News On Japan

US online retail giant Amazon has launched a line of voice-controlled AI speakers capable of understanding Japanese. (NHK)

After receiving a tip during an investigation, Fukushima Prefectural Police have begun digging for the body of a missing man in a riverbed in Aizuwakamatsu City, reports TV Asahi. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are searching for a man who robbed an outlet of a pizza delivery chain in Shinjuku Ward on Wednesday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Some Japanese government and ruling camp officials have proposed a tobacco tax increase of 3 yen per cigarette over several years beginning in October 2018, informed sources said Wednesday. (Jiji)

A 65-year-old man is believed to have killed himself with a hunting rifle Wednesday after first shooting his pet dog dead at his home in southwestern Japan, in a case in which police initially feared he had holed himself up and was a potential danger to other people. (Japan Today)

A helicopter carrying 4 people has crashed near Tokyo, killing everyone on board. (NHK)

The government will seek to lower the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 during the ordinary Diet session to be convened in January. (Japan Times)

While visiting Japan, President Trump ate a hamburger, setting off a Twitter firestorm of those both praising and criticizing the choice. (foxnews.com)

The IMF on Wednesday urged Japan to maintain its massive monetary stimulus to boost consumer prices, a view echoed by a central bank board member, reinforcing expectations policy will remain accommodative. (Reuters)

Police on Wednesday arrested the president and a former employee of failed travel agency Tellmeclub, which offered budget overseas tours, on suspicion of defrauding a bank of about ¥200 million ($1.76 million) in loans by window-dressing earnings data. (Japan Times)

This is how my first-ever day in Japan went. Arrive at Tokyo’s Narita airport, sushi for lunch in the city, bullet train (shinkansen) to Kyoto, train to Yamazaki. (thedailybeast.com)

Troubled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba said Thursday it logged a net loss of $436 million for the fiscal first half, as it moves to complete the multi-billion-dollar sale of its chip business to restore its balance sheet. (nationmultimedia.com)

A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel in Geneva, Switzerland has ruled in Japan's favor in a dispute over South Korean restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The panel notified the two sides of the result on 18 October. (seafoodsource.com)

The Japanese economy expanded for a 58th consecutive month in September to mark the second-longest recovery in postwar history, government data shows, but sluggish wage growth and consumption belie the statistical milestone's significance for most people. (Nikkei)

Japan will spend roughly 800 billion yen ($7.01 billion) to expand its free preschool program, part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to increase human resources investment. (Nikkei)

The growing number of foreign visitors to Japan has lifted the country's first-half travel balance surplus to a record high, recent data shows. (Nikkei)

The remaining 11 countries in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal will discuss a proposal for an agreement in principle to proceed after the withdrawal of the United States, Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Thursday. (Reuters)

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi says he's excited about his third mission to the International Space Station. (NHK)

Japanese actress Ryoko Yonekura, 42, has had a big week. On Monday, she was a guest at the dinner for U.S. Presidfent Donald Trump and his wife Melania. Then on Wednesday, she was a winner of the annual “Best Smile of the Year 2017” award, along with actor Masao Kusakari, 65. (Japan Today)

The US Agriculture Department says US pork exporters to Japan will face tariff disadvantages if 11 countries reach a broad agreement on the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal, or TPP. (NHK)

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