News On Japan

Right on the tail of the SNES Mini Classic’s announcement in the US and Europe, Nintendo has followed up with an equivalent product for Japan. The Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom is based on the system’s original design, shared by the European version, and comes with a slightly different selection of games. (theverge.com)

North Korea now appears able to hit Japan with a nuclear missile, a Tokyo-based newspaper has reported. (independent.co.uk)

Japan's home-sharing market is poised for a shift away from couch-surfing toward professional services after the passage of a law regulating short-term rentals. (bloomberg.com)

Two cities in central Japan regarded as the birthplace of ninjas, or feudal era secret agents, have launched a council to attract more tourists from home and abroad. (NHK)

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said Tuesday he has ordered a nursery school run by the wife of Yasunori Kagoike, the former chief of scandal-tainted school operator Moritomo Gakuen, to suspend its operations for six months beginning Saturday due to a shortage of teachers. (Japan Times)

A 42-year-old woman of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly setting a man on fire, causing him to sustain burns over his entire body, police said. (Japan Times)

A committee of Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, came up with a proposal on Tuesday calling for charging fees on households without television sets for watching TV programs distributed through the Internet simultaneously. (Jiji)

Japan and Russia started their first study Tuesday to assess the potential for joint economic activities on disputed islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. (Japan Today)

Japanese premier Shinzo Abe is looking to quietly ditch a pledge to balance the budget by fiscal 2020 in favor of a looser debt-to-GDP ratio target, a move that gives him a free hand to delay again an unpopular sales tax hike, government sources say. (Reuters)

Saitama Prefectural Police have arrested a lawyer for allegedly molesting a woman inside a crowded train early Saturday, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police have revealed that a 44-year-old man accused of stalking a member of popular idol group HKT48 in Fukuoka City also pursued another member, reports TBS News. (tokyoreporter.com)

The yen may face a test of confidence as Tokyo aims to boost the currency’s presence abroad at a time when China has been eclipsing Japan’s clout on the world stage. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police used data from a social media application in apprehending a male teacher alleged in the molestation of a woman in Fussa City earlier this month, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a male employee at an institution for the disabled for allegedly engaging in illicit acts with a female pupil, who was 13 at the time, in Hiratsuka City last month, reports Nikkan Sports (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday revealed that a 32-year-old man has been arrested for posting a death threat on the blog of one of the most popular members of idol group Kamen Joshi (Masked Girls), reports the Asahi Shimbun. (tokyoreporter.com)

As the cost of obtaining a college degree has skyrocketed over the years, millions of Japanese are facing potential financial crisis for pursuing post-secondary education. (japansubculture.com)

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has come under fire following her controversial reference to the Self-Defense Forces during the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's campaign for the upcoming Tokyo metropolitan assembly election. (Jiji)

Japan Tobacco Inc said on Wednesday it hoped to catch up with Philip Morris International Inc in smokeless tobacco by expanding the number of smoke-free restaurants and public places that allow its vaping product. (Japan Today)

An underground ice wall being built to keep groundwater from entering the crippled nuclear reactor buildings in Fukushima is expected to be completed soon. (NHK)

Farmers in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, have started shipping square watermelons across the country. (NHK)

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