News On Japan

Japan's unemployment rate fell to the lowest level in more than 25 years in May in the latest sign of a strengthening economy, government data showed Friday, but rising job availability underscored the shortage of workers amid a shrinking population. (Japan Today)

The launch of what would have been Japan’s first privately developed rocket to reach outer space failed Saturday after it burst into flames seconds after liftoff, the Hokkaido-based developer said. (Japan Times)

The Japan Meteorological Agency declared the effective end of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin region including Tokyo on Friday, the earliest such announcement for the central-eastern region since observations started in 1951. (Jiji)

A millennium-old temple in Kyoto is offering travelers an exclusive overnight experience for a cool 1 million yen ($9,100), hoping to shore up its dwindling income by capitalizing on the city's booming tourism trade. (Nikkei)

Japan head coach Akira Nishino revealed Saturday that he apologized to his players for making them hold onto the ball and avoid attacking late in their final World Cup group game against Poland, in a tactical move which saw them loudly jeered by spectators. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have over the robbery of an elderly woman who was dragged for several dozen meters by the suspect’s truck in Katsushika Ward earlier this year, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan Airlines Co and All Nippon Airways Co on Saturday started new security checks for powdery substances in carry-on luggage of passengers taking U.S.-bound flights. (Japan Today)

Japanese comedian and fashion designer Naomi Watanabe has been chosen by US weekly Time magazine as one of its 25 most influential people on the internet in 2018. (NHK)

The life and times of Japan's first golfer: Amsterdam 1605 (thesamuraigolfer.com)

A dozen Christian locations in parts of southern Japan where members of the faith were once brutally persecuted were selected for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list on Saturday. (Japan Today)

Ryohin Keikaku Co., the operator of Japan’s Muji brand household goods stores, opened a second hotel under the brand in downtown Beijing on Saturday in a join venture with a unit of Odakyu Electric Railway Co. (Japan Times)

An 81-year-old woman was arrested Sunday after she drove her car through the entrance of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture. (Japan Today)

A car carrying five junior high school students crashed in the western city of Okayama on Sunday morning, leaving a 13-year-old girl dead and the other four teens seriously injured, police said. (Japan Times)

The Mount Fuji climbing season opened on Sunday morning on the Yamanashi side. (Japan Today)

One of Japan's best-known rakugo storytellers, Katsura Utamaru, has died. He was 81 years old. (NHK)

Demand for new offices pulled up land values in Japan's largest cities, but the country is witnessing polarizing demand as rural areas that lack tourist attractions are left behind. (Nikkei)

A national women's university in Tokyo said Monday it will start from April 2020 accepting students born male but who identify themselves as female. (Japan Today)

Areas popular with foreign tourists in Japan, such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa Prefecture, have enjoyed strong growth in land prices year on year, a government report showed Monday. (Jiji)

Japanese Emperor Akihito has been diagnosed with dizziness and nausea caused by cerebral anemia, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday. (Jiji)

Princess Ayako and her fiance-to-be have jointly met with reporters after Japan's Imperial Household Agency formally announced plans for their engagement. (NHK)

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