News On Japan

A former teen model has accused illusionist David Copperfield of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1988 after he judged a modeling competition in Japan that she took part in. (Japan Today)

The population of foreign workers set a record of about 1.28 million in late October as rapidly graying Japan continued to rely on foreign trainees and students to make up for its labor shortage, the labor ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested seven Chinese nationals believed to be members of the so-called "Pink Panda" gang in the theft of jewels at an exposition in Koto Ward this week, reports TBS News. (tokyoreporter.com)

An F-35 stealth fighter has arrived at an airbase in Misawa in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan. It is the first of 10 F-35s that will be deployed at the base. (NHK)

NHK has learned that satellite imagery shows possible newly formed craters on a volcano in Japan that erupted on Tuesday. (NHK)

The organizing committee for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan unveiled Friday the event's official mascots, Ren-G, based on the shishi lion-like sacred mythical creature seen in kabuki and other forms of Japanese culture. (Jiji)

The defense chiefs of Japan and France have agreed to boost defense cooperation. (NHK)

A railway operator in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has launched a winter steam locomotive service through wetlands in the eastern part of the prefecture. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a 48-year-old man who allegedly slashed the manager of a convenience store in Toshima Ward during the theft of two rice balls on Friday, reports Nippon News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

A flu epidemic is raging in Japan with the number of patients in one week estimated to have reached a record-high of 2.83 million, the health ministry said Friday. (Japan Today)

A sumo wrestler from Georgia has clinched his first ever title in the sport's grand tournament. (NHK)

A 32-year-old Peruvian man indicted in the killings of six people in Saitama Prefecture in 2015 has declined to enter a plea at the opening session of his trial at the Saitama District Court. (Japan Today)

Japanese officials are warning of continued volcanic activity at Mount Kusatsu-Shirane in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways has decorated one of its planes for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (NHK)

Japan's agriculture ministry has decided to import up to 13,000 tons of butter in the next fiscal year to cover domestic supply shortages and ensure stable supplies. (NHK)

Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, agreed Sunday that the two countries should steadily promote reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in order to improve bilateral relations. (the-japan-news.com)

Two trade groups in Japan's booming cryptocurrency sector have decided to merge into a self-regulatory body in the wake of the biggest virtual currency disappearance to date, taking a step they had hesitated to before. (Nikkei)

Researchers say they have found a new seabird species indigenous to the Ogasawara Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site some 1,000 kilometers south of Japan's main island. (NHK)

Massive ice columns artificially created in Onouchi Ravine in Ogano, Saitama Prefecture, are dazzling visitors to the area. (the-japan-news.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police last week arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly broadcasting live footage of women engaging in acts deemed obscene on a live streaming site, reports Nikkan Sports (tokyoreporter.com)

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