people were taking shelter in Kumamoto and nearby areas of southwestern Japan as of Friday. Jolts are still hitting the region after last week's powerful earthquakes. (NHK)

Online retail giant Amazon Japan has begun a service to enable users to buy items needed at emergency shelters in Kumamoto City after it was hit hard by powerful earthquakes last week. (NHK)

Japan's Environment Ministry said Friday a chick has been hatched from an egg produced by a pair of wild crested ibises on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan. (Jiji Press)

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors plans to compensate customers in a bid to limit the fallout from a fuel-efficiency cheating scandal, the Nikkei reported on Saturday. (globalpost.com)

A prototype of Japan's first domestically developed stealth jet made its 26-minute maiden flight in central Japan on Friday. (the-japan-news.com)

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