News On Japan

A police dog on Monday received an award from the Metropolitan Police Department for locating a gun that led to the arrest of a crime syndicate member. (Kyodo)

Sea Shepherd has pulled the plug on its decade-long mission to stop Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, saying it can't match the economic and technological power of the government in Tokyo. (9news.com.au)

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Monday that the relocation of the aging Tsukiji wholesale food market to the Toyosu district is unlikely to take place at least until after June 2018. (Jiji)

Investigative sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police revealed on Monday that a man undergoing questioning over the disappearance of his 26-year-old former girlfriend, who was later found dead, has committed suicide, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's household spending unexpectedly fell in July from a year earlier after last month's spike, data showed Tuesday, casting some doubt on the sustainability of a domestic demand-driven economic recovery seen as vital to boosting tepid inflation. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 52-year-old male tax counselor from Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture for allegedly killing stray cats, video footage of which was posted online, reports the Sankei Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

The Japanese government is likely to stipulate for the first time in law that the Ainu are an "indigenous people" of the nation, sources familiar with the matter said Monday. (Kyodo)

Japan's government says North Korea has fired a missile from its western coast toward the northeastern Japanese region of Tohoku. (NHK)

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency issued missile warnings in 12 prefectures via the J-Alert system in response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan early Tuesday morning. (Jiji)

A Japanese government advisory panel on Tuesday proposed utilizing private vacant houses and rooms to provide temporary housing in the event of a major earthquake. (Jiji)

Hotel occupancy rates of leading hotels in Tokyo are sliding despite high inbound tourist numbers, owing to the rapid rise of competitors such as new hotels and home-sharing services. (Nikkei)

An MV-22 Osprey U.S. military aircraft made an emergency landing at an airport in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, Tuesday afternoon due to possible engine trouble. (Jiji)

Japan's cabinet ministers concerned adopted on Tuesday measures to discourage people from indulging in gambling, including a cut by about one-third in the number of pachinko balls to be returned to players of the vertical pinball game as rewards. (Jiji)

Travel agencies and transport service companies in Japan are increasingly concerned over the impact from a series of missile launches by North Korea. (Japan Times)

The presiding judge in the trial of a Japanese man accused of the 2014 high-profile kidnapping of a girl who was found safe in March last year on Tuesday postponed handing down a ruling on the 25-year-old suspect, Kabu Terauchi. (Jiji)

Japan's Defense Ministry is investigating whether North Korea deliberately shortened the flight of the missile that it launched on Tuesday. (NHK)

The UN Security Council is holding a closed-door emergency meeting to discuss its response to North Korea's latest missile launch. The Security Council convened on Tuesday at the request of Japan, the United States and South Korea. (NHK)

Toyota Motor is speeding up its strategy of reaching across industry lines for help in a landscape transformed by high-tech competition by partnering with ride-hailing company Grab as well as five Japanese startups. (Nikkei)

Young adults under 20 are expected to remain unable to smoke or drink despite legal changes to lower the age of adulthood to 18, National Police Agency officials said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso has retracted a controversial remark that could be seen as defending Adolf Hitler. (NHK)

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